Vote Smart provides easy access to congressional and state voting records and maintains a collection of key votes grouped by issue. Vote Smart uses the following criteria to select key votes:
Vote Smart provides a summary of the version of the bill text associated with each selected key vote. Our summaries are written by Vote Smart's staff and interns, who adhere to our strict policies and procedures in order to guarantee absolute impartiality and accuracy. They do not necessarily reflect the content of the final version of the bill, but rather the version voted on in that stage. While many procedural votes take place before a full chamber vote, our voting stages reflect the final reading of each chamber vote. Each key vote selection is reviewed by the project's community of advisors, who are political scientists and journalists from all fifty states.
For more information about the legislative process, see here.
| Date | State | Bill No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 5, 2008 | WV | SB 373 | Reclassification of Streams | Bill Passed - House (67 - 32) |
| March 4, 2008 | UT | SB 297 | Increasing Penalties for Animal Cruelty | Bill Passed - House (62 - 6) |
| March 4, 2008 | WA | HB 2438 | Permitting Dogs in Cougar Hunting | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | UT | SB 297 | Increasing Penalties for Animal Cruelty | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 6) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | WY | HB 46 | Animal Abuse and Cruelty | Bill Passed - House (56 - 2) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | MS | HB 1089 | Legalizing Deer Baiting | Bill Passed - House (74 - 47) |
| Feb. 19, 2008 | WA | HB 2438 | Permitting Dogs in Cougar Hunting | Bill Passed - House (66 - 29) |
| Feb. 14, 2008 | UT | SB 117 | Increasing Penalties for Animal Cruelty | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 14) |
| Feb. 11, 2008 | SD | HB 1171 | Hunting Mountain Lions | Bill Failed - House (26 - 42) |
| Jan. 28, 2008 | GA | HB 301 | Increasing Dogfighting Penalties | Bill Passed - House (165 - 6) |
| June 28, 2007 | PA | HB 1631 | Funding for Local County Projects | Bill Passed - House (121 - 77) |
| June 6, 2007 | CA | AB 1634 | California Healthy Pets Act | Bill Passed - House (41 - 38) |
| May 24, 2007 | AL | HB 112 | Gill Net Fishing Ban | Bill Passed - House (74 - 21) |
| May 23, 2007 | ME | LD 1635 | Recreational Bear Trapping Ban | "Ought Not to Pass" Report Adopted - House (82 - 60) |
| March 29, 2007 | MT | HB 343 | Removal of Wolves from the Endangered Species List | Bill Passed - House (63 - 37) |
| March 27, 2007 | NH | HB 923 | Dog Racing Prohibition | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (198 - 138) |
| Feb. 27, 2007 | WY | 1SHB 213 | Grey Wolf Population Control | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 3) |
| Feb. 7, 2007 | WY | HB 213 | Gray Wolf Population Control | Bill Passed - House (52 - 8) |
| Feb. 7, 2007 | NM | SB 10 | Prohibiting Cockfighting | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 11) |
| Sept. 7, 2006 | National | HR 503 | Horse Slaughter Prohibition Bill | Bill Passed - House (263 - 146) |
| Aug. 31, 2006 | CA | SB 1578 | Dog Restraint Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| Aug. 31, 2006 | CA | SB 1578 | Dog Restraint Regulations | Bill Passed - House (46 - 32) |
| July 8, 2006 | NJ | A 4714 | Fur Clothing Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19) |
| July 8, 2006 | NJ | A 4714 | Fur Clothing Tax | Bill Passed - House (44 - 32) |
| June 28, 2006 | DE | HB 537 | Crop Damage Levels | Bill Passed - House (21 - 18) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/05 | SB 373 | Reclassification of Streams | Bill Passed - House (67 - 32) |
| 3/04 | SB 297 | Increasing Penalties for Animal Cruelty | Bill Passed - House (62 - 6) |
| 3/04 | HB 2438 | Permitting Dogs in Cougar Hunting | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18) |
| 2/27 | SB 297 | Increasing Penalties for Animal Cruelty | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 6) |
| 2/21 | HB 46 | Animal Abuse and Cruelty | Bill Passed - House (56 - 2) |
| 2/21 | HB 1089 | Legalizing Deer Baiting | Bill Passed - House (74 - 47) |
| 2/19 | HB 2438 | Permitting Dogs in Cougar Hunting | Bill Passed - House (66 - 29) |
| 2/14 | SB 117 | Increasing Penalties for Animal Cruelty | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 14) |
| 2/11 | HB 1171 | Hunting Mountain Lions | Bill Failed - House (26 - 42) |
| 1/28 | HB 301 | Increasing Dogfighting Penalties | Bill Passed - House (165 - 6) |
| 6/28 | HB 1631 | Funding for Local County Projects | Bill Passed - House (121 - 77) |
| 6/06 | AB 1634 | California Healthy Pets Act | Bill Passed - House (41 - 38) |
| 5/24 | HB 112 | Gill Net Fishing Ban | Bill Passed - House (74 - 21) |
| 5/23 | LD 1635 | Recreational Bear Trapping Ban | "Ought Not to Pass" Report Adopted - House (82 - 60) |
| 3/29 | HB 343 | Removal of Wolves from the Endangered Species List | Bill Passed - House (63 - 37) |
| 3/27 | HB 923 | Dog Racing Prohibition | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (198 - 138) |
| 2/27 | 1SHB 213 | Grey Wolf Population Control | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 3) |
| 2/07 | HB 213 | Gray Wolf Population Control | Bill Passed - House (52 - 8) |
| 2/07 | SB 10 | Prohibiting Cockfighting | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 11) |
| 9/07 | HR 503 | Horse Slaughter Prohibition Bill | Bill Passed - House (263 - 146) |
| 8/31 | SB 1578 | Dog Restraint Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| 8/31 | SB 1578 | Dog Restraint Regulations | Bill Passed - House (46 - 32) |
| 7/08 | A 4714 | Fur Clothing Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19) |
| 7/08 | A 4714 | Fur Clothing Tax | Bill Passed - House (44 - 32) |
| 6/28 | HB 537 | Crop Damage Levels | Bill Passed - House (21 - 18) |