Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
May 27, 2008 MI Meadows Amdt: Access to Contraceptives Amendment Rejected - House (41 - 66)
May 27, 2008 IL HB 5288 Expand Use of Red Light Cameras Bill Failed - Senate (26 - 24)
May 27, 2008 CA AB 2654 Expanding Anti-Discrimination Laws Bill Passed - House (48 - 30)
May 27, 2008 CA AB 2654 Expanding Anti-Discrimination Laws Bill Passed - House (48 - 30)
May 27, 2008 MI SB 776 Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Bill Passed - House (74 - 32)
May 27, 2008 CA AB 1996 Food Stamps for Convicted Drug Felons Bill Passed - House (42 - 35)
May 27, 2008 MI HB 6048 Emergency Contraception for Victims of Sexual Assault Bill Passed - House (57 - 51)
May 27, 2008 MI SB 776 Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Bill Passed - House (74 - 32)
May 22, 2008 MS SB 2004 Voter Identification Requirement Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17)
May 22, 2008 OH HB 477 English Language for State Business Bill Passed - House (54 - 42)
May 22, 2008 IL HB 2310 Truancy, Information Sharing, and Fines Bill Passed - House (85 - 25)
May 21, 2008 AZ HB 2629 Legalizing the Defensive Display of a Firearm Concurrence Vote Passed - House (34 - 26)
May 21, 2008 LA SB 51 Guns in Parked Locked Cars Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 4)
May 19, 2008 AZ HB 2389 Involving Gun Owners' Rights Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 9)
May 19, 2008 AZ SB 1476 Reducing Probation for Good Behavior Bill Passed - House (35 - 18)
May 19, 2008 AZ SB 1476 Reducing Probation for Good Behavior Bill Passed - House (35 - 18)
May 19, 2008 CA AB 2567 Creation of "Harvey Milk Day" Bill Passed - House (45 - 28)
May 19, 2008 CA AB 2567 Creation of "Harvey Milk Day" Bill Passed - House (45 - 28)
May 16, 2008 MO HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 Undocumented Immigrants Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 7)
May 16, 2008 MO HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 Undocumented Immigrants Conference Report Adopted - House (136 - 12)
May 15, 2008 National HR 2642 Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques Concurrence Vote Passed - House (227 - 196)
May 15, 2008 National HR 2642 Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques Concurrence Vote Failed - House (141 - 149)
May 15, 2008 NH HB 1509 Allocation of Gambling/Gaming Profits Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8)
May 15, 2008 CA SB 1589 Uncorroborated Jailhouse Informant Testimony Ban Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 14)
May 15, 2008 MN SF 960 Modification of the Definition of Dependents for Local Government Benefits Bill Passed - House (83 - 50)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/27 Meadows Amdt: Access to Contraceptives Amendment Rejected - House (41 - 66)
5/27 HB 5288 Expand Use of Red Light Cameras Bill Failed - Senate (26 - 24)
5/27 AB 2654 Expanding Anti-Discrimination Laws Bill Passed - House (48 - 30)
5/27 AB 2654 Expanding Anti-Discrimination Laws Bill Passed - House (48 - 30)
5/27 SB 776 Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Bill Passed - House (74 - 32)
5/27 AB 1996 Food Stamps for Convicted Drug Felons Bill Passed - House (42 - 35)
5/27 HB 6048 Emergency Contraception for Victims of Sexual Assault Bill Passed - House (57 - 51)
5/27 SB 776 Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Bill Passed - House (74 - 32)
5/22 SB 2004 Voter Identification Requirement Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17)
5/22 HB 477 English Language for State Business Bill Passed - House (54 - 42)
5/22 HB 2310 Truancy, Information Sharing, and Fines Bill Passed - House (85 - 25)
5/21 HB 2629 Legalizing the Defensive Display of a Firearm Concurrence Vote Passed - House (34 - 26)
5/21 SB 51 Guns in Parked Locked Cars Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 4)
5/19 HB 2389 Involving Gun Owners' Rights Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 9)
5/19 SB 1476 Reducing Probation for Good Behavior Bill Passed - House (35 - 18)
5/19 SB 1476 Reducing Probation for Good Behavior Bill Passed - House (35 - 18)
5/19 AB 2567 Creation of "Harvey Milk Day" Bill Passed - House (45 - 28)
5/19 AB 2567 Creation of "Harvey Milk Day" Bill Passed - House (45 - 28)
5/16 HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 Undocumented Immigrants Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 7)
5/16 HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 Undocumented Immigrants Conference Report Adopted - House (136 - 12)
5/15 HR 2642 Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques Concurrence Vote Passed - House (227 - 196)
5/15 HR 2642 Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques Concurrence Vote Failed - House (141 - 149)
5/15 HB 1509 Allocation of Gambling/Gaming Profits Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8)
5/15 SB 1589 Uncorroborated Jailhouse Informant Testimony Ban Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 14)
5/15 SF 960 Modification of the Definition of Dependents for Local Government Benefits Bill Passed - House (83 - 50)

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