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
Aug. 31, 2008 CA SB 1301 Extending Student Financial Aid Eligibility Bill Passed - House (46 - 29)
Aug. 29, 2008 CA SB 60 Expanding Driver's License Eligibility Bill Passed - House (41 - 31)
Aug. 29, 2008 CA SB 1407 Financing Courthouse Construction Bill Passed - House (45 - 20)
Aug. 19, 2008 NM SB 24 Tax Rebate Bill Passed - House (51 - 16)
Aug. 18, 2008 NM SB 22 Subsidizing Children's Health Care Bill Passed - House (47 - 19)
Aug. 16, 2008 NM HB 4 Working Families Tax Credit Increase Bill Passed - House (39 - 25)
Aug. 13, 2008 IL HB 5285 Extending Parental Health Insurance to Unmarried Dependents Concurrence Vote Passed - House (70 - 21)
Aug. 13, 2008 CA AB 86 Cyber-Bullying Enforcement Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 22)
Aug. 13, 2008 CA SB 28 Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving Bill Passed - House (52 - 24)
Aug. 13, 2008 CA SB 1171 Expanding Loaded Firearm Restrictions Bill Passed - House (45 - 32)
Aug. 12, 2008 CA SB 1589 Uncorroborated Jailhouse Informant Testimony Ban Bill Passed - House (41 - 37)
Aug. 7, 2008 CA AB 2567 Creation of "Harvey Milk Day" Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 27)
Aug. 7, 2008 CA AB 2567 Creation of "Harvey Milk Day" Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 27)
July 30, 2008 National HR 1108 FDA Regulation of Tobacco Bill Passed - House (326 - 102)
July 29, 2008 MA Peterson Amdt to H 5022 Reducing Firearm Licensing Fee Amendment Adopted - House (97 - 59)
July 29, 2008 MA SB 800 Repealing Out of State Marriage Restrictions Bill Passed - House (119 - 36)
July 29, 2008 MA SB 800 Repealing Out of State Marriage Restrictions Bill Passed - House (119 - 36)
July 24, 2008 National HR 5501 Funding to Combat AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis Concurrence Vote Passed - House (303 - 115)
July 16, 2008 National H Amdt 1114 Allowing the Use of Certain Terms in Within the Intelligence Community Amendment Adopted - House (249 - 180)
July 8, 2008 NC HB 2690 Durham County Meals Tax Bill Passed - House (60 - 59)
July 1, 2008 DE SB 300 2008-2009 Budget Bill Passed - House (33 - 7)
June 27, 2008 AZ HB 2389 Involving Gun Owners' Rights Conference Report Adopted - House (33 - 21)
June 26, 2008 WV HB 219 Nonbroadcast Political Advertisements Bill Passed - House (67 - 21)
June 25, 2008 PA A 7738 Real ID Biometric Data Bill Failed - House (92 - 108)
June 25, 2008 PA A 7738 Real ID Biometric Data Bill Failed - House (92 - 108)
Date No. Title Outcome
8/31 SB 1301 Extending Student Financial Aid Eligibility Bill Passed - House (46 - 29)
8/29 SB 60 Expanding Driver's License Eligibility Bill Passed - House (41 - 31)
8/29 SB 1407 Financing Courthouse Construction Bill Passed - House (45 - 20)
8/19 SB 24 Tax Rebate Bill Passed - House (51 - 16)
8/18 SB 22 Subsidizing Children's Health Care Bill Passed - House (47 - 19)
8/16 HB 4 Working Families Tax Credit Increase Bill Passed - House (39 - 25)
8/13 HB 5285 Extending Parental Health Insurance to Unmarried Dependents Concurrence Vote Passed - House (70 - 21)
8/13 AB 86 Cyber-Bullying Enforcement Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 22)
8/13 SB 28 Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving Bill Passed - House (52 - 24)
8/13 SB 1171 Expanding Loaded Firearm Restrictions Bill Passed - House (45 - 32)
8/12 SB 1589 Uncorroborated Jailhouse Informant Testimony Ban Bill Passed - House (41 - 37)
8/07 AB 2567 Creation of "Harvey Milk Day" Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 27)
8/07 AB 2567 Creation of "Harvey Milk Day" Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 27)
7/30 HR 1108 FDA Regulation of Tobacco Bill Passed - House (326 - 102)
7/29 Peterson Amdt to H 5022 Reducing Firearm Licensing Fee Amendment Adopted - House (97 - 59)
7/29 SB 800 Repealing Out of State Marriage Restrictions Bill Passed - House (119 - 36)
7/29 SB 800 Repealing Out of State Marriage Restrictions Bill Passed - House (119 - 36)
7/24 HR 5501 Funding to Combat AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis Concurrence Vote Passed - House (303 - 115)
7/16 H Amdt 1114 Allowing the Use of Certain Terms in Within the Intelligence Community Amendment Adopted - House (249 - 180)
7/08 HB 2690 Durham County Meals Tax Bill Passed - House (60 - 59)
7/01 SB 300 2008-2009 Budget Bill Passed - House (33 - 7)
6/27 HB 2389 Involving Gun Owners' Rights Conference Report Adopted - House (33 - 21)
6/26 HB 219 Nonbroadcast Political Advertisements Bill Passed - House (67 - 21)
6/25 A 7738 Real ID Biometric Data Bill Failed - House (92 - 108)
6/25 A 7738 Real ID Biometric Data Bill Failed - House (92 - 108)

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