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 6, 2008 CO SB 217 Extended Health Care Coverage Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 10)
May 3, 2008 KS SB 81 Health Care Reform Conference Report Adopted - Senate (34 - 1)
May 1, 2008 RI H 7204 2007-2008 Budget Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11)
April 22, 2008 CO SB 217 Extended Health Care Coverage Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10)
April 7, 2008 IA HF 2539 Health Care Expansion Plan Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 6)
March 26, 2008 KS Huelskamp Amnd. 2 Undocumented Immigrants Ineligible for Public Benefits Amendment Rejected - Senate (12 - 26)
March 20, 2008 NH SB 502 Expanding Unemployment Compensation Eligibility Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8)
March 18, 2008 KS Kelly Amnd. Premium Assistance Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 27)
March 18, 2008 KS Hensley Amnd. Premium Assistance Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 27)
March 12, 2008 MI SB 120 Issuing Food Stamps Twice Monthly Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2)
March 11, 2008 WA SB 6809 Working Family Tax Exemption Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 17)
March 6, 2008 VA HB 12 Payday Lending Restrictions Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 2)
March 6, 2008 FL SB 1852 Medicaid Reimbursement Rate Freeze Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13)
March 4, 2008 UT SB 81 Expanding Immigration Enforcement Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 4)
Feb. 21, 2008 MD SB 111 Expanding Hate Crimes Classification to Homeless Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 4)
Feb. 21, 2008 UT SB 81 Expanding Immigration Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5)
Feb. 19, 2008 WA SB 6809 Working Family Tax Exemption Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 16)
Feb. 10, 2008 NM HB 661 Affordable Housing Tax Relief Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 12)
Jan. 28, 2008 CO SB 3 Medicaid Funded Family Planning Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
Dec. 14, 2007 National HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 14)
Nov. 29, 2007 WA Sub SB 6178 Property Tax Deferral Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 21)
Nov. 1, 2007 National HR 3963 Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 30)
Oct. 31, 2007 MI SB 232 2007-2008 Department of Human Services Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 16)
Oct. 29, 2007 MI H Sub for Sub SB 234 2007-2008 Department of Labor and Economic Growth Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 1)
Sept. 27, 2007 MI Sub SB 374 Estate Recovery for Medicaid Recipients in Michigan Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 13)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/06 SB 217 Extended Health Care Coverage Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 10)
5/03 SB 81 Health Care Reform Conference Report Adopted - Senate (34 - 1)
5/01 H 7204 2007-2008 Budget Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11)
4/22 SB 217 Extended Health Care Coverage Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10)
4/07 HF 2539 Health Care Expansion Plan Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 6)
3/26 Huelskamp Amnd. 2 Undocumented Immigrants Ineligible for Public Benefits Amendment Rejected - Senate (12 - 26)
3/20 SB 502 Expanding Unemployment Compensation Eligibility Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8)
3/18 Kelly Amnd. Premium Assistance Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 27)
3/18 Hensley Amnd. Premium Assistance Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 27)
3/12 SB 120 Issuing Food Stamps Twice Monthly Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2)
3/11 SB 6809 Working Family Tax Exemption Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 17)
3/06 HB 12 Payday Lending Restrictions Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 2)
3/06 SB 1852 Medicaid Reimbursement Rate Freeze Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13)
3/04 SB 81 Expanding Immigration Enforcement Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 4)
2/21 SB 111 Expanding Hate Crimes Classification to Homeless Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 4)
2/21 SB 81 Expanding Immigration Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5)
2/19 SB 6809 Working Family Tax Exemption Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 16)
2/10 HB 661 Affordable Housing Tax Relief Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 12)
1/28 SB 3 Medicaid Funded Family Planning Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
12/14 HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Bill Passed - Senate (79 - 14)
11/29 Sub SB 6178 Property Tax Deferral Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 21)
11/01 HR 3963 Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 30)
10/31 SB 232 2007-2008 Department of Human Services Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 16)
10/29 H Sub for Sub SB 234 2007-2008 Department of Labor and Economic Growth Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 1)
9/27 Sub SB 374 Estate Recovery for Medicaid Recipients in Michigan Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 13)

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