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 7, 2008 | ID | H 579 | Voter-Mandated Property Tax Limitations | Bill Passed - House (39 - 29) |
| March 7, 2008 | ID | H 577 | Voter Approval of Local Improvement District Funding | Bill Passed - House (43 - 25) |
| March 6, 2008 | NH | Amdt 0891 to SB 530 | Fully Subsidized Kindergarten Construction Program | Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 12) |
| March 6, 2008 | WA | SB 6809 | Working Family Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - House (57 - 37) |
| March 6, 2008 | MN | HF 380 | Capital Improvements Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (57 - 9) |
| March 6, 2008 | AZ | HB 2043 | State Government Hiring Freeze | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| March 6, 2008 | MS | HB 1601 | Medicaid Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (74 - 41) |
| March 6, 2008 | AZ | HB 2857 | State Spending Freeze | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13) |
| March 6, 2008 | MN | HF 380 | Capital Improvements Budget | Bill Passed - House (99 - 34) |
| March 6, 2008 | AZ | HB 2857 | State Spending Freeze | Bill Passed - House (33 - 24) |
| March 6, 2008 | FL | SB 1852 | Medicaid Reimbursement Rate Freeze | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| March 6, 2008 | ID | H 588 | Food Tax Credit Expansion | Bill Passed - House (62 - 8) |
| March 5, 2008 | UT | HB 359 | Tax Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 23) |
| March 5, 2008 | UT | HB 15 | Sexually Transmitted Disease Education | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (50 - 17) |
| March 5, 2008 | IA | HF 2359 | Veterans Trust Fund | Bill Passed - House (75 - 21) |
| March 5, 2008 | WI | AB 47 | Health Savings Account Tax Deductions | Bill Passed - House (60 - 35) |
| March 5, 2008 | ID | H 561 | Tax Exemptions for the Processing of Fuel for Energy Production | Bill Passed - House (60 - 10) |
| March 5, 2008 | ID | HCR 49 | State Employee Pay Raise | Resolution Passed - House (51 - 19) |
| March 5, 2008 | AK | SB 256 | 2008-2009 Supplemental Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 2) |
| March 5, 2008 | WI | AB 151 | Financial Aid Ineligibility for Drug Offenders | Bill Passed - House (70 - 24) |
| March 5, 2008 | WI | AB 901 | Austism Treatment Funding | Bill Passed - House (55 - 39) |
| March 5, 2008 | GA | SR 796 | Property Tax Assessment Cap | Resolution Failed - House (110 - 62) |
| March 5, 2008 | ID | H 562 | Tax Exemption for New Capital Investments | Bill Passed - House (41 - 27) |
| March 4, 2008 | HI | SB 2423 | Turtle Bay Acquisition | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 2) |
| March 4, 2008 | UT | HB 359 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 3) |
| March 4, 2008 | MD | HB 362 | Department of Information Technology | Bill Passed - House (105 - 31) |
| March 4, 2008 | GA | HB 1245 | Public Defender Funding Amendments | Bill Passed - House (141 - 21) |
| March 4, 2008 | AK | HB 310 | 2008-2009 Operating Budget | Bill Passed - House (29 - 10) |
| March 4, 2008 | UT | SB 2 | 2007-2009 Biennium Education Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 7) |
| March 3, 2008 | MN | Seifert Amendment: Restriction of State Aid Based on Compliance with Immigration Laws | Amendment Rejected - House (66 - 67) | |
| March 3, 2008 | UT | SB 48 | School Building Funding Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 9) |
| March 3, 2008 | MN | HF 3201 | Omnibus Tax Bill | Bill Passed - House (81 - 51) |
| March 3, 2008 | NJ | S 786 | Extending Family Leave Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| Feb. 29, 2008 | ID | S 1436 | Teacher Pay-for-Performance Plan | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 19) |
| Feb. 29, 2008 | KS | HB 2870 | Employment Incentive for Teachers | Bill Failed - House (59 - 63) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | KS | Ward Amnd. | Teacher Scholarship Program | Amendment Rejected - House (50 - 71) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | IN | SJR 1 | Constitutional Property Tax Cap | Bill Passed - House (64 - 35) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | UT | SB 162 | State Discretion Over Federal Education Programs | Bill Passed - House (38 - 33) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | WI | AB 770 | Corporate Research and Development Tax Credit | Bill Passed - House (84 - 13) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | KS | HB 2605 | Changing School Finance Formula | Bill Failed - House (62 - 63) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | KS | McKinney Amnd. A to HB 2760 | Per Student Public School Funding | Amendment Rejected - House (50 - 70) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | VA | HB 30 | 2008-2010 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | CO | HB 1001 | Expanding Bioscience Research Funding | Bill Passed - House (52 - 13) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | CO | HB 1297 | Supplemental Department of Public Safety Funding | Bill Passed - House (45 - 20) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | CO | SB 128 | Eliminating Sales and Use Tax Cap | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | CO | HB 1180 | Unemployment Benefits for Military Spouses | Bill Passed - House (60 - 5) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | SD | HB 1085 | Constructing Science Facilities at Universities | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 3) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | WI | A Amnd. 1 | Divestment Due to Genocide Amendment | Amendment Tabled - House (50 - 47) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | IN | Amdt 1 to SJR 1 | Adjusting the Constitutional Property Tax Cap | Amendment Rejected - House (50 - 50) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | IN | HB 1001 | Property Tax Reduction | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/07 | H 579 | Voter-Mandated Property Tax Limitations | Bill Passed - House (39 - 29) |
| 3/07 | H 577 | Voter Approval of Local Improvement District Funding | Bill Passed - House (43 - 25) |
| 3/06 | Amdt 0891 to SB 530 | Fully Subsidized Kindergarten Construction Program | Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 12) |
| 3/06 | SB 6809 | Working Family Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - House (57 - 37) |
| 3/06 | HF 380 | Capital Improvements Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (57 - 9) |
| 3/06 | HB 2043 | State Government Hiring Freeze | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| 3/06 | HB 1601 | Medicaid Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (74 - 41) |
| 3/06 | HB 2857 | State Spending Freeze | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13) |
| 3/06 | HF 380 | Capital Improvements Budget | Bill Passed - House (99 - 34) |
| 3/06 | HB 2857 | State Spending Freeze | Bill Passed - House (33 - 24) |
| 3/06 | SB 1852 | Medicaid Reimbursement Rate Freeze | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| 3/06 | H 588 | Food Tax Credit Expansion | Bill Passed - House (62 - 8) |
| 3/05 | HB 359 | Tax Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 23) |
| 3/05 | HB 15 | Sexually Transmitted Disease Education | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (50 - 17) |
| 3/05 | HF 2359 | Veterans Trust Fund | Bill Passed - House (75 - 21) |
| 3/05 | AB 47 | Health Savings Account Tax Deductions | Bill Passed - House (60 - 35) |
| 3/05 | H 561 | Tax Exemptions for the Processing of Fuel for Energy Production | Bill Passed - House (60 - 10) |
| 3/05 | HCR 49 | State Employee Pay Raise | Resolution Passed - House (51 - 19) |
| 3/05 | SB 256 | 2008-2009 Supplemental Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 2) |
| 3/05 | AB 151 | Financial Aid Ineligibility for Drug Offenders | Bill Passed - House (70 - 24) |
| 3/05 | AB 901 | Austism Treatment Funding | Bill Passed - House (55 - 39) |
| 3/05 | SR 796 | Property Tax Assessment Cap | Resolution Failed - House (110 - 62) |
| 3/05 | H 562 | Tax Exemption for New Capital Investments | Bill Passed - House (41 - 27) |
| 3/04 | SB 2423 | Turtle Bay Acquisition | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 2) |
| 3/04 | HB 359 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 3) |
| 3/04 | HB 362 | Department of Information Technology | Bill Passed - House (105 - 31) |
| 3/04 | HB 1245 | Public Defender Funding Amendments | Bill Passed - House (141 - 21) |
| 3/04 | HB 310 | 2008-2009 Operating Budget | Bill Passed - House (29 - 10) |
| 3/04 | SB 2 | 2007-2009 Biennium Education Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 7) |
| 3/03 | Seifert Amendment: Restriction of State Aid Based on Compliance with Immigration Laws | Amendment Rejected - House (66 - 67) | |
| 3/03 | SB 48 | School Building Funding Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 9) |
| 3/03 | HF 3201 | Omnibus Tax Bill | Bill Passed - House (81 - 51) |
| 3/03 | S 786 | Extending Family Leave Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| 2/29 | S 1436 | Teacher Pay-for-Performance Plan | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 19) |
| 2/29 | HB 2870 | Employment Incentive for Teachers | Bill Failed - House (59 - 63) |
| 2/28 | Ward Amnd. | Teacher Scholarship Program | Amendment Rejected - House (50 - 71) |
| 2/28 | SJR 1 | Constitutional Property Tax Cap | Bill Passed - House (64 - 35) |
| 2/28 | SB 162 | State Discretion Over Federal Education Programs | Bill Passed - House (38 - 33) |
| 2/28 | AB 770 | Corporate Research and Development Tax Credit | Bill Passed - House (84 - 13) |
| 2/28 | HB 2605 | Changing School Finance Formula | Bill Failed - House (62 - 63) |
| 2/27 | McKinney Amnd. A to HB 2760 | Per Student Public School Funding | Amendment Rejected - House (50 - 70) |
| 2/27 | HB 30 | 2008-2010 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| 2/27 | HB 1001 | Expanding Bioscience Research Funding | Bill Passed - House (52 - 13) |
| 2/27 | HB 1297 | Supplemental Department of Public Safety Funding | Bill Passed - House (45 - 20) |
| 2/27 | SB 128 | Eliminating Sales and Use Tax Cap | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
| 2/27 | HB 1180 | Unemployment Benefits for Military Spouses | Bill Passed - House (60 - 5) |
| 2/27 | HB 1085 | Constructing Science Facilities at Universities | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 3) |
| 2/26 | A Amnd. 1 | Divestment Due to Genocide Amendment | Amendment Tabled - House (50 - 47) |
| 2/26 | Amdt 1 to SJR 1 | Adjusting the Constitutional Property Tax Cap | Amendment Rejected - House (50 - 50) |
| 2/26 | HB 1001 | Property Tax Reduction | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |