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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 5, 2008 | CO | SB 226 | Zebra Mussels Ban | Bill Passed - House (54 - 11) |
| May 5, 2008 | MN | HF 3149 | Homeowner and Property Tax Bill | Bill Passed - House (80 - 52) |
| May 5, 2008 | CA | AB 2233 | Ban on Holding Pets While Driving | Bill Passed - House (44 - 20) |
| May 5, 2008 | CT | HB 5577 | Mortgage Assistance | Bill Passed - House (124 - 24) |
| May 3, 2008 | KS | SB 81 | Health Care Reform | Conference Report Adopted - House (104 - 16) |
| May 3, 2008 | KS | SB 81 | Health Care Reform | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (34 - 1) |
| May 2, 2008 | CO | HB 1161 | Mining Regulation | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 2) |
| May 2, 2008 | CO | SB 217 | Extended Health Care Coverage | Bill Passed - House (44 - 22) |
| May 2, 2008 | CO | SB 200 | Sexual Orientation Nondiscrimination | Bill Passed - House (38 - 26) |
| May 2, 2008 | CO | HB 1325 | Seasonal Foreign Worker Pilot Program | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| May 2, 2008 | CO | HB 1385 | Health Insurance Website | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| May 1, 2008 | KS | SB 148 | Electricity Generation and Conservation | Veto Override Failed - House (80 - 45) |
| May 1, 2008 | MN | SF 2369 | Background Checks for Coaches | Conference Report Adopted - House (112 - 15) |
| May 1, 2008 | AL | HB 787 | State Employees in Public Office | Bill Passed - House (57 - 36) |
| May 1, 2008 | MI | HB 5283 | Health Insurance Package | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| May 1, 2008 | MI | Sub HB 5282 | Independent Health Benefit Plans | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| May 1, 2008 | RI | H 7204 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| May 1, 2008 | CO | HB 1357 | Changing student testing requirements | Bill Passed - House (35 - 29) |
| May 1, 2008 | CA | AB 1943 | Passenger Rights on Commercial Airlines | Bill Passed - House (57 - 17) |
| April 30, 2008 | KS | SB 148 | Electricity Generation and Conservation | Veto Override Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| April 30, 2008 | KS | SB 389 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Law Amendments | Veto Override Failed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| April 30, 2008 | MN | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 21) |
| April 29, 2008 | AZ | HB 2557 | Fine Arts and Physical Education in School | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 4) |
| April 29, 2008 | RI | H 7040 | Twenty-Four Hour Operation of Video Lottery Games | Bill Passed - House (51 - 19) |
| April 29, 2008 | AZ | HB 2557 | Fine Arts and Physical Education in School | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 4) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/05 | SB 226 | Zebra Mussels Ban | Bill Passed - House (54 - 11) |
| 5/05 | HF 3149 | Homeowner and Property Tax Bill | Bill Passed - House (80 - 52) |
| 5/05 | AB 2233 | Ban on Holding Pets While Driving | Bill Passed - House (44 - 20) |
| 5/05 | HB 5577 | Mortgage Assistance | Bill Passed - House (124 - 24) |
| 5/03 | SB 81 | Health Care Reform | Conference Report Adopted - House (104 - 16) |
| 5/03 | SB 81 | Health Care Reform | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (34 - 1) |
| 5/02 | HB 1161 | Mining Regulation | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 2) |
| 5/02 | SB 217 | Extended Health Care Coverage | Bill Passed - House (44 - 22) |
| 5/02 | SB 200 | Sexual Orientation Nondiscrimination | Bill Passed - House (38 - 26) |
| 5/02 | HB 1325 | Seasonal Foreign Worker Pilot Program | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 5/02 | HB 1385 | Health Insurance Website | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 5/01 | SB 148 | Electricity Generation and Conservation | Veto Override Failed - House (80 - 45) |
| 5/01 | SF 2369 | Background Checks for Coaches | Conference Report Adopted - House (112 - 15) |
| 5/01 | HB 787 | State Employees in Public Office | Bill Passed - House (57 - 36) |
| 5/01 | HB 5283 | Health Insurance Package | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| 5/01 | Sub HB 5282 | Independent Health Benefit Plans | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| 5/01 | H 7204 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| 5/01 | HB 1357 | Changing student testing requirements | Bill Passed - House (35 - 29) |
| 5/01 | AB 1943 | Passenger Rights on Commercial Airlines | Bill Passed - House (57 - 17) |
| 4/30 | SB 148 | Electricity Generation and Conservation | Veto Override Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| 4/30 | SB 389 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Law Amendments | Veto Override Failed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| 4/30 | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 21) |
| 4/29 | HB 2557 | Fine Arts and Physical Education in School | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 4) |
| 4/29 | H 7040 | Twenty-Four Hour Operation of Video Lottery Games | Bill Passed - House (51 - 19) |
| 4/29 | HB 2557 | Fine Arts and Physical Education in School | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 4) |