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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 20, 2008 | GA | SR 845 | Regional Transportation Sales Tax | Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 4) |
| Feb. 14, 2008 | UT | SB 149 | Expanding Minimum Automotive Insurance Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13) |
| Feb. 11, 2008 | OR | SB 1080 | Driver's License Residency Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 7) |
| Feb. 7, 2008 | GA | SB 350 | Increasing Penalties for Driving Without a License | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 13) |
| Feb. 6, 2008 | WA | SB 6794 | New Ferry Vessels | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 8) |
| Feb. 6, 2008 | MI | SB 962 | Prohibiting Driver's Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| Jan. 17, 2008 | IL | HB 656 | Providing Free Public Transportation for Senior Citizens | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 19) |
| Jan. 15, 2008 | NE | LB 253 | Repealing Motorcycle Helmet Law | Bill Failed - Senate (23 - 25) |
| Jan. 10, 2008 | IL | HB 656 | Transportation Act | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 25) |
| Jan. 7, 2008 | NJ | A 4314 | Traffic Control Signal Monitoring | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
| Dec. 13, 2007 | National | HR 6 | Energy Act of 2007 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (86 - 8) |
| Dec. 13, 2007 | MI | SB 981 | Mackinac Bridge Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| Nov. 8, 2007 | National | HR 1495 | Water Resources Development Act of 2007 | Veto Override Passed - Senate (79 - 14) |
| Oct. 30, 2007 | National | S 294 | Amtrak Reauthorization | Bill Passed - Senate (70 - 22) |
| Oct. 29, 2007 | HI | SB 1 | Superferry Environmental Assessment | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 5) |
| Oct. 25, 2007 | National | S Amdt 3453 | Amtrak Federal Subsidy Limits | Amendment Rejected - Senate (28 - 66) |
| Oct. 23, 2007 | WI | AS SB 40 | 2007-2009 Biennium Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (18 - 15) |
| Oct. 22, 2007 | NY | S 6484 | Driver's License Citizenship Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 19) |
| Oct. 18, 2007 | MI | S Sub for Sub HB 4749 | Motorcycle Helmet Law | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| Oct. 15, 2007 | WI | SB 2 | Transportation Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
| Oct. 2, 2007 | IL | SB 540 | Truck Speed Limit Increase | Veto Override Passed - Senate (39 - 10) |
| Sept. 18, 2007 | IL | HB 2035 | Gaming Expansion to Fund Infrastructure and Social Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 15) |
| Sept. 10, 2007 | National | S Amdt 2792 | Bridge Repair Funding | Amendment Adopted - Senate (60 - 33) |
| Aug. 30, 2007 | CA | SB 33 | Underage Driver Cellphone Ban | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| July 26, 2007 | National | HR 1 | Implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (85 - 8) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/20 | SR 845 | Regional Transportation Sales Tax | Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 4) |
| 2/14 | SB 149 | Expanding Minimum Automotive Insurance Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13) |
| 2/11 | SB 1080 | Driver's License Residency Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 7) |
| 2/07 | SB 350 | Increasing Penalties for Driving Without a License | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 13) |
| 2/06 | SB 6794 | New Ferry Vessels | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 8) |
| 2/06 | SB 962 | Prohibiting Driver's Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| 1/17 | HB 656 | Providing Free Public Transportation for Senior Citizens | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 19) |
| 1/15 | LB 253 | Repealing Motorcycle Helmet Law | Bill Failed - Senate (23 - 25) |
| 1/10 | HB 656 | Transportation Act | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 25) |
| 1/07 | A 4314 | Traffic Control Signal Monitoring | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
| 12/13 | HR 6 | Energy Act of 2007 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (86 - 8) |
| 12/13 | SB 981 | Mackinac Bridge Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| 11/08 | HR 1495 | Water Resources Development Act of 2007 | Veto Override Passed - Senate (79 - 14) |
| 10/30 | S 294 | Amtrak Reauthorization | Bill Passed - Senate (70 - 22) |
| 10/29 | SB 1 | Superferry Environmental Assessment | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 5) |
| 10/25 | S Amdt 3453 | Amtrak Federal Subsidy Limits | Amendment Rejected - Senate (28 - 66) |
| 10/23 | AS SB 40 | 2007-2009 Biennium Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (18 - 15) |
| 10/22 | S 6484 | Driver's License Citizenship Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 19) |
| 10/18 | S Sub for Sub HB 4749 | Motorcycle Helmet Law | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 10/15 | SB 2 | Transportation Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
| 10/02 | SB 540 | Truck Speed Limit Increase | Veto Override Passed - Senate (39 - 10) |
| 9/18 | HB 2035 | Gaming Expansion to Fund Infrastructure and Social Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 15) |
| 9/10 | S Amdt 2792 | Bridge Repair Funding | Amendment Adopted - Senate (60 - 33) |
| 8/30 | SB 33 | Underage Driver Cellphone Ban | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| 7/26 | HR 1 | Implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (85 - 8) |