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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 4, 2007 | National | HR 3688 | United States-Peru Trade Agreement | Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 18) |
| Dec. 1, 2007 | MI | HB 5408 | Michigan Business Tax Surcharge | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 4) |
| Nov. 20, 2007 | MI | HB 5408 | Michigan Business Tax Surcharge | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| Nov. 19, 2007 | MD | HB 5 | Sales Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 20) |
| Nov. 16, 2007 | AK | SCS CSHB 2001 | Oil and Gas Production Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 5) |
| Nov. 7, 2007 | MI | Sub SB 838 | Amending the Use Tax Act | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| Oct. 30, 2007 | MI | S Sub for Sub HB 4354 | 2007-2008 Department of Natural Resources Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 6) |
| 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) |
| Oct. 29, 2007 | HI | SB 1 | Superferry Environmental Assessment | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 5) |
| Oct. 23, 2007 | WI | AS SB 40 | 2007-2009 Biennium Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (18 - 15) |
| Oct. 15, 2007 | WI | SB 2 | Transportation Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
| Oct. 1, 2007 | MI | S Sub for Sub HB 5198 | Consumption Tax on Services | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 19) |
| Oct. 1, 2007 | MI | H Sub for Sub SB 547 | Public School Employee Retirement Plan | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| Sept. 30, 2007 | MI | Sub SB 418 | Public Employees Health Benefit Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 17) |
| Sept. 18, 2007 | IL | HB 2035 | Gaming Expansion to Fund Infrastructure and Social Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 15) |
| Sept. 11, 2007 | National | S Amdt 2797 | Limiting Mexican Trucks to Commercial Zones Near the Border Between the U.S. and Mexico | Amendment Adopted - Senate (75 - 23) |
| Sept. 5, 2007 | CA | AB 1155 | Penalties for Healthcare Service Plan Underpayments or Failures to Pay Service Providers | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
| Sept. 4, 2007 | MI | Sub SB 418 | Public Employees Health Benefit Act | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 18) |
| Aug. 29, 2007 | MO | SCS HCS HB 1 | Economic Development | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 7) |
| Aug. 24, 2007 | KY | HCS HB 1 | Renewable Energy Tax Incentives | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 1) |
| Aug. 9, 2007 | IL | HB 556 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 24) |
| July 31, 2007 | MA | HB 2876 | Sales Tax Holiday | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 4) |
| July 26, 2007 | IL | SB 1592 | Electricity Relief and Regulation | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (40 - 13) |
| July 16, 2007 | PA | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (13 - 36) |
| July 3, 2007 | NC | SCS HB 973 | Mental Health Insurance Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 12) |
| June 28, 2007 | CA | AB 1738 | California Gaming Code Additions | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 6) |
| June 26, 2007 | LA | SB 223 | Required Liability Insurance Increase | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| June 26, 2007 | WI | SS SB 40 | 2007-2009 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| June 26, 2007 | MI | Sub for SB 547 | Public School Employee Retirement Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 17) |
| June 26, 2007 | PA | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| June 25, 2007 | PA | A 2062 | Exceptions to Clean Indoor Air Act | Amendment Adopted - Senate (29 - 21) |
| June 25, 2007 | LA | HB 678 | Insurance Funds Program | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| June 21, 2007 | ME | LD 1925 | Tax Cuts | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (7 - 28) |
| June 20, 2007 | AZ | HB 2779 | Employment of Undocumented Immigrants | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 4) |
| June 20, 2007 | MI | Sub for SB 448 | State Registration for CAFOs | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| June 20, 2007 | MI | Sub for SB 447 | Insurance for Water Pollution | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| June 19, 2007 | RI | LCO # 2572/2 to H5300A | Privatization of State Services Repeal | Amendment Rejected - Senate (9 - 24) |
| June 19, 2007 | National | S Amdt 1519 | Preventing Petroleum Export Organizations (NOPEC Act of 2007) | Amendment Adopted - Senate (70 - 23) |
| June 19, 2007 | AZ | SB 1552 | Air Pollution Control | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 3) |
| June 18, 2007 | OR | SB 571 | Smoking Ban Expansion | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| June 14, 2007 | DE | SB 36 | State Employee Collective Bargaining | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 6) |
| June 7, 2007 | NH | HB 143 | Damages in Civil Actions | Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 11) |
| June 7, 2007 | CA | SB 456 | Diacetyl Toxic Substance Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| June 7, 2007 | CA | SB 48 | Health Care Coverage and Cost Control Act | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 16) |
| June 6, 2007 | CA | SB 974 | Shipping Fee | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| June 6, 2007 | CA | SB 974 | Shipping Fee | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| June 6, 2007 | CA | SB 840 | California Universal Healthcare Agency | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| June 4, 2007 | OR | HB 2203 | Expanding Payday and Title Loan Regulation | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| June 3, 2007 | NV | AB 595 | Highway Funding Act | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 3) |
| June 2, 2007 | CT | HB 7432 | Energy and Electricity Efficiency | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 3) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/04 | HR 3688 | United States-Peru Trade Agreement | Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 18) |
| 12/01 | HB 5408 | Michigan Business Tax Surcharge | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 4) |
| 11/20 | HB 5408 | Michigan Business Tax Surcharge | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| 11/19 | HB 5 | Sales Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 20) |
| 11/16 | SCS CSHB 2001 | Oil and Gas Production Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 5) |
| 11/07 | Sub SB 838 | Amending the Use Tax Act | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 10/30 | S Sub for Sub HB 4354 | 2007-2008 Department of Natural Resources Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 6) |
| 10/29 | H Sub for Sub SB 234 | 2007-2008 Department of Labor and Economic Growth Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 1) |
| 10/29 | SB 1 | Superferry Environmental Assessment | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 5) |
| 10/23 | AS SB 40 | 2007-2009 Biennium Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (18 - 15) |
| 10/15 | SB 2 | Transportation Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
| 10/01 | S Sub for Sub HB 5198 | Consumption Tax on Services | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 19) |
| 10/01 | H Sub for Sub SB 547 | Public School Employee Retirement Plan | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| 9/30 | Sub SB 418 | Public Employees Health Benefit Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 17) |
| 9/18 | HB 2035 | Gaming Expansion to Fund Infrastructure and Social Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 15) |
| 9/11 | S Amdt 2797 | Limiting Mexican Trucks to Commercial Zones Near the Border Between the U.S. and Mexico | Amendment Adopted - Senate (75 - 23) |
| 9/05 | AB 1155 | Penalties for Healthcare Service Plan Underpayments or Failures to Pay Service Providers | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
| 9/04 | Sub SB 418 | Public Employees Health Benefit Act | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 18) |
| 8/29 | SCS HCS HB 1 | Economic Development | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 7) |
| 8/24 | HCS HB 1 | Renewable Energy Tax Incentives | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 1) |
| 8/09 | HB 556 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 24) |
| 7/31 | HB 2876 | Sales Tax Holiday | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 4) |
| 7/26 | SB 1592 | Electricity Relief and Regulation | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (40 - 13) |
| 7/16 | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (13 - 36) |
| 7/03 | SCS HB 973 | Mental Health Insurance Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 12) |
| 6/28 | AB 1738 | California Gaming Code Additions | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 6) |
| 6/26 | SB 223 | Required Liability Insurance Increase | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| 6/26 | SS SB 40 | 2007-2009 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| 6/26 | Sub for SB 547 | Public School Employee Retirement Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 17) |
| 6/26 | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| 6/25 | A 2062 | Exceptions to Clean Indoor Air Act | Amendment Adopted - Senate (29 - 21) |
| 6/25 | HB 678 | Insurance Funds Program | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| 6/21 | LD 1925 | Tax Cuts | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (7 - 28) |
| 6/20 | HB 2779 | Employment of Undocumented Immigrants | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 4) |
| 6/20 | Sub for SB 448 | State Registration for CAFOs | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| 6/20 | Sub for SB 447 | Insurance for Water Pollution | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| 6/19 | LCO # 2572/2 to H5300A | Privatization of State Services Repeal | Amendment Rejected - Senate (9 - 24) |
| 6/19 | S Amdt 1519 | Preventing Petroleum Export Organizations (NOPEC Act of 2007) | Amendment Adopted - Senate (70 - 23) |
| 6/19 | SB 1552 | Air Pollution Control | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 3) |
| 6/18 | SB 571 | Smoking Ban Expansion | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| 6/14 | SB 36 | State Employee Collective Bargaining | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 6) |
| 6/07 | HB 143 | Damages in Civil Actions | Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 11) |
| 6/07 | SB 456 | Diacetyl Toxic Substance Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| 6/07 | SB 48 | Health Care Coverage and Cost Control Act | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 16) |
| 6/06 | SB 974 | Shipping Fee | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| 6/06 | SB 974 | Shipping Fee | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| 6/06 | SB 840 | California Universal Healthcare Agency | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 6/04 | HB 2203 | Expanding Payday and Title Loan Regulation | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| 6/03 | AB 595 | Highway Funding Act | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 3) |
| 6/02 | HB 7432 | Energy and Electricity Efficiency | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 3) |