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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 23, 2008 | FL | SB 2692 | Science Curriculum Flexibility | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| April 23, 2008 | FL | SB 2692 | Science Curriculum Flexibility | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| April 23, 2008 | CO | HB 1385 | Health Insurance Website | Bill Passed - House (49 - 16) |
| April 23, 2008 | National | HR 5613 | Medicaid Extensions and Changes | Bill Passed - House (349 - 62) |
| April 22, 2008 | IA | S 5408 | Changes to School Infrastructure Sales Tax | Amendment Rejected - Senate (20 - 30) |
| April 22, 2008 | IA | HF 2663 | Statewide Sales Tax Increase for School Infrastructure Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 11) |
| April 22, 2008 | MI | SB 1078 | Township Annexation Requirements | Bill Failed - Senate (18 - 20) |
| April 22, 2008 | CO | HB 1325 | Seasonal Foreign Worker Pilot Program | Bill Passed - House (46 - 18) |
| April 22, 2008 | CO | HB 1082 | Sealing Criminal Records | Bill Passed - House (36 - 28) |
| April 22, 2008 | CO | SB 217 | Extended Health Care Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| April 21, 2008 | AZ | HB 2395 | Driving and Boating Under the Influence | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 6) |
| April 21, 2008 | MO | HB 1831 | Prohibiting Coerced Abortion | Bill Passed - House (113 - 33) |
| April 17, 2008 | IL | SB 2858 | Public School Trans Fat Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 19) |
| April 17, 2008 | IL | SB 2858 | Public School Trans Fat Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 19) |
| April 17, 2008 | IL | SB 2063 | South Suburban Airport Authority | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 7) |
| April 17, 2008 | IA | SF 2425 | 2008-2009 Health and Human Services Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 16) |
| April 16, 2008 | MO | HB 1066 | Teacher Certification | Bill Passed - House (85 - 63) |
| April 16, 2008 | IA | HF 2686 | Employee Identification Verification | Bill Passed - House (84 - 16) |
| April 15, 2008 | MS | SB 2149 | Superintendent Removal Procedures | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (38 - 14) |
| April 15, 2008 | MS | SB 2149 | Superintendent Removal Procedures | Conference Report Adopted - House (100 - 18) |
| April 15, 2008 | KY | HB 683 | DNA Collection, Parole Board, and Felony Review | Conference Report Adopted - House (51 - 42) |
| April 15, 2008 | KY | HB 683 | DNA Collection, Parole Board, and Felony Review | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 1) |
| April 15, 2008 | ME | LD 2247 | Alcohol and Soda Tax for Health Care Funding | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (75 - 64) |
| April 15, 2008 | CO | HB 1270 | Prohibiting Restrictions on Energy Efficiency Measures | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 10) |
| April 15, 2008 | ME | LD 2247 | Alcohol and Soda Tax for Health Care Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| April 15, 2008 | LA | SB 144 | Castration of Sex Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 3) |
| April 14, 2008 | IA | SF 2216 | State-Mandated Curriculum for Schools | Bill Passed - House (97 - 3) |
| April 10, 2008 | SC | H 3427 | Ending Common Law Marriage | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (21 - 17) |
| April 10, 2008 | NE | LB 1082 | Expanding Workers' Compensation Benefits | Motion Rejected - Senate (22 - 18) |
| April 10, 2008 | CO | HB 1375 | 2008-2009 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (39 - 23) |
| April 10, 2008 | CO | HB 1375 | 2008-2009 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (39 - 23) |
| April 10, 2008 | CO | HB 1375 | 2008-2009 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 14) |
| April 10, 2008 | CO | HB 1375 | 2008-2009 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 14) |
| April 10, 2008 | AZ | SB 1096 | English Language Education Funding | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 14) |
| April 10, 2008 | AZ | SB 1096 | English Language Education Funding | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 14) |
| April 10, 2008 | National | HR 3221 | Housing Bill with Energy Tax Credit Extensions | Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 12) |
| April 10, 2008 | MN | HF 3569 | Workers' Lung Health Study | Bill Passed - House (88 - 45) |
| April 10, 2008 | MN | HF 3569 | Workers' Lung Health Study | Bill Passed - House (88 - 45) |
| April 9, 2008 | AZ | SB 1096 | English Language Education Funding | Bill Passed - House (37 - 23) |
| April 9, 2008 | AZ | SB 1096 | English Language Education Funding | Bill Passed - House (37 - 23) |
| April 9, 2008 | IA | HF 2663 | Statewide Sales Tax Increase for School Infrastructure Funding | Bill Passed - House (59 - 41) |
| April 8, 2008 | IA | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - House (54 - 45) |
| April 8, 2008 | IA | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 22) |
| April 8, 2008 | CO | HB 1001 | Expanding Bioscience Research Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
| April 8, 2008 | MI | SB 120 | Issuing Food Stamps Twice Monthly | Bill Passed - House (87 - 19) |
| April 7, 2008 | ME | LD 1932 | School Consolidation | Veto Override Failed - Senate (12 - 23) |
| April 7, 2008 | ME | LD 1932 | School Consolidation | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 14) |
| April 7, 2008 | IA | HF 2539 | Health Care Expansion Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 6) |
| April 7, 2008 | NE | LB 1157 | Uniform School Testing | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 15) |
| April 4, 2008 | ME | LD 1932 | School Consolidation | Conference Report Adopted - House (83 - 47) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/23 | SB 2692 | Science Curriculum Flexibility | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| 4/23 | SB 2692 | Science Curriculum Flexibility | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| 4/23 | HB 1385 | Health Insurance Website | Bill Passed - House (49 - 16) |
| 4/23 | HR 5613 | Medicaid Extensions and Changes | Bill Passed - House (349 - 62) |
| 4/22 | S 5408 | Changes to School Infrastructure Sales Tax | Amendment Rejected - Senate (20 - 30) |
| 4/22 | HF 2663 | Statewide Sales Tax Increase for School Infrastructure Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 11) |
| 4/22 | SB 1078 | Township Annexation Requirements | Bill Failed - Senate (18 - 20) |
| 4/22 | HB 1325 | Seasonal Foreign Worker Pilot Program | Bill Passed - House (46 - 18) |
| 4/22 | HB 1082 | Sealing Criminal Records | Bill Passed - House (36 - 28) |
| 4/22 | SB 217 | Extended Health Care Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| 4/21 | HB 2395 | Driving and Boating Under the Influence | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 6) |
| 4/21 | HB 1831 | Prohibiting Coerced Abortion | Bill Passed - House (113 - 33) |
| 4/17 | SB 2858 | Public School Trans Fat Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 19) |
| 4/17 | SB 2858 | Public School Trans Fat Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 19) |
| 4/17 | SB 2063 | South Suburban Airport Authority | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 7) |
| 4/17 | SF 2425 | 2008-2009 Health and Human Services Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 16) |
| 4/16 | HB 1066 | Teacher Certification | Bill Passed - House (85 - 63) |
| 4/16 | HF 2686 | Employee Identification Verification | Bill Passed - House (84 - 16) |
| 4/15 | SB 2149 | Superintendent Removal Procedures | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (38 - 14) |
| 4/15 | SB 2149 | Superintendent Removal Procedures | Conference Report Adopted - House (100 - 18) |
| 4/15 | HB 683 | DNA Collection, Parole Board, and Felony Review | Conference Report Adopted - House (51 - 42) |
| 4/15 | HB 683 | DNA Collection, Parole Board, and Felony Review | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 1) |
| 4/15 | LD 2247 | Alcohol and Soda Tax for Health Care Funding | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (75 - 64) |
| 4/15 | HB 1270 | Prohibiting Restrictions on Energy Efficiency Measures | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 10) |
| 4/15 | LD 2247 | Alcohol and Soda Tax for Health Care Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| 4/15 | SB 144 | Castration of Sex Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 3) |
| 4/14 | SF 2216 | State-Mandated Curriculum for Schools | Bill Passed - House (97 - 3) |
| 4/10 | H 3427 | Ending Common Law Marriage | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (21 - 17) |
| 4/10 | LB 1082 | Expanding Workers' Compensation Benefits | Motion Rejected - Senate (22 - 18) |
| 4/10 | HB 1375 | 2008-2009 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (39 - 23) |
| 4/10 | HB 1375 | 2008-2009 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (39 - 23) |
| 4/10 | HB 1375 | 2008-2009 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 4/10 | HB 1375 | 2008-2009 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 4/10 | SB 1096 | English Language Education Funding | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 14) |
| 4/10 | SB 1096 | English Language Education Funding | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 14) |
| 4/10 | HR 3221 | Housing Bill with Energy Tax Credit Extensions | Bill Passed - Senate (84 - 12) |
| 4/10 | HF 3569 | Workers' Lung Health Study | Bill Passed - House (88 - 45) |
| 4/10 | HF 3569 | Workers' Lung Health Study | Bill Passed - House (88 - 45) |
| 4/09 | SB 1096 | English Language Education Funding | Bill Passed - House (37 - 23) |
| 4/09 | SB 1096 | English Language Education Funding | Bill Passed - House (37 - 23) |
| 4/09 | HF 2663 | Statewide Sales Tax Increase for School Infrastructure Funding | Bill Passed - House (59 - 41) |
| 4/08 | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - House (54 - 45) |
| 4/08 | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 22) |
| 4/08 | HB 1001 | Expanding Bioscience Research Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
| 4/08 | SB 120 | Issuing Food Stamps Twice Monthly | Bill Passed - House (87 - 19) |
| 4/07 | LD 1932 | School Consolidation | Veto Override Failed - Senate (12 - 23) |
| 4/07 | LD 1932 | School Consolidation | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 4/07 | HF 2539 | Health Care Expansion Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 6) |
| 4/07 | LB 1157 | Uniform School Testing | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 15) |
| 4/04 | LD 1932 | School Consolidation | Conference Report Adopted - House (83 - 47) |