Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Dec. 19, 2008 MI SB 861 Tuition Assistance for Students in High Poverty Areas Bill Passed - House (61 - 34)
Dec. 15, 2008 NJ S 1599 Mortgage and Housing Assistance Programs Bill Passed - House (49 - 28)
Dec. 15, 2008 NJ A 3373 Amending NJ STARS/NJ STARS II Scholarship Eligibility Bill Passed - House (63 - 10)
Dec. 11, 2008 MI HB 4141 Expanding the Use of School Sinking Funds Bill Passed - House (71 - 28)
Dec. 4, 2008 MI HB 5765 Reducing Pupil Count for First Class School Districts Bill Passed - House (59 - 42)
Dec. 4, 2008 MI HB 4404 Prohibiting Life Without Parole Sentencing for Juveniles Bill Passed - House (59 - 47)
Dec. 4, 2008 MI HB 4405 Juvenile Parole Eligibility Reform Bill Passed - House (63 - 43)
Nov. 17, 2008 NJ A 3459 Foreclosure Assistance Appropriations Bill Passed - House (47 - 26)
Oct. 21, 2008 SC S 429 DNA Sampling Upon Felony Arrest Veto Override Passed - House (86 - 25)
Oct. 21, 2008 SC H Amdt 11 to H 5300 Protection and Advocacy for People with Disabilities, Inc. Funding Amendment Tabled - House (66 - 50)
Oct. 21, 2008 SC H Amdt 20 to H 5300 Repealing Property Tax Exemption Amendment Tabled - House (98 - 17)
Oct. 3, 2008 National HR 1424 Financial Asset Purchase Authority and Tax Law Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (263 - 171)
Sept. 29, 2008 National HR 3997 Financial Asset Purchase Authority Concurrence Vote Failed - House (205 - 228)
Sept. 27, 2008 National HR 7081 United States - India Nuclear Agreement Bill Passed - House (298 - 117)
Aug. 31, 2008 CA AB 1945 Health Insurance Cancellation Restrictions Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 17)
Aug. 31, 2008 CA SB 1301 Extending Student Financial Aid Eligibility Bill Passed - House (46 - 29)
Aug. 31, 2008 CA SB 1301 Extending Student Financial Aid Eligibility Bill Passed - House (46 - 29)
Aug. 29, 2008 CA SB 840 California Universal Healthcare Agency Bill Passed - House (44 - 32)
Aug. 29, 2008 CA SB 1407 Financing Courthouse Construction Bill Passed - House (45 - 20)
Aug. 29, 2008 CA SB 60 Expanding Driver's License Eligibility Bill Passed - House (41 - 31)
Aug. 28, 2008 CA AB 2765 Aerial Spraying Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 14)
Aug. 27, 2008 CA SB 1313 Perfluorochemical (PFC) Ban Bill Passed - House (43 - 30)
Aug. 27, 2008 CA SB 1420 Nutritional Information Disclosure in Chain Restaurants Bill Passed - House (46 - 28)
Aug. 25, 2008 CA SB 375 Global Warming and Land Use Policy Bill Passed - House (49 - 22)
Aug. 19, 2008 CA AB 1894 Health Insurance Coverage of HIV Testing Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 29)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/19 SB 861 Tuition Assistance for Students in High Poverty Areas Bill Passed - House (61 - 34)
12/15 S 1599 Mortgage and Housing Assistance Programs Bill Passed - House (49 - 28)
12/15 A 3373 Amending NJ STARS/NJ STARS II Scholarship Eligibility Bill Passed - House (63 - 10)
12/11 HB 4141 Expanding the Use of School Sinking Funds Bill Passed - House (71 - 28)
12/04 HB 5765 Reducing Pupil Count for First Class School Districts Bill Passed - House (59 - 42)
12/04 HB 4404 Prohibiting Life Without Parole Sentencing for Juveniles Bill Passed - House (59 - 47)
12/04 HB 4405 Juvenile Parole Eligibility Reform Bill Passed - House (63 - 43)
11/17 A 3459 Foreclosure Assistance Appropriations Bill Passed - House (47 - 26)
10/21 S 429 DNA Sampling Upon Felony Arrest Veto Override Passed - House (86 - 25)
10/21 H Amdt 11 to H 5300 Protection and Advocacy for People with Disabilities, Inc. Funding Amendment Tabled - House (66 - 50)
10/21 H Amdt 20 to H 5300 Repealing Property Tax Exemption Amendment Tabled - House (98 - 17)
10/03 HR 1424 Financial Asset Purchase Authority and Tax Law Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (263 - 171)
9/29 HR 3997 Financial Asset Purchase Authority Concurrence Vote Failed - House (205 - 228)
9/27 HR 7081 United States - India Nuclear Agreement Bill Passed - House (298 - 117)
8/31 AB 1945 Health Insurance Cancellation Restrictions Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 17)
8/31 SB 1301 Extending Student Financial Aid Eligibility Bill Passed - House (46 - 29)
8/31 SB 1301 Extending Student Financial Aid Eligibility Bill Passed - House (46 - 29)
8/29 SB 840 California Universal Healthcare Agency Bill Passed - House (44 - 32)
8/29 SB 1407 Financing Courthouse Construction Bill Passed - House (45 - 20)
8/29 SB 60 Expanding Driver's License Eligibility Bill Passed - House (41 - 31)
8/28 AB 2765 Aerial Spraying Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 14)
8/27 SB 1313 Perfluorochemical (PFC) Ban Bill Passed - House (43 - 30)
8/27 SB 1420 Nutritional Information Disclosure in Chain Restaurants Bill Passed - House (46 - 28)
8/25 SB 375 Global Warming and Land Use Policy Bill Passed - House (49 - 22)
8/19 AB 1894 Health Insurance Coverage of HIV Testing Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 29)

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