Key Votes

Chamber

Keyword Search

Search string must be longer than 3 characters.

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
June 26, 2008 AZ HB 2713 Student's Religious Liberties Act Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 10)
June 25, 2008 National S Amdt 4983 Housing Foreclosure Assistance Programs Amendment Adopted - Senate (79 - 16)
June 25, 2008 AZ SCR 1042 Parameters of Marriage Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (14 - 11)
June 23, 2008 AZ SB 1476 Reducing Probation for Good Behavior Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 4)
June 23, 2008 NJ A 2873 School Construction Bonds Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18)
June 23, 2008 NJ S 1962 State Worker Retirement and Health Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 8)
June 19, 2008 NC HB 2436 2008-2009 Budget Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 14)
June 18, 2008 LA HB 734 Tuition Increase Bill Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8)
June 17, 2008 NC SB 1686 Restrictions on Public Smoking Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 15)
June 12, 2008 NY S 2375 DNA Database Expansion Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 9)
June 11, 2008 CT SB 1001 Real Estate Conveyance Tax Extension Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14)
June 11, 2008 LA HB 1347 Vouchers Bill Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
June 10, 2008 PA SB 246 Smoking Ban Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 9)
June 4, 2008 PA SB 246 Smoking Ban Conference Report Rejected - Senate (19 - 31)
June 4, 2008 NH SSHB 1 Education Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 9)
June 4, 2008 AZ HB 2475 Bonds for School Computers Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 13)
June 4, 2008 NY S 6823 Long Island Affordable Housing Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 9)
May 29, 2008 CA SB 1407 Financing Courthouse Construction Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 8)
May 29, 2008 CA SB 1096 Pharmacy Prescription Refill Mailings Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
May 29, 2008 CA CA SB 1665 Prison Health Care Facility Bonds Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 15)
May 29, 2008 CA CA SB 1665 Prison Health Care Facility Bonds Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 15)
May 29, 2008 AL SB 51 2008-2009 Education Budget Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 1)
May 28, 2008 LA SB 292 Public Fishing in Overflow Waters Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 19)
May 28, 2008 MS SB 2013 Hospital Tax for Medicaid Funding Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 7)
May 27, 2008 CA SB 1440 Capping Administrative Spending for Health Insurers Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/26 HB 2713 Student's Religious Liberties Act Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 10)
6/25 S Amdt 4983 Housing Foreclosure Assistance Programs Amendment Adopted - Senate (79 - 16)
6/25 SCR 1042 Parameters of Marriage Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (14 - 11)
6/23 SB 1476 Reducing Probation for Good Behavior Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 4)
6/23 A 2873 School Construction Bonds Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18)
6/23 S 1962 State Worker Retirement and Health Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 8)
6/19 HB 2436 2008-2009 Budget Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 14)
6/18 HB 734 Tuition Increase Bill Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8)
6/17 SB 1686 Restrictions on Public Smoking Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 15)
6/12 S 2375 DNA Database Expansion Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 9)
6/11 SB 1001 Real Estate Conveyance Tax Extension Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14)
6/11 HB 1347 Vouchers Bill Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
6/10 SB 246 Smoking Ban Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 9)
6/04 SB 246 Smoking Ban Conference Report Rejected - Senate (19 - 31)
6/04 SSHB 1 Education Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 9)
6/04 HB 2475 Bonds for School Computers Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 13)
6/04 S 6823 Long Island Affordable Housing Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 9)
5/29 SB 1407 Financing Courthouse Construction Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 8)
5/29 SB 1096 Pharmacy Prescription Refill Mailings Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
5/29 CA SB 1665 Prison Health Care Facility Bonds Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 15)
5/29 CA SB 1665 Prison Health Care Facility Bonds Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 15)
5/29 SB 51 2008-2009 Education Budget Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 1)
5/28 SB 292 Public Fishing in Overflow Waters Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 19)
5/28 SB 2013 Hospital Tax for Medicaid Funding Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 7)
5/27 SB 1440 Capping Administrative Spending for Health Insurers Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16)

arrow_upward