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. 7, 2008 | GA | SB 340 | Prohibiting Sanctuary Policies | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 8) |
| Feb. 7, 2008 | MA | H 4488 | Education Reorganization | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5) |
| Feb. 7, 2008 | GA | SB 350 | Increasing Penalties for Driving Without a License | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 13) |
| Feb. 7, 2008 | KY | SB 40 | Abortion Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 4) |
| Feb. 6, 2008 | SD | SB 164 | Right to Obtain Contraception | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 22) |
| Feb. 6, 2008 | WA | SB 6452 | Yield Spread Premium Disclosure | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 17) |
| Feb. 6, 2008 | WA | SB 6381 | Good Faith Duties of Mortgage Brokers | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 19) |
| Feb. 6, 2008 | UT | SB 75 | Prohibiting Gang Activity | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 10) |
| Feb. 6, 2008 | MI | SB 962 | Prohibiting Driver's Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| Feb. 5, 2008 | VA | SB 298 | Banning Smoking Public Places | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| Feb. 5, 2008 | VA | SB 202 | Local Regulation of Smoking in Restaurants | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9) |
| Feb. 5, 2008 | UT | SB 35 | Salary Supplement for Math and Science Teachers | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 7) |
| Feb. 5, 2008 | VA | SB 501 | Restaurant and Bar Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| Feb. 4, 2008 | NM | SB 34 | New Mexico School for the Arts | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 6) |
| Feb. 2, 2008 | NM | SB 68 | Increasing Domestic Violence Penalties | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 5) |
| Feb. 1, 2008 | MS | SB 2037 | Requirements for Public Works Laborers | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 5) |
| Jan. 30, 2008 | CA | SB 908 | Global Warming Education in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| Jan. 30, 2008 | CA | SB 926 | Mortgage Lender Requirements | Bill Failed - Senate (26 - 14) |
| Jan. 30, 2008 | KY | SB 112 | Restricting Public Employee Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5) |
| Jan. 30, 2008 | KY | SB 112 | Restricting Public Employee Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5) |
| Jan. 30, 2008 | KY | SB 112 | Restricting Public Employee Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5) |
| Jan. 30, 2008 | WA | SB 5261 | Health Insurance Rate Oversight | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18) |
| Jan. 29, 2008 | SD | SB 88 | Offering Sonograms to Women Considering Abortion | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| Jan. 29, 2008 | IN | SJR 7 | Definition of Marriage | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (39 - 9) |
| Jan. 29, 2008 | IN | SJR 1 | Constitutional Property Tax Cap | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (41 - 7) |
| Jan. 29, 2008 | IN | SB 143 | Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 13) |
| Jan. 29, 2008 | IN | SB 143 | Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 13) |
| Jan. 29, 2008 | IN | SB 3 | Authorizing Physicians to Refuse Prescriptions | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| Jan. 29, 2008 | IN | SB 335 | Immigration Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 11) |
| Jan. 29, 2008 | IN | SB 335 | Immigration Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 11) |
| Jan. 24, 2008 | IN | SB 3 | Authorizing Physicians to Refuse Prescriptions | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 24) |
| Jan. 22, 2008 | IN | SB 18 | Allowing Referendum on Public Construction Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 16) |
| Jan. 22, 2008 | SD | SB 26 | State Regulation of Preschools | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| Jan. 22, 2008 | MI | SB 776 | Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
| Jan. 22, 2008 | MI | SB 776 | Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
| Jan. 17, 2008 | GA | HB 89 | Concealed Weapons in Motor Vehicles | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 15) |
| Jan. 7, 2008 | NJ | A 4314 | Traffic Control Signal Monitoring | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
| Jan. 7, 2008 | NJ | A 500 | Education Funding Reform | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| Jan. 7, 2008 | NJ | S 176 | Expanding Damages for Wrongful Death | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/07 | SB 340 | Prohibiting Sanctuary Policies | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 8) |
| 2/07 | H 4488 | Education Reorganization | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5) |
| 2/07 | SB 350 | Increasing Penalties for Driving Without a License | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 13) |
| 2/07 | SB 40 | Abortion Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 4) |
| 2/06 | SB 164 | Right to Obtain Contraception | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 22) |
| 2/06 | SB 6452 | Yield Spread Premium Disclosure | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 17) |
| 2/06 | SB 6381 | Good Faith Duties of Mortgage Brokers | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 19) |
| 2/06 | SB 75 | Prohibiting Gang Activity | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 10) |
| 2/06 | SB 962 | Prohibiting Driver's Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| 2/05 | SB 298 | Banning Smoking Public Places | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 2/05 | SB 202 | Local Regulation of Smoking in Restaurants | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9) |
| 2/05 | SB 35 | Salary Supplement for Math and Science Teachers | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 7) |
| 2/05 | SB 501 | Restaurant and Bar Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| 2/04 | SB 34 | New Mexico School for the Arts | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 6) |
| 2/02 | SB 68 | Increasing Domestic Violence Penalties | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 5) |
| 2/01 | SB 2037 | Requirements for Public Works Laborers | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 5) |
| 1/30 | SB 908 | Global Warming Education in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| 1/30 | SB 926 | Mortgage Lender Requirements | Bill Failed - Senate (26 - 14) |
| 1/30 | SB 112 | Restricting Public Employee Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5) |
| 1/30 | SB 112 | Restricting Public Employee Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5) |
| 1/30 | SB 112 | Restricting Public Employee Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5) |
| 1/30 | SB 5261 | Health Insurance Rate Oversight | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18) |
| 1/29 | SB 88 | Offering Sonograms to Women Considering Abortion | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| 1/29 | SJR 7 | Definition of Marriage | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (39 - 9) |
| 1/29 | SJR 1 | Constitutional Property Tax Cap | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (41 - 7) |
| 1/29 | SB 143 | Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 13) |
| 1/29 | SB 143 | Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 13) |
| 1/29 | SB 3 | Authorizing Physicians to Refuse Prescriptions | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| 1/29 | SB 335 | Immigration Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 11) |
| 1/29 | SB 335 | Immigration Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 11) |
| 1/24 | SB 3 | Authorizing Physicians to Refuse Prescriptions | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 24) |
| 1/22 | SB 18 | Allowing Referendum on Public Construction Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 16) |
| 1/22 | SB 26 | State Regulation of Preschools | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| 1/22 | SB 776 | Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
| 1/22 | SB 776 | Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
| 1/17 | HB 89 | Concealed Weapons in Motor Vehicles | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 15) |
| 1/07 | A 4314 | Traffic Control Signal Monitoring | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
| 1/07 | A 500 | Education Funding Reform | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| 1/07 | S 176 | Expanding Damages for Wrongful Death | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11) |