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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 18, 2008 | MD | SB 269 | Authorizing Speed Monitoring Systems | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 21) |
| March 18, 2008 | MD | SB 566 | Hospital Visitation/Decision-Making Rights for Domestic Partners | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| March 18, 2008 | AZ | SB 1389 | Healthcare Group Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| March 17, 2008 | ID | HCR 49 | State Employee Pay Raise | Resolution Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| March 14, 2008 | National | S Amdt 4299 | Expressing the Sense of the Senate on the Legalization of Importing Certain Prescription Drugs | Amendment Adopted - Senate (73 - 23) |
| March 14, 2008 | IN | SJR 1 | Constitutional Property Tax Cap | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (40 - 7) |
| March 14, 2008 | IN | HB 1001 | Property Tax Reduction | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 6) |
| March 14, 2008 | MD | SB 461 | Prohibiting Cell Phone Use by Drivers Under 18 | Bill Failed - Senate (22 - 21) |
| March 14, 2008 | MD | SB 90 | 2008-2009 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 7) |
| March 13, 2008 | National | S Amdt 4309 | Restriction of Federal Assistance Based on Compliance with Federal Immigration Laws | Amendment Tabled - Senate (58 - 40) |
| March 13, 2008 | National | S Amdt 4309 | Restriction of Federal Assistance Based on Compliance with Federal Immigration Laws | Amendment Tabled - Senate (58 - 40) |
| March 13, 2008 | National | S Amdt 4231 | Immigration Enforcement and Border Fence Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 37) |
| March 13, 2008 | National | S Amdt 4259 | Immigration Enforcement and Employer Sanctions Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 45) |
| March 13, 2008 | VA | HB 30 | 2008-2010 Biennium Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 14) |
| March 13, 2008 | VA | HB 30 | 2008-2010 Biennium Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 14) |
| March 13, 2008 | VA | HB 30 | 2008-2010 Biennium Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 14) |
| March 13, 2008 | IA | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (23 - 27) |
| March 13, 2008 | OH | HB 314 | Abortion and Ultrasound Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
| March 12, 2008 | OK | SB 1521 | Mandatory Clinical Cancer Trial Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 13) |
| March 12, 2008 | MI | SB 120 | Issuing Food Stamps Twice Monthly | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2) |
| March 12, 2008 | OK | SB 1407 | Restricting Childhood Vaccine Mercury Levels | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 17) |
| March 10, 2008 | IA | HF 2359 | Veterans Trust Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| March 10, 2008 | AZ | SB 1476 | Reducing Probation for Good Behavior | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 7) |
| March 10, 2008 | OK | SB 2118 | Requiring Health Insurance to Cover Autism | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 9) |
| March 10, 2008 | CO | HJR 1009 | Ratification of the UN Convention Against the Discrimination of Women | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/18 | SB 269 | Authorizing Speed Monitoring Systems | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 21) |
| 3/18 | SB 566 | Hospital Visitation/Decision-Making Rights for Domestic Partners | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| 3/18 | SB 1389 | Healthcare Group Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| 3/17 | HCR 49 | State Employee Pay Raise | Resolution Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| 3/14 | S Amdt 4299 | Expressing the Sense of the Senate on the Legalization of Importing Certain Prescription Drugs | Amendment Adopted - Senate (73 - 23) |
| 3/14 | SJR 1 | Constitutional Property Tax Cap | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (40 - 7) |
| 3/14 | HB 1001 | Property Tax Reduction | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 6) |
| 3/14 | SB 461 | Prohibiting Cell Phone Use by Drivers Under 18 | Bill Failed - Senate (22 - 21) |
| 3/14 | SB 90 | 2008-2009 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 7) |
| 3/13 | S Amdt 4309 | Restriction of Federal Assistance Based on Compliance with Federal Immigration Laws | Amendment Tabled - Senate (58 - 40) |
| 3/13 | S Amdt 4309 | Restriction of Federal Assistance Based on Compliance with Federal Immigration Laws | Amendment Tabled - Senate (58 - 40) |
| 3/13 | S Amdt 4231 | Immigration Enforcement and Border Fence Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 37) |
| 3/13 | S Amdt 4259 | Immigration Enforcement and Employer Sanctions Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 45) |
| 3/13 | HB 30 | 2008-2010 Biennium Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 14) |
| 3/13 | HB 30 | 2008-2010 Biennium Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 14) |
| 3/13 | HB 30 | 2008-2010 Biennium Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 14) |
| 3/13 | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (23 - 27) |
| 3/13 | HB 314 | Abortion and Ultrasound Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
| 3/12 | SB 1521 | Mandatory Clinical Cancer Trial Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 13) |
| 3/12 | SB 120 | Issuing Food Stamps Twice Monthly | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2) |
| 3/12 | SB 1407 | Restricting Childhood Vaccine Mercury Levels | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 17) |
| 3/10 | HF 2359 | Veterans Trust Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| 3/10 | SB 1476 | Reducing Probation for Good Behavior | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 7) |
| 3/10 | SB 2118 | Requiring Health Insurance to Cover Autism | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 9) |
| 3/10 | HJR 1009 | Ratification of the UN Convention Against the Discrimination of Women | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |