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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 1, 2008 | National | HR 1424 | Financial Asset Purchase Authority and Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25) |
| Sept. 29, 2008 | National | HR 3997 | Financial Asset Purchase Authority | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (205 - 228) |
| Sept. 26, 2008 | National | HR 7060 | Renewable Energy Credits and Other Business and Individual Credits | Bill Passed - House (257 - 166) |
| Sept. 19, 2008 | CA | SBx1 28 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (43 - 30) |
| Sept. 19, 2008 | CA | SBx1 28 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| Sept. 16, 2008 | CA | AB 1781 | 2008-2009 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 11) |
| Sept. 16, 2008 | CA | AB 1781 | 2008-2009 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (61 - 11) |
| Sept. 16, 2008 | CA | AB 1452 | Suspending Carryback and Net Operating Loss Deductions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 21) |
| Sept. 16, 2008 | CA | AB 1452 | Suspending Carryback and Net Operating Loss Deductions | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| Sept. 16, 2008 | CA | SCA 12 | State Lottery Amendments | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
| Sept. 16, 2008 | CA | SCA 12 | State Lottery Amendments | Joint Resolution Passed - House (63 - 14) |
| Sept. 16, 2008 | National | HR 6899 | Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling and Extending Certain Renewable Energy Tax Credits | Bill Passed - House (236 - 189) |
| Sept. 9, 2008 | CA | SB 1087 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Failed - House (27 - 45) |
| Sept. 8, 2008 | CA | AB 1793 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 21) |
| Aug. 31, 2008 | CA | AB 2321 | Metro Sales Tax Increase | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 25) |
| Aug. 31, 2008 | CA | SB 1407 | Financing Courthouse Construction | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
| Aug. 31, 2008 | CA | SB 1301 | Extending Student Financial Aid Eligibility | Bill Passed - House (46 - 29) |
| Aug. 30, 2008 | CA | AB 583 | Public Financing of Elections | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (42 - 32) |
| Aug. 29, 2008 | CA | AB 1781 | 2008-2009 Budget | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (24 - 15) |
| Aug. 29, 2008 | CA | AB 1107 | Drought-Related Unemployment Benefits | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 18) |
| Aug. 29, 2008 | CA | AB 2321 | Metro Sales Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| Aug. 29, 2008 | CA | AB 583 | Public Financing of Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18) |
| Aug. 29, 2008 | CA | SB 1407 | Financing Courthouse Construction | Bill Passed - House (45 - 20) |
| Aug. 19, 2008 | IL | HB 4201 | Property Tax Exemption for Disabled Veterans | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (27 - 11) |
| Aug. 19, 2008 | NM | SB 24 | Tax Rebate | Bill Passed - House (51 - 16) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10/01 | HR 1424 | Financial Asset Purchase Authority and Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (74 - 25) |
| 9/29 | HR 3997 | Financial Asset Purchase Authority | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (205 - 228) |
| 9/26 | HR 7060 | Renewable Energy Credits and Other Business and Individual Credits | Bill Passed - House (257 - 166) |
| 9/19 | SBx1 28 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (43 - 30) |
| 9/19 | SBx1 28 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| 9/16 | AB 1781 | 2008-2009 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 11) |
| 9/16 | AB 1781 | 2008-2009 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (61 - 11) |
| 9/16 | AB 1452 | Suspending Carryback and Net Operating Loss Deductions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 21) |
| 9/16 | AB 1452 | Suspending Carryback and Net Operating Loss Deductions | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| 9/16 | SCA 12 | State Lottery Amendments | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
| 9/16 | SCA 12 | State Lottery Amendments | Joint Resolution Passed - House (63 - 14) |
| 9/16 | HR 6899 | Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling and Extending Certain Renewable Energy Tax Credits | Bill Passed - House (236 - 189) |
| 9/09 | SB 1087 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Failed - House (27 - 45) |
| 9/08 | AB 1793 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 21) |
| 8/31 | AB 2321 | Metro Sales Tax Increase | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 25) |
| 8/31 | SB 1407 | Financing Courthouse Construction | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
| 8/31 | SB 1301 | Extending Student Financial Aid Eligibility | Bill Passed - House (46 - 29) |
| 8/30 | AB 583 | Public Financing of Elections | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (42 - 32) |
| 8/29 | AB 1781 | 2008-2009 Budget | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (24 - 15) |
| 8/29 | AB 1107 | Drought-Related Unemployment Benefits | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 18) |
| 8/29 | AB 2321 | Metro Sales Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| 8/29 | AB 583 | Public Financing of Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18) |
| 8/29 | SB 1407 | Financing Courthouse Construction | Bill Passed - House (45 - 20) |
| 8/19 | HB 4201 | Property Tax Exemption for Disabled Veterans | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (27 - 11) |
| 8/19 | SB 24 | Tax Rebate | Bill Passed - House (51 - 16) |