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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
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 National HR 6049 Alternative Energy Tax Incentives Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 44)
June 16, 2008 PA SB 1385 Increase Tax Credit for Business Net Losses Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19)
June 16, 2008 PA SB 1388 Change Formula for Calculating Corporate Net Income Tax Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19)
June 16, 2008 PA SB 1387 Business Property Tax Deduction Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15)
June 12, 2008 MA H 4554 Life-Science Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7)
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 National S 3044 Increasing Taxes on Profits, Rescinding Certain Tax Deductions, and Increasing Tax Incentives for Alternative Energy Programs for Oil Companies Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 43)
June 10, 2008 LA SB 672 Legislative Pay Increase Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16)
June 4, 2008 NH SB 321 Cigarette Tax Increase and Wine Discount Reduction Conference Report Adopted - Senate (12 - 11)
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 2, 2008 PA SB 1386 Poverty Income Tax Cut Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 16)
May 29, 2008 IL SB 788 Authorizing $16 Billion Increase in Bonds for State Pensions Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 21)
May 29, 2008 CA CA SB 1665 Prison Health Care Facility Bonds Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 15)
May 29, 2008 CA SB 1407 Financing Courthouse Construction Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 8)
May 29, 2008 AL SB 51 2008-2009 Education Budget Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 1)
May 28, 2008 MI Anderson Amendment: Increase Revenue Sharing Grants Amendment Rejected - Senate (19 - 18)
May 28, 2008 MS SB 2013 Hospital Tax for Medicaid Funding Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 7)
May 22, 2008 National HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Veto Override Passed - Senate (82 - 13)
May 22, 2008 MS SB 2011 Increasing Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 3)
May 15, 2008 National HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 15)
May 15, 2008 MN HF 3195 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 22)
Date No. Title Outcome
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 HR 6049 Alternative Energy Tax Incentives Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 44)
6/16 SB 1385 Increase Tax Credit for Business Net Losses Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19)
6/16 SB 1388 Change Formula for Calculating Corporate Net Income Tax Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19)
6/16 SB 1387 Business Property Tax Deduction Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15)
6/12 H 4554 Life-Science Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7)
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 S 3044 Increasing Taxes on Profits, Rescinding Certain Tax Deductions, and Increasing Tax Incentives for Alternative Energy Programs for Oil Companies Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 43)
6/10 SB 672 Legislative Pay Increase Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16)
6/04 SB 321 Cigarette Tax Increase and Wine Discount Reduction Conference Report Adopted - Senate (12 - 11)
6/04 SSHB 1 Education Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 9)
6/04 HB 2475 Bonds for School Computers Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 13)
6/02 SB 1386 Poverty Income Tax Cut Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 16)
5/29 SB 788 Authorizing $16 Billion Increase in Bonds for State Pensions Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 21)
5/29 CA SB 1665 Prison Health Care Facility Bonds Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 15)
5/29 SB 1407 Financing Courthouse Construction Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 8)
5/29 SB 51 2008-2009 Education Budget Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 1)
5/28 Anderson Amendment: Increase Revenue Sharing Grants Amendment Rejected - Senate (19 - 18)
5/28 SB 2013 Hospital Tax for Medicaid Funding Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 7)
5/22 HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Veto Override Passed - Senate (82 - 13)
5/22 SB 2011 Increasing Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 3)
5/15 HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 15)
5/15 HF 3195 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 22)

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