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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 15, 2008 | NH | HB 1509 | Allocation of Gambling/Gaming Profits | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8) |
| May 13, 2008 | MN | HF 6 | 2008 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (55 - 10) |
| May 13, 2008 | WI | AB 1 | Budget Repair Plan | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 16) |
| May 12, 2008 | MN | HF 3391 | Health Care Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 13) |
| May 12, 2008 | CA | SB 1301 | Extending Student Financial Aid Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| May 7, 2008 | SC | S Amdt P-4A | Cigarette Tax Rate Adjustment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (18 - 24) |
| May 7, 2008 | KS | HB 2946 | 2007-2009 Biennium Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 11) |
| May 7, 2008 | SC | H 3567 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 11) |
| May 7, 2008 | NY | S 7594 | Gasoline Tax Holiday | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 15) |
| May 7, 2008 | OH | SB 57 | Disability Scholarship Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15) |
| May 6, 2008 | SC | S Amdt P-1 | Cigarette Tax Increase for Medicaid | Amendment Tabled - Senate (31 - 13) |
| May 6, 2008 | CO | HB 1388 | Increasing Education Funding | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (22 - 13) |
| May 6, 2008 | MA | H 4645 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6) |
| May 6, 2008 | CT | HB 5536 | Health Insurance Pool | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| May 3, 2008 | KS | SB 81 | Health Care Reform | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (34 - 1) |
| May 2, 2008 | FL | HB 5001 | 2008-2009 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 8) |
| May 1, 2008 | HI | SB 2423 | Turtle Bay Acquisition | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 11) |
| May 1, 2008 | MO | HB 2393 | Mega-Project Tax Credits | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
| May 1, 2008 | RI | H 7204 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| April 30, 2008 | MN | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 21) |
| April 29, 2008 | LA | S Amdt 2096 | Gradual Income Tax Deduction | Amendment Adopted - Senate (19 - 18) |
| April 24, 2008 | IA | SF 2432 | 2008-2009 Prison and Infrastructure Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 13) |
| April 22, 2008 | IA | S 5408 | Changes to School Infrastructure Sales Tax | Amendment Rejected - Senate (20 - 30) |
| April 22, 2008 | IA | HF 2663 | Statewide Sales Tax Increase for School Infrastructure Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 11) |
| April 22, 2008 | MI | SB 1198 | Changes to Michigan Business Tax Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/15 | HB 1509 | Allocation of Gambling/Gaming Profits | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8) |
| 5/13 | HF 6 | 2008 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (55 - 10) |
| 5/13 | AB 1 | Budget Repair Plan | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 16) |
| 5/12 | HF 3391 | Health Care Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 13) |
| 5/12 | SB 1301 | Extending Student Financial Aid Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| 5/07 | S Amdt P-4A | Cigarette Tax Rate Adjustment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (18 - 24) |
| 5/07 | HB 2946 | 2007-2009 Biennium Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 11) |
| 5/07 | H 3567 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 11) |
| 5/07 | S 7594 | Gasoline Tax Holiday | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 15) |
| 5/07 | SB 57 | Disability Scholarship Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15) |
| 5/06 | S Amdt P-1 | Cigarette Tax Increase for Medicaid | Amendment Tabled - Senate (31 - 13) |
| 5/06 | HB 1388 | Increasing Education Funding | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (22 - 13) |
| 5/06 | H 4645 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6) |
| 5/06 | HB 5536 | Health Insurance Pool | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| 5/03 | SB 81 | Health Care Reform | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (34 - 1) |
| 5/02 | HB 5001 | 2008-2009 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 8) |
| 5/01 | SB 2423 | Turtle Bay Acquisition | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 11) |
| 5/01 | HB 2393 | Mega-Project Tax Credits | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
| 5/01 | H 7204 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| 4/30 | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 21) |
| 4/29 | S Amdt 2096 | Gradual Income Tax Deduction | Amendment Adopted - Senate (19 - 18) |
| 4/24 | SF 2432 | 2008-2009 Prison and Infrastructure Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 13) |
| 4/22 | S 5408 | Changes to School Infrastructure Sales Tax | Amendment Rejected - Senate (20 - 30) |
| 4/22 | HF 2663 | Statewide Sales Tax Increase for School Infrastructure Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 11) |
| 4/22 | SB 1198 | Changes to Michigan Business Tax Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |