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 12, 2008 | KY | HB 600 | State Retirement System | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 3) |
| March 12, 2008 | MI | SB 120 | Issuing Food Stamps Twice Monthly | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2) |
| March 11, 2008 | WA | SB 6809 | Working Family Tax Exemption | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 17) |
| March 10, 2008 | AZ | SB 1476 | Reducing Probation for Good Behavior | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 7) |
| March 10, 2008 | IA | HF 2359 | Veterans Trust Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| March 6, 2008 | NH | Amdt 0891 to SB 530 | Fully Subsidized Kindergarten Construction Program | Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 12) |
| March 6, 2008 | AZ | HB 2043 | State Government Hiring Freeze | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| March 6, 2008 | MN | HF 380 | Capital Improvements Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (57 - 9) |
| March 6, 2008 | AZ | HB 2857 | State Spending Freeze | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13) |
| March 6, 2008 | FL | SB 1852 | Medicaid Reimbursement Rate Freeze | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| March 5, 2008 | AK | SB 256 | 2008-2009 Supplemental Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 2) |
| March 4, 2008 | HI | SB 2423 | Turtle Bay Acquisition | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 2) |
| March 4, 2008 | UT | HB 359 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 3) |
| March 4, 2008 | UT | SB 2 | 2007-2009 Biennium Education Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 7) |
| March 3, 2008 | UT | SB 48 | School Building Funding Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 9) |
| March 3, 2008 | NJ | S 786 | Extending Family Leave Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| Feb. 29, 2008 | ID | S 1436 | Teacher Pay-for-Performance Plan | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 19) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | VA | HB 30 | 2008-2010 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | SD | HB 1085 | Constructing Science Facilities at Universities | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 3) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | CO | SB 128 | Eliminating Sales and Use Tax Cap | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | IN | HB 1001 | Property Tax Reduction | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | SD | HB 1233 | Government Spending Database | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | KY | SB 14 | Non-Partisan Public Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| Feb. 25, 2008 | MN | HF 2800 | 2009-2010 Transportation Budget | Veto Override Passed - Senate (47 - 20) |
| Feb. 25, 2008 | VA | HB 11 | Property Tax Exemptions | Motion Agreed - Senate (21 - 19) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/12 | HB 600 | State Retirement System | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 3) |
| 3/12 | SB 120 | Issuing Food Stamps Twice Monthly | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2) |
| 3/11 | SB 6809 | Working Family Tax Exemption | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 17) |
| 3/10 | SB 1476 | Reducing Probation for Good Behavior | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 7) |
| 3/10 | HF 2359 | Veterans Trust Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| 3/06 | Amdt 0891 to SB 530 | Fully Subsidized Kindergarten Construction Program | Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 12) |
| 3/06 | HB 2043 | State Government Hiring Freeze | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| 3/06 | HF 380 | Capital Improvements Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (57 - 9) |
| 3/06 | HB 2857 | State Spending Freeze | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13) |
| 3/06 | SB 1852 | Medicaid Reimbursement Rate Freeze | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| 3/05 | SB 256 | 2008-2009 Supplemental Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 2) |
| 3/04 | SB 2423 | Turtle Bay Acquisition | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 2) |
| 3/04 | HB 359 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 3) |
| 3/04 | SB 2 | 2007-2009 Biennium Education Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 7) |
| 3/03 | SB 48 | School Building Funding Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 9) |
| 3/03 | S 786 | Extending Family Leave Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| 2/29 | S 1436 | Teacher Pay-for-Performance Plan | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 19) |
| 2/27 | HB 30 | 2008-2010 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| 2/27 | HB 1085 | Constructing Science Facilities at Universities | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 3) |
| 2/27 | SB 128 | Eliminating Sales and Use Tax Cap | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
| 2/26 | HB 1001 | Property Tax Reduction | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
| 2/26 | HB 1233 | Government Spending Database | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 2/26 | SB 14 | Non-Partisan Public Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 2/25 | HF 2800 | 2009-2010 Transportation Budget | Veto Override Passed - Senate (47 - 20) |
| 2/25 | HB 11 | Property Tax Exemptions | Motion Agreed - Senate (21 - 19) |