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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 20, 2008 | CA | AB 2233 | Ban on Holding Pets While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| Aug. 14, 2008 | CA | AB 1107 | Drought-Related Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
| Aug. 12, 2008 | CA | AB 1946 | Expanding Enforcement of Water Pollution Laws | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (48 - 29) |
| Aug. 12, 2008 | CA | AB 2270 | Water Softener Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (53 - 19) |
| Aug. 7, 2008 | AK | SB 4002 | Energy Rebate Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (11 - 5) |
| Aug. 7, 2008 | CA | AB 2270 | Water Softener Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 12) |
| Aug. 7, 2008 | CA | AB 1946 | Expanding Enforcement of Water Pollution Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| Aug. 7, 2008 | AK | SB 4002 | Energy Rebate Bill | Bill Passed - House (33 - 5) |
| Aug. 6, 2008 | AK | SB 4002 | Energy Rebate Bill | Bill Passed - House (30 - 7) |
| Aug. 5, 2008 | CA | SB 974 | Shipping Fee | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
| Aug. 4, 2008 | AK | SB 4002 | Energy Rebate Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 3) |
| Aug. 1, 2008 | AK | HB 3001 | Natural Gas Pipeline to Canada | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 5) |
| July 26, 2008 | National | S 3186 | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Funding | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 35) |
| July 22, 2008 | AK | HB 3001 | Natural Gas Pipeline to Canada | Bill Passed - House (24 - 16) |
| July 18, 2008 | NC | HB 2499 | Water Management During Droughts | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 36) |
| July 17, 2008 | NC | HB 2499 | Water Management During Droughts | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 9) |
| July 16, 2008 | National | HR 415 | Adding Parts of the Taunton River to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System | Bill Passed - House (242 - 175) |
| July 15, 2008 | NC | HB 2499 | Water Management During Droughts | Bill Passed - House (92 - 20) |
| July 10, 2008 | NC | HB 822 | Swine Farm Rebuilding | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 8) |
| July 10, 2008 | NC | HB 822 | Swine Farm Rebuilding | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 8) |
| July 7, 2008 | CA | AB 2949 | Retrieving Abandoned Pets | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| June 26, 2008 | National | HR 6377 | Energy Futures Trading | Bill Passed - House (402 - 19) |
| June 25, 2008 | AZ | HB 2156 | Reviews for Potential Railroad Sites | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (40 - 12) |
| June 23, 2008 | AZ | SB 1167 | Off-Highway Vehicle Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 7) |
| June 23, 2008 | AZ | HB 2156 | Reviews for Potential Railroad Sites | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 6) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/20 | AB 2233 | Ban on Holding Pets While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| 8/14 | AB 1107 | Drought-Related Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
| 8/12 | AB 1946 | Expanding Enforcement of Water Pollution Laws | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (48 - 29) |
| 8/12 | AB 2270 | Water Softener Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (53 - 19) |
| 8/07 | SB 4002 | Energy Rebate Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (11 - 5) |
| 8/07 | AB 2270 | Water Softener Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 12) |
| 8/07 | AB 1946 | Expanding Enforcement of Water Pollution Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| 8/07 | SB 4002 | Energy Rebate Bill | Bill Passed - House (33 - 5) |
| 8/06 | SB 4002 | Energy Rebate Bill | Bill Passed - House (30 - 7) |
| 8/05 | SB 974 | Shipping Fee | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
| 8/04 | SB 4002 | Energy Rebate Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 3) |
| 8/01 | HB 3001 | Natural Gas Pipeline to Canada | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 5) |
| 7/26 | S 3186 | Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Funding | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 35) |
| 7/22 | HB 3001 | Natural Gas Pipeline to Canada | Bill Passed - House (24 - 16) |
| 7/18 | HB 2499 | Water Management During Droughts | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 36) |
| 7/17 | HB 2499 | Water Management During Droughts | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 9) |
| 7/16 | HR 415 | Adding Parts of the Taunton River to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System | Bill Passed - House (242 - 175) |
| 7/15 | HB 2499 | Water Management During Droughts | Bill Passed - House (92 - 20) |
| 7/10 | HB 822 | Swine Farm Rebuilding | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 8) |
| 7/10 | HB 822 | Swine Farm Rebuilding | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 8) |
| 7/07 | AB 2949 | Retrieving Abandoned Pets | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| 6/26 | HR 6377 | Energy Futures Trading | Bill Passed - House (402 - 19) |
| 6/25 | HB 2156 | Reviews for Potential Railroad Sites | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (40 - 12) |
| 6/23 | SB 1167 | Off-Highway Vehicle Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 7) |
| 6/23 | HB 2156 | Reviews for Potential Railroad Sites | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 6) |