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 26, 2008 | KS | Journey Amnd. 1 | Penalties for Obstructing Immigration Enforcement | Amendment Rejected - Senate (14 - 24) |
| March 26, 2008 | KS | Journey Amnd. 1 | Penalties for Obstructing Immigration Enforcement | Amendment Rejected - Senate (14 - 24) |
| March 26, 2008 | KS | Huelskamp Amnd. 2 | Undocumented Immigrants Ineligible for Public Benefits | Amendment Rejected - Senate (12 - 26) |
| March 26, 2008 | MS | SB 2188 | Attorney General-Private Attorney Contract Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (95 - 25) |
| March 26, 2008 | MS | SB 2188 | Attorney General-Private Attorney Contract Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (95 - 25) |
| March 25, 2008 | NE | LB 1063 | Abolishing the Death Penalty | Motion Rejected - Senate (20 - 28) |
| March 25, 2008 | KS | SB 81 | Health Care Reform | Bill Passed - House (103 - 20) |
| March 25, 2008 | AZ | HB 2263 | Maturity Requirement for Underage Abortions | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| March 25, 2008 | ME | LD 2012 | Prohibiting Smoking in Vehicles with Children | Bill Passed - House (92 - 46) |
| March 24, 2008 | MS | HB 859 | Salary Adjustments for State Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 3) |
| March 24, 2008 | MS | HB 859 | Salary Adjustments for State Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 3) |
| March 24, 2008 | MD | SB 597 | Property Transfer Tax Exemptions for Domestic Partners | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 21) |
| March 24, 2008 | CO | HB 1276 | Workplace Accommodations for Nursing Mothers | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| March 24, 2008 | CO | HB 1276 | Workplace Accommodations for Nursing Mothers | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| March 24, 2008 | IA | HF 2645 | Public Employee Collective Bargaining and Teacher Termination Policy | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23) |
| March 20, 2008 | NH | SA 1051 to SB 527 | Parental Notification for Underage Abortions | Amendment Rejected - Senate (9 - 15) |
| March 20, 2008 | KS | SB 461 | Electronic Wage Reports and Reimbursement Payments | Motion Agreed - House (63 - 58) |
| March 20, 2008 | NH | SB 527 | Mandatory Abortion Counseling for Minors | Bill Failed - Senate (10 - 14) |
| March 20, 2008 | GA | SB 350 | Increasing Penalties for Driving Without a License | Bill Passed - House (99 - 68) |
| March 20, 2008 | GA | SB 350 | Increasing Penalties for Driving Without a License | Bill Passed - House (99 - 68) |
| March 20, 2008 | KS | HB 2947 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (71 - 51) |
| March 20, 2008 | KS | HB 2947 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (71 - 51) |
| March 20, 2008 | KS | HB 2936 | Capital Improvements Funding | Bill Passed - House (87 - 35) |
| March 20, 2008 | IA | HF 2145 | Mandatory HPV Vaccination Coverage | Bill Passed - House (81 - 16) |
| March 20, 2008 | NH | SB 502 | Expanding Unemployment Compensation Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/26 | Journey Amnd. 1 | Penalties for Obstructing Immigration Enforcement | Amendment Rejected - Senate (14 - 24) |
| 3/26 | Journey Amnd. 1 | Penalties for Obstructing Immigration Enforcement | Amendment Rejected - Senate (14 - 24) |
| 3/26 | Huelskamp Amnd. 2 | Undocumented Immigrants Ineligible for Public Benefits | Amendment Rejected - Senate (12 - 26) |
| 3/26 | SB 2188 | Attorney General-Private Attorney Contract Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (95 - 25) |
| 3/26 | SB 2188 | Attorney General-Private Attorney Contract Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (95 - 25) |
| 3/25 | LB 1063 | Abolishing the Death Penalty | Motion Rejected - Senate (20 - 28) |
| 3/25 | SB 81 | Health Care Reform | Bill Passed - House (103 - 20) |
| 3/25 | HB 2263 | Maturity Requirement for Underage Abortions | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| 3/25 | LD 2012 | Prohibiting Smoking in Vehicles with Children | Bill Passed - House (92 - 46) |
| 3/24 | HB 859 | Salary Adjustments for State Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 3) |
| 3/24 | HB 859 | Salary Adjustments for State Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 3) |
| 3/24 | SB 597 | Property Transfer Tax Exemptions for Domestic Partners | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 21) |
| 3/24 | HB 1276 | Workplace Accommodations for Nursing Mothers | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| 3/24 | HB 1276 | Workplace Accommodations for Nursing Mothers | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| 3/24 | HF 2645 | Public Employee Collective Bargaining and Teacher Termination Policy | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23) |
| 3/20 | SA 1051 to SB 527 | Parental Notification for Underage Abortions | Amendment Rejected - Senate (9 - 15) |
| 3/20 | SB 461 | Electronic Wage Reports and Reimbursement Payments | Motion Agreed - House (63 - 58) |
| 3/20 | SB 527 | Mandatory Abortion Counseling for Minors | Bill Failed - Senate (10 - 14) |
| 3/20 | SB 350 | Increasing Penalties for Driving Without a License | Bill Passed - House (99 - 68) |
| 3/20 | SB 350 | Increasing Penalties for Driving Without a License | Bill Passed - House (99 - 68) |
| 3/20 | HB 2947 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (71 - 51) |
| 3/20 | HB 2947 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (71 - 51) |
| 3/20 | HB 2936 | Capital Improvements Funding | Bill Passed - House (87 - 35) |
| 3/20 | HF 2145 | Mandatory HPV Vaccination Coverage | Bill Passed - House (81 - 16) |
| 3/20 | SB 502 | Expanding Unemployment Compensation Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8) |