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 20, 2008 | NH | SB 502 | Expanding Unemployment Compensation Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8) |
| March 19, 2008 | GA | Fleming AM 29 0700 | Amending Capital Punishment Sentencing Procedures | Amendment Adopted - House (100 - 66) |
| March 19, 2008 | MS | SB 2264 | Authorizing Wire-tapping Out of State | Bill Passed - House (97 - 21) |
| March 19, 2008 | GA | SB 145 | Amending Sentencing Guidelines for Murder | Bill Passed - House (112 - 55) |
| March 19, 2008 | ID | S 1447 | Capping Medical Benefits for State Government Retirees | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| March 19, 2008 | KS | SB 409 | Three-Strikes Sentencing for Theft | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 6) |
| March 19, 2008 | KS | SB 541 | Expanding Children's Health Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 8) |
| March 19, 2008 | CO | HB 1189 | State Employee Strike Prohibition | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 2) |
| March 19, 2008 | ID | S 1447 | Capping Medical Benefits for State Government Retirees | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| March 19, 2008 | IA | HF 2645 | Public Employee Collective Bargaining and Teacher Termination Policy | Bill Passed - House (52 - 47) |
| March 19, 2008 | AZ | HB 2454 | Child Protective Services Information Disclosure | Bill Passed - House (47 - 12) |
| March 18, 2008 | KS | Hensley Amnd. | Premium Assistance Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 27) |
| March 18, 2008 | KS | Kelly Amnd. | Premium Assistance Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 27) |
| March 18, 2008 | MN | Scheid Amnd. | Insurance Payouts Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (37 - 30) |
| March 18, 2008 | MS | SB 2497 | Increasing Unemployment Compensation | Bill Passed - House (71 - 48) |
| March 18, 2008 | CO | SB 139 | Undocumented Immigrant Hiring Ban Notification | Bill Passed - House (52 - 12) |
| March 18, 2008 | CO | SB 139 | Undocumented Immigrant Hiring Ban Notification | Bill Passed - House (52 - 12) |
| March 18, 2008 | CO | HB 1297 | Supplemental Department of Public Safety Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9) |
| March 18, 2008 | MD | SB 566 | Hospital Visitation/Decision-Making Rights for Domestic Partners | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| March 18, 2008 | NH | HB 1436 | Automatic Continuation Clause in Collective Bargaining Agreements | Bill Passed - House (180 - 126) |
| March 18, 2008 | NH | HB 1645 | State Retirement System Amendments | Bill Passed - House (259 - 60) |
| March 18, 2008 | NH | HB 1645 | State Retirement System Amendments | Bill Passed - House (259 - 60) |
| March 18, 2008 | NH | HB 1623 | Marijuana Decriminalization | Bill Passed - House (193 - 141) |
| March 18, 2008 | ID | S 1393 | Non-Compete Agreements | Bill Passed - House (43 - 27) |
| March 17, 2008 | SD | HB 1233 | Government Spending Database | Veto Override Passed - House (61 - 8) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/20 | SB 502 | Expanding Unemployment Compensation Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8) |
| 3/19 | Fleming AM 29 0700 | Amending Capital Punishment Sentencing Procedures | Amendment Adopted - House (100 - 66) |
| 3/19 | SB 2264 | Authorizing Wire-tapping Out of State | Bill Passed - House (97 - 21) |
| 3/19 | SB 145 | Amending Sentencing Guidelines for Murder | Bill Passed - House (112 - 55) |
| 3/19 | S 1447 | Capping Medical Benefits for State Government Retirees | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| 3/19 | SB 409 | Three-Strikes Sentencing for Theft | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 6) |
| 3/19 | SB 541 | Expanding Children's Health Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 8) |
| 3/19 | HB 1189 | State Employee Strike Prohibition | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 2) |
| 3/19 | S 1447 | Capping Medical Benefits for State Government Retirees | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| 3/19 | HF 2645 | Public Employee Collective Bargaining and Teacher Termination Policy | Bill Passed - House (52 - 47) |
| 3/19 | HB 2454 | Child Protective Services Information Disclosure | Bill Passed - House (47 - 12) |
| 3/18 | Hensley Amnd. | Premium Assistance Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 27) |
| 3/18 | Kelly Amnd. | Premium Assistance Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 27) |
| 3/18 | Scheid Amnd. | Insurance Payouts Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (37 - 30) |
| 3/18 | SB 2497 | Increasing Unemployment Compensation | Bill Passed - House (71 - 48) |
| 3/18 | SB 139 | Undocumented Immigrant Hiring Ban Notification | Bill Passed - House (52 - 12) |
| 3/18 | SB 139 | Undocumented Immigrant Hiring Ban Notification | Bill Passed - House (52 - 12) |
| 3/18 | HB 1297 | Supplemental Department of Public Safety Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9) |
| 3/18 | SB 566 | Hospital Visitation/Decision-Making Rights for Domestic Partners | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| 3/18 | HB 1436 | Automatic Continuation Clause in Collective Bargaining Agreements | Bill Passed - House (180 - 126) |
| 3/18 | HB 1645 | State Retirement System Amendments | Bill Passed - House (259 - 60) |
| 3/18 | HB 1645 | State Retirement System Amendments | Bill Passed - House (259 - 60) |
| 3/18 | HB 1623 | Marijuana Decriminalization | Bill Passed - House (193 - 141) |
| 3/18 | S 1393 | Non-Compete Agreements | Bill Passed - House (43 - 27) |
| 3/17 | HB 1233 | Government Spending Database | Veto Override Passed - House (61 - 8) |