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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 26, 2008 | MS | SB 2550 | Covenant Marriage Act | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 13) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | SD | HB 1233 | Government Spending Database | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | WI | AR 13 | Supporting the Individual's Right to Bear Arms | Resolution Passed - House (78 - 18) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | KY | SB 14 | Non-Partisan Public Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | GA | HR 413 | English as the Official Language of Georgia | Resolution Failed - House (103 - 61) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | GA | HR 413 | English as the Official Language of Georgia | Resolution Failed - House (103 - 61) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | CO | SB 139 | Undocumented Immigrant Hiring Ban Notification | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 4) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | IA | SF 2216 | State-Mandated Curriculum for Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 14) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | WV | HB 4076 | Legislative Pay Raise | Bill Passed - House (62 - 36) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | SD | SB 174 | Railroad Eminent Domain | Bill Passed - House (54 - 16) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | National | S 1200 | Indian Health Care Improvement Act Amendments of 2008 | Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 10) |
| Feb. 25, 2008 | National | S Amdt 4070 | Prohibiting Funds in the Bill S 1200 from Being Used to Decrease Gun Ownership | Amendment Adopted - Senate (78 - 11) |
| Feb. 25, 2008 | VA | HB 933 | "Triggerman Rule" in Capital Murder Cases | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| Feb. 25, 2008 | WY | HB 137 | Deadly Force in Self Defense | Bill Passed - House (54 - 4) |
| Feb. 25, 2008 | CO | HB 1310 | Payday Loan Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (33 - 30) |
| Feb. 25, 2008 | WY | HB 145 | Restricting Benefits for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (40 - 18) |
| Feb. 25, 2008 | WV | HB 4132 | Prohibiting Mandatory Employee Participation in Political Events | Bill Passed - House (64 - 33) |
| Feb. 25, 2008 | WY | HB 145 | Restricting Benefits for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (40 - 18) |
| Feb. 22, 2008 | MD | SB 243 | Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 10) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | SD | HB 1250 | Legislative Pay Raise | Bill Tabled - Senate (29 - 4) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | MD | SB 111 | Expanding Hate Crimes Classification to Homeless | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 4) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | UT | SB 81 | Expanding Immigration Enforcement | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | UT | SB 81 | Expanding Immigration Enforcement | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | UT | SB 81 | Expanding Immigration Enforcement | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
| Feb. 20, 2008 | AZ | HB 2043 | State Government Hiring Freeze | Bill Passed - House (40 - 15) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/26 | SB 2550 | Covenant Marriage Act | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 13) |
| 2/26 | HB 1233 | Government Spending Database | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 2/26 | AR 13 | Supporting the Individual's Right to Bear Arms | Resolution Passed - House (78 - 18) |
| 2/26 | SB 14 | Non-Partisan Public Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 2/26 | HR 413 | English as the Official Language of Georgia | Resolution Failed - House (103 - 61) |
| 2/26 | HR 413 | English as the Official Language of Georgia | Resolution Failed - House (103 - 61) |
| 2/26 | SB 139 | Undocumented Immigrant Hiring Ban Notification | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 4) |
| 2/26 | SF 2216 | State-Mandated Curriculum for Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 14) |
| 2/26 | HB 4076 | Legislative Pay Raise | Bill Passed - House (62 - 36) |
| 2/26 | SB 174 | Railroad Eminent Domain | Bill Passed - House (54 - 16) |
| 2/26 | S 1200 | Indian Health Care Improvement Act Amendments of 2008 | Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 10) |
| 2/25 | S Amdt 4070 | Prohibiting Funds in the Bill S 1200 from Being Used to Decrease Gun Ownership | Amendment Adopted - Senate (78 - 11) |
| 2/25 | HB 933 | "Triggerman Rule" in Capital Murder Cases | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| 2/25 | HB 137 | Deadly Force in Self Defense | Bill Passed - House (54 - 4) |
| 2/25 | HB 1310 | Payday Loan Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (33 - 30) |
| 2/25 | HB 145 | Restricting Benefits for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (40 - 18) |
| 2/25 | HB 4132 | Prohibiting Mandatory Employee Participation in Political Events | Bill Passed - House (64 - 33) |
| 2/25 | HB 145 | Restricting Benefits for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (40 - 18) |
| 2/22 | SB 243 | Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 10) |
| 2/21 | HB 1250 | Legislative Pay Raise | Bill Tabled - Senate (29 - 4) |
| 2/21 | SB 111 | Expanding Hate Crimes Classification to Homeless | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 4) |
| 2/21 | SB 81 | Expanding Immigration Enforcement | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
| 2/21 | SB 81 | Expanding Immigration Enforcement | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
| 2/21 | SB 81 | Expanding Immigration Enforcement | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
| 2/20 | HB 2043 | State Government Hiring Freeze | Bill Passed - House (40 - 15) |