Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
June 18, 2008 DE SB 280 Minimum Wage Increase for Tipped Employees Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 8)
June 11, 2008 LA HB 1347 Vouchers Bill Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
June 10, 2008 LA SB 672 Legislative Pay Increase Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16)
June 4, 2008 PA SB 246 Smoking Ban Conference Report Rejected - Senate (19 - 31)
June 4, 2008 NY S 6823 Long Island Affordable Housing Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 9)
June 2, 2008 PA SB 1386 Poverty Income Tax Cut Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 16)
May 29, 2008 LA S Amdt 3870 Legislator Financial Disclosures Amendment Rejected - Senate (5 - 29)
May 29, 2008 IL SB 788 Authorizing $16 Billion Increase in Bonds for State Pensions Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 21)
May 29, 2008 CA SB 1096 Pharmacy Prescription Refill Mailings Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
May 28, 2008 LA SB 718 State Board Member and Commissioner Financial Disclosures Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9)
May 28, 2008 LA SB 292 Public Fishing in Overflow Waters Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 19)
May 28, 2008 MS SB 2013 Hospital Tax for Medicaid Funding Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 7)
May 27, 2008 IL HB 5288 Expand Use of Red Light Cameras Bill Failed - Senate (26 - 24)
May 22, 2008 National HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Veto Override Passed - Senate (82 - 13)
May 22, 2008 National S Amdt 4803 GI Bill and Other Domestic Provisions Amendment Adopted - Senate (75 - 22)
May 22, 2008 National S Amdt 4803 GI Bill and Other Domestic Provisions Amendment Adopted - Senate (75 - 22)
May 22, 2008 MS SB 2011 Increasing Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 3)
May 22, 2008 MS SB 2011 Increasing Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 3)
May 16, 2008 MO HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 Undocumented Immigrants Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 7)
May 16, 2008 MO HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 Undocumented Immigrants Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 7)
May 15, 2008 National HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 15)
May 15, 2008 CA SB 1589 Uncorroborated Jailhouse Informant Testimony Ban Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 14)
May 15, 2008 CA SB 1322 Communist Party Membership Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16)
May 14, 2008 SC H 3032 Immigration Reform Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (20 - 26)
May 14, 2008 SC H 3032 Immigration Reform Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (20 - 26)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/18 SB 280 Minimum Wage Increase for Tipped Employees Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 8)
6/11 HB 1347 Vouchers Bill Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
6/10 SB 672 Legislative Pay Increase Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16)
6/04 SB 246 Smoking Ban Conference Report Rejected - Senate (19 - 31)
6/04 S 6823 Long Island Affordable Housing Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 9)
6/02 SB 1386 Poverty Income Tax Cut Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 16)
5/29 S Amdt 3870 Legislator Financial Disclosures Amendment Rejected - Senate (5 - 29)
5/29 SB 788 Authorizing $16 Billion Increase in Bonds for State Pensions Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 21)
5/29 SB 1096 Pharmacy Prescription Refill Mailings Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
5/28 SB 718 State Board Member and Commissioner Financial Disclosures Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9)
5/28 SB 292 Public Fishing in Overflow Waters Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 19)
5/28 SB 2013 Hospital Tax for Medicaid Funding Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 7)
5/27 HB 5288 Expand Use of Red Light Cameras Bill Failed - Senate (26 - 24)
5/22 HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Veto Override Passed - Senate (82 - 13)
5/22 S Amdt 4803 GI Bill and Other Domestic Provisions Amendment Adopted - Senate (75 - 22)
5/22 S Amdt 4803 GI Bill and Other Domestic Provisions Amendment Adopted - Senate (75 - 22)
5/22 SB 2011 Increasing Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 3)
5/22 SB 2011 Increasing Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 3)
5/16 HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 Undocumented Immigrants Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 7)
5/16 HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 Undocumented Immigrants Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 7)
5/15 HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 15)
5/15 SB 1589 Uncorroborated Jailhouse Informant Testimony Ban Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 14)
5/15 SB 1322 Communist Party Membership Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16)
5/14 H 3032 Immigration Reform Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (20 - 26)
5/14 H 3032 Immigration Reform Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (20 - 26)

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