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 13, 2008 | National | S Amdt 4309 | Restriction of Federal Assistance Based on Compliance with Federal Immigration Laws | Amendment Tabled - Senate (58 - 40) |
| March 13, 2008 | National | S Amdt 4347 | Earmark Moratorium | Motion Rejected - Senate (29 - 71) |
| March 13, 2008 | National | S Amdt 4231 | Immigration Enforcement and Border Fence Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 37) |
| March 13, 2008 | National | S Amdt 4259 | Immigration Enforcement and Employer Sanctions Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 45) |
| March 13, 2008 | VA | HB 30 | 2008-2010 Biennium Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 14) |
| March 12, 2008 | KY | HB 600 | State Retirement System | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 3) |
| March 12, 2008 | KY | HB 600 | State Retirement System | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 3) |
| March 12, 2008 | MI | SB 120 | Issuing Food Stamps Twice Monthly | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2) |
| March 12, 2008 | MD | SB 42 | Temporary Confiscation of Firearms | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 17) |
| March 12, 2008 | OK | SB 1407 | Restricting Childhood Vaccine Mercury Levels | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 17) |
| March 12, 2008 | KY | SB 120 | Booster Seat Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5) |
| March 12, 2008 | IA | SF 2355 | Time Off to Attend Presidential Precinct Caucuses | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 10) |
| March 12, 2008 | IA | SF 2355 | Time Off to Attend Presidential Precinct Caucuses | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 10) |
| March 11, 2008 | WA | SB 6809 | Working Family Tax Exemption | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 17) |
| March 10, 2008 | CO | HJR 1009 | Ratification of the UN Convention Against the Discrimination of Women | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| March 10, 2008 | IA | HF 2359 | Veterans Trust Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| March 7, 2008 | WA | HB 2476 | Tribal Police Jurisdiction | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 15) |
| March 6, 2008 | CO | HB 1025 | Governor's Energy Office | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| March 6, 2008 | AZ | HB 2043 | State Government Hiring Freeze | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| March 6, 2008 | VA | HB 12 | Payday Lending Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 2) |
| March 6, 2008 | MO | SB 778 | HPV Immunization | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 8) |
| March 6, 2008 | FL | SB 1852 | Medicaid Reimbursement Rate Freeze | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| March 6, 2008 | MO | SB 778 | HPV Immunization | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 8) |
| March 6, 2008 | GA | SB 449 | Limiting Agritourism Liability | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 14) |
| March 5, 2008 | WY | HB 137 | Deadly Force in Self Defense | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 1) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/13 | S Amdt 4309 | Restriction of Federal Assistance Based on Compliance with Federal Immigration Laws | Amendment Tabled - Senate (58 - 40) |
| 3/13 | S Amdt 4347 | Earmark Moratorium | Motion Rejected - Senate (29 - 71) |
| 3/13 | S Amdt 4231 | Immigration Enforcement and Border Fence Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 37) |
| 3/13 | S Amdt 4259 | Immigration Enforcement and Employer Sanctions Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 45) |
| 3/13 | HB 30 | 2008-2010 Biennium Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 14) |
| 3/12 | HB 600 | State Retirement System | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 3) |
| 3/12 | HB 600 | State Retirement System | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 3) |
| 3/12 | SB 120 | Issuing Food Stamps Twice Monthly | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2) |
| 3/12 | SB 42 | Temporary Confiscation of Firearms | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 17) |
| 3/12 | SB 1407 | Restricting Childhood Vaccine Mercury Levels | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 17) |
| 3/12 | SB 120 | Booster Seat Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5) |
| 3/12 | SF 2355 | Time Off to Attend Presidential Precinct Caucuses | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 10) |
| 3/12 | SF 2355 | Time Off to Attend Presidential Precinct Caucuses | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 10) |
| 3/11 | SB 6809 | Working Family Tax Exemption | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 17) |
| 3/10 | HJR 1009 | Ratification of the UN Convention Against the Discrimination of Women | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| 3/10 | HF 2359 | Veterans Trust Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| 3/07 | HB 2476 | Tribal Police Jurisdiction | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 15) |
| 3/06 | HB 1025 | Governor's Energy Office | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| 3/06 | HB 2043 | State Government Hiring Freeze | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| 3/06 | HB 12 | Payday Lending Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 2) |
| 3/06 | SB 778 | HPV Immunization | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 8) |
| 3/06 | SB 1852 | Medicaid Reimbursement Rate Freeze | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| 3/06 | SB 778 | HPV Immunization | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 8) |
| 3/06 | SB 449 | Limiting Agritourism Liability | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 14) |
| 3/05 | HB 137 | Deadly Force in Self Defense | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 1) |