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 17, 2008 | SD | HB 1233 | Government Spending Database | Veto Override Failed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| March 17, 2008 | KS | HB 2762 | Income Tax Reduction | Bill Passed - House (109 - 13) |
| March 17, 2008 | KS | HB 2938 | Sales Tax Exemptions | Bill Passed - House (96 - 26) |
| March 14, 2008 | National | HR 3773 | Electronic Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Review Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (213 - 197) |
| March 14, 2008 | MD | SB 90 | 2008-2009 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 7) |
| March 14, 2008 | MD | SB 461 | Prohibiting Cell Phone Use by Drivers Under 18 | Bill Failed - Senate (22 - 21) |
| March 12, 2008 | KY | HB 406 | 2008-2010 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - House (84 - 14) |
| March 11, 2008 | WI | AB 862 | Government Spending Database | Bill Passed - House (81 - 16) |
| March 6, 2008 | MN | HF 380 | Capital Improvements Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (57 - 9) |
| March 6, 2008 | MO | HB 1619 | Monitoring Prescription Drug Sales | Bill Passed - House (84 - 69) |
| March 6, 2008 | GA | SB 404 | Health Insurance Marketplace | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 12) |
| March 6, 2008 | MN | HF 380 | Capital Improvements Budget | Bill Passed - House (99 - 34) |
| March 6, 2008 | MO | HB 1779 | Regulation of Telecommunications Services | Bill Passed - House (130 - 22) |
| March 5, 2008 | MS | SB 2988 | Prohibiting Employment of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (112 - 8) |
| March 4, 2008 | MD | HB 362 | Department of Information Technology | Bill Passed - House (105 - 31) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | WI | AB 870 | Virtual Charter Schools | Bill Passed - House (53 - 44) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | SD | HB 1085 | Constructing Science Facilities at Universities | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 3) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | CO | HB 1001 | Expanding Bioscience Research Funding | Bill Passed - House (52 - 13) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | CO | SB 139 | Undocumented Immigrant Hiring Ban Notification | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 4) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | SD | HB 1233 | Government Spending Database | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| Feb. 19, 2008 | WI | S Amnd. 1 | Virtual Charter School Enrollment Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (17 - 16) |
| Feb. 19, 2008 | WI | S Amnd. 1 | Virtual Charter School Enrollment Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (16 - 17) |
| Feb. 19, 2008 | GA | SB 379 | Automatic Calling Device Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 9) |
| Feb. 19, 2008 | WI | SB 396 | Virtual Charter Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| Feb. 18, 2008 | UT | HB 295 | Policies for Electronic Devices at School | Bill Failed - House (33 - 37) |
| Feb. 13, 2008 | SD | HB 1085 | Constructing Science Facilities at Universities | Bill Passed - House (61 - 6) |
| Feb. 13, 2008 | SD | HB 1233 | Government Spending Database | Bill Passed - House (47 - 22) |
| Feb. 12, 2008 | National | S Amdt 3907 | Striking Telecommunications Companies' Civil Immunity for Surveillance | Amendment Rejected - Senate (31 - 67) |
| Feb. 12, 2008 | National | S Amdt 3910 | FISA as Exclusive Means for Conducting Electronic Surveillance | Amendment Rejected - Senate (57 - 41) |
| Feb. 12, 2008 | NM | HB 37 | Electronic Medical Records | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 23) |
| Feb. 12, 2008 | National | S 2248 | FISA Amendments Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 29) |
| Feb. 4, 2008 | NM | HB 37 | Electronic Medical Records | Bill Passed - House (51 - 10) |
| Jan. 29, 2008 | NM | SB 23 | Authorizing Stem Cell Research | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 18) |
| Jan. 23, 2008 | MA | H 4477 | Cell Phone Driving Ban | Bill Passed - House (107 - 47) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/17 | HB 1233 | Government Spending Database | Veto Override Failed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| 3/17 | HB 2762 | Income Tax Reduction | Bill Passed - House (109 - 13) |
| 3/17 | HB 2938 | Sales Tax Exemptions | Bill Passed - House (96 - 26) |
| 3/14 | HR 3773 | Electronic Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Review Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (213 - 197) |
| 3/14 | SB 90 | 2008-2009 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 7) |
| 3/14 | SB 461 | Prohibiting Cell Phone Use by Drivers Under 18 | Bill Failed - Senate (22 - 21) |
| 3/12 | HB 406 | 2008-2010 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - House (84 - 14) |
| 3/11 | AB 862 | Government Spending Database | Bill Passed - House (81 - 16) |
| 3/06 | HF 380 | Capital Improvements Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (57 - 9) |
| 3/06 | HB 1619 | Monitoring Prescription Drug Sales | Bill Passed - House (84 - 69) |
| 3/06 | SB 404 | Health Insurance Marketplace | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 12) |
| 3/06 | HF 380 | Capital Improvements Budget | Bill Passed - House (99 - 34) |
| 3/06 | HB 1779 | Regulation of Telecommunications Services | Bill Passed - House (130 - 22) |
| 3/05 | SB 2988 | Prohibiting Employment of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (112 - 8) |
| 3/04 | HB 362 | Department of Information Technology | Bill Passed - House (105 - 31) |
| 2/28 | AB 870 | Virtual Charter Schools | Bill Passed - House (53 - 44) |
| 2/27 | HB 1085 | Constructing Science Facilities at Universities | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 3) |
| 2/27 | HB 1001 | Expanding Bioscience Research Funding | Bill Passed - House (52 - 13) |
| 2/26 | SB 139 | Undocumented Immigrant Hiring Ban Notification | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 4) |
| 2/26 | HB 1233 | Government Spending Database | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 2/19 | S Amnd. 1 | Virtual Charter School Enrollment Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (17 - 16) |
| 2/19 | S Amnd. 1 | Virtual Charter School Enrollment Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (16 - 17) |
| 2/19 | SB 379 | Automatic Calling Device Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 9) |
| 2/19 | SB 396 | Virtual Charter Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| 2/18 | HB 295 | Policies for Electronic Devices at School | Bill Failed - House (33 - 37) |
| 2/13 | HB 1085 | Constructing Science Facilities at Universities | Bill Passed - House (61 - 6) |
| 2/13 | HB 1233 | Government Spending Database | Bill Passed - House (47 - 22) |
| 2/12 | S Amdt 3907 | Striking Telecommunications Companies' Civil Immunity for Surveillance | Amendment Rejected - Senate (31 - 67) |
| 2/12 | S Amdt 3910 | FISA as Exclusive Means for Conducting Electronic Surveillance | Amendment Rejected - Senate (57 - 41) |
| 2/12 | HB 37 | Electronic Medical Records | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 23) |
| 2/12 | S 2248 | FISA Amendments Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 29) |
| 2/04 | HB 37 | Electronic Medical Records | Bill Passed - House (51 - 10) |
| 1/29 | SB 23 | Authorizing Stem Cell Research | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 18) |
| 1/23 | H 4477 | Cell Phone Driving Ban | Bill Passed - House (107 - 47) |