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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 9, 2008 | VA | SB 6009 | Transportation Taxes | Bill Failed - House (39 - 59) |
| July 8, 2008 | NC | HB 2690 | Durham County Meals Tax | Bill Passed - House (60 - 59) |
| July 2, 2008 | CA | AB 97 | Trans Fats Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| July 1, 2008 | DE | HB 518 | Alcohol Tax Increase | Bill Failed - Senate (7 - 14) |
| June 30, 2008 | CA | SB 1137 | Residential Property Foreclosures | Bill Passed - House (55 - 18) |
| June 30, 2008 | CA | SB 823 | Private Postsecondary Education Regulation | Bill Failed - House (41 - 33) |
| June 26, 2008 | DE | HB 518 | Alcohol Tax Increase | Bill Passed - House (25 - 16) |
| June 26, 2008 | National | HR 6377 | Energy Futures Trading | Bill Passed - House (402 - 19) |
| June 25, 2008 | National | S Amdt 4983 | Housing Foreclosure Assistance Programs | Amendment Adopted - Senate (79 - 16) |
| June 25, 2008 | AZ | HB 2156 | Reviews for Potential Railroad Sites | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (40 - 12) |
| June 25, 2008 | VA | SB 6009 | Transportation Taxes | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| June 24, 2008 | NY | A 11258 | Mandatory Cigarette Taxation | Bill Passed - House (141 - 3) |
| June 24, 2008 | NY | S 8638 | Internet Sales Tax Repeal | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 18) |
| June 24, 2008 | National | HR 6346 | Price Gouging Prevention Act | Bill Failed - House (276 - 146) |
| June 23, 2008 | CT | HB 5105 | Minimum Wage Increase | Veto Override Passed - House (102 - 39) |
| June 23, 2008 | CT | HB 5105 | Minimum Wage Increase | Veto Override Passed - Senate (25 - 9) |
| June 23, 2008 | AZ | HB 2156 | Reviews for Potential Railroad Sites | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 6) |
| June 19, 2008 | National | HR 2642 | GI Bill, Funding for Midwest Flood Cleanup, Extension of Unemployment Benefits, and Other Provisions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (416 - 12) |
| June 18, 2008 | DE | SB 280 | Minimum Wage Increase for Tipped Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 8) |
| June 16, 2008 | AZ | HB 2485 | Public Sale of Animals | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 12) |
| June 16, 2008 | PA | SB 1387 | Business Property Tax Deduction | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15) |
| June 16, 2008 | PA | SB 1388 | Change Formula for Calculating Corporate Net Income Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| June 16, 2008 | PA | SB 1385 | Increase Tax Credit for Business Net Losses | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| June 12, 2008 | MA | H 4554 | Life-Science Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7) |
| June 11, 2008 | MA | H 4554 | Life-Science Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (142 - 15) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/09 | SB 6009 | Transportation Taxes | Bill Failed - House (39 - 59) |
| 7/08 | HB 2690 | Durham County Meals Tax | Bill Passed - House (60 - 59) |
| 7/02 | AB 97 | Trans Fats Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| 7/01 | HB 518 | Alcohol Tax Increase | Bill Failed - Senate (7 - 14) |
| 6/30 | SB 1137 | Residential Property Foreclosures | Bill Passed - House (55 - 18) |
| 6/30 | SB 823 | Private Postsecondary Education Regulation | Bill Failed - House (41 - 33) |
| 6/26 | HB 518 | Alcohol Tax Increase | Bill Passed - House (25 - 16) |
| 6/26 | HR 6377 | Energy Futures Trading | Bill Passed - House (402 - 19) |
| 6/25 | S Amdt 4983 | Housing Foreclosure Assistance Programs | Amendment Adopted - Senate (79 - 16) |
| 6/25 | HB 2156 | Reviews for Potential Railroad Sites | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (40 - 12) |
| 6/25 | SB 6009 | Transportation Taxes | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| 6/24 | A 11258 | Mandatory Cigarette Taxation | Bill Passed - House (141 - 3) |
| 6/24 | S 8638 | Internet Sales Tax Repeal | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 18) |
| 6/24 | HR 6346 | Price Gouging Prevention Act | Bill Failed - House (276 - 146) |
| 6/23 | HB 5105 | Minimum Wage Increase | Veto Override Passed - House (102 - 39) |
| 6/23 | HB 5105 | Minimum Wage Increase | Veto Override Passed - Senate (25 - 9) |
| 6/23 | HB 2156 | Reviews for Potential Railroad Sites | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 6) |
| 6/19 | HR 2642 | GI Bill, Funding for Midwest Flood Cleanup, Extension of Unemployment Benefits, and Other Provisions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (416 - 12) |
| 6/18 | SB 280 | Minimum Wage Increase for Tipped Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 8) |
| 6/16 | HB 2485 | Public Sale of Animals | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 12) |
| 6/16 | SB 1387 | Business Property Tax Deduction | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15) |
| 6/16 | SB 1388 | Change Formula for Calculating Corporate Net Income Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| 6/16 | SB 1385 | Increase Tax Credit for Business Net Losses | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| 6/12 | H 4554 | Life-Science Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7) |
| 6/11 | H 4554 | Life-Science Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (142 - 15) |