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
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)

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