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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 4, 2008 | PA | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (19 - 31) |
| June 4, 2008 | NH | SB 321 | Cigarette Tax Increase and Wine Discount Reduction | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (12 - 11) |
| June 4, 2008 | NY | S 6823 | Long Island Affordable Housing | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 9) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | SB 1499 | Foil Balloon Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | SB 1096 | Pharmacy Prescription Refill Mailings | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| May 27, 2008 | CA | SB 1440 | Capping Administrative Spending for Health Insurers | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| May 22, 2008 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - Senate (82 - 13) |
| 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 | NH | HB 1434 | Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8) |
| May 15, 2008 | NH | HB 1509 | Allocation of Gambling/Gaming Profits | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8) |
| May 15, 2008 | MI | SB 860 | Great Lakes Water Management | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| May 15, 2008 | CA | SB 1713 | Bisphenol A (BPA) Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| May 14, 2008 | SC | H 3032 | Immigration Reform | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (20 - 26) |
| May 14, 2008 | OH | HB 545 | Short Term Loans | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 4) |
| May 13, 2008 | WI | AB 1 | Budget Repair Plan | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 16) |
| May 12, 2008 | CA | SB 1313 | Perfluorochemical (PFC) Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| May 8, 2008 | MN | SF 875 | Minimum Wage Increase | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (40 - 18) |
| May 8, 2008 | NH | HB 1436 | Automatic Continuation Clause in Collective Bargaining Agreements | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 11) |
| May 8, 2008 | MI | HB 4163 | Workplace Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| May 7, 2008 | SC | S Amdt P-4A | Cigarette Tax Rate Adjustment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (18 - 24) |
| May 7, 2008 | KS | SB 586 | Incentives to Develop Nuclear Power Facilities | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 3) |
| May 7, 2008 | SC | H 3567 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 11) |
| May 6, 2008 | SC | S Amdt P-1 | Cigarette Tax Increase for Medicaid | Amendment Tabled - Senate (31 - 13) |
| May 6, 2008 | KS | HB 2412 | Coal Plant Incentives | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (24 - 10) |
| May 6, 2008 | CO | SB 217 | Extended Health Care Coverage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| May 6, 2008 | MA | H 4645 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6) |
| May 6, 2008 | CT | HB 5536 | Health Insurance Pool | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| May 5, 2008 | CO | SB 200 | Sexual Orientation Nondiscrimination | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| May 5, 2008 | CO | HB 1389 | Health Insurance Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| May 5, 2008 | CT | HB 5105 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| May 2, 2008 | CO | HB 1161 | Mining Regulation | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 2) |
| May 2, 2008 | CO | HB 1325 | Seasonal Foreign Worker Pilot Program | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| May 1, 2008 | HI | SB 2423 | Turtle Bay Acquisition | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 11) |
| May 1, 2008 | MO | HB 2393 | Mega-Project Tax Credits | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
| May 1, 2008 | MI | HB 5283 | Health Insurance Package | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| May 1, 2008 | MI | Sub HB 5282 | Independent Health Benefit Plans | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| May 1, 2008 | CT | SB 217 | Mandatory Sick Leave | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| April 30, 2008 | KS | SB 148 | Electricity Generation and Conservation | Veto Override Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| April 30, 2008 | LA | SB 160 | Homeowners' Insurance | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| April 28, 2008 | CA | SB 1137 | Residential Property Foreclosures | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| April 28, 2008 | AZ | HB 2745 | Amending Undocumented Immigrant Employment Sanctions | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 4) |
| April 24, 2008 | MO | SB 817 | Physicians' Billing Practices | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 8) |
| April 23, 2008 | DE | SB 195 | Election Day Alcohol Sales | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 5) |
| April 22, 2008 | MI | SB 1198 | Changes to Michigan Business Tax Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| April 22, 2008 | CO | SB 217 | Extended Health Care Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| April 21, 2008 | AZ | HB 2395 | Driving and Boating Under the Influence | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 6) |
| April 16, 2008 | MO | SA 1 to HB 2007 | Mega-Project Fund Appropriation | Amendment Rejected - Senate (11 - 22) |
| April 16, 2008 | FL | SB 2860 | Property Insurance Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| April 15, 2008 | MS | SB 2793 | Utility Rate Increases During Planning or Construction of Plants | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 4) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/04 | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (19 - 31) |
| 6/04 | SB 321 | Cigarette Tax Increase and Wine Discount Reduction | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (12 - 11) |
| 6/04 | S 6823 | Long Island Affordable Housing | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 9) |
| 5/29 | SB 1499 | Foil Balloon Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| 5/29 | SB 1096 | Pharmacy Prescription Refill Mailings | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| 5/27 | SB 1440 | Capping Administrative Spending for Health Insurers | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| 5/22 | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - Senate (82 - 13) |
| 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 | HB 1434 | Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8) |
| 5/15 | HB 1509 | Allocation of Gambling/Gaming Profits | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8) |
| 5/15 | SB 860 | Great Lakes Water Management | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| 5/15 | SB 1713 | Bisphenol A (BPA) Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| 5/14 | H 3032 | Immigration Reform | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (20 - 26) |
| 5/14 | HB 545 | Short Term Loans | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 4) |
| 5/13 | AB 1 | Budget Repair Plan | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 16) |
| 5/12 | SB 1313 | Perfluorochemical (PFC) Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| 5/08 | SF 875 | Minimum Wage Increase | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (40 - 18) |
| 5/08 | HB 1436 | Automatic Continuation Clause in Collective Bargaining Agreements | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 11) |
| 5/08 | HB 4163 | Workplace Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| 5/07 | S Amdt P-4A | Cigarette Tax Rate Adjustment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (18 - 24) |
| 5/07 | SB 586 | Incentives to Develop Nuclear Power Facilities | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 3) |
| 5/07 | H 3567 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 11) |
| 5/06 | S Amdt P-1 | Cigarette Tax Increase for Medicaid | Amendment Tabled - Senate (31 - 13) |
| 5/06 | HB 2412 | Coal Plant Incentives | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (24 - 10) |
| 5/06 | SB 217 | Extended Health Care Coverage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| 5/06 | H 4645 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6) |
| 5/06 | HB 5536 | Health Insurance Pool | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| 5/05 | SB 200 | Sexual Orientation Nondiscrimination | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 5/05 | HB 1389 | Health Insurance Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| 5/05 | HB 5105 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| 5/02 | HB 1161 | Mining Regulation | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 2) |
| 5/02 | HB 1325 | Seasonal Foreign Worker Pilot Program | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 5/01 | SB 2423 | Turtle Bay Acquisition | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 11) |
| 5/01 | HB 2393 | Mega-Project Tax Credits | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
| 5/01 | HB 5283 | Health Insurance Package | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| 5/01 | Sub HB 5282 | Independent Health Benefit Plans | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| 5/01 | SB 217 | Mandatory Sick Leave | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| 4/30 | SB 148 | Electricity Generation and Conservation | Veto Override Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| 4/30 | SB 160 | Homeowners' Insurance | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| 4/28 | SB 1137 | Residential Property Foreclosures | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| 4/28 | HB 2745 | Amending Undocumented Immigrant Employment Sanctions | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 4) |
| 4/24 | SB 817 | Physicians' Billing Practices | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 8) |
| 4/23 | SB 195 | Election Day Alcohol Sales | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 5) |
| 4/22 | SB 1198 | Changes to Michigan Business Tax Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 4/22 | SB 217 | Extended Health Care Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| 4/21 | HB 2395 | Driving and Boating Under the Influence | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 6) |
| 4/16 | SA 1 to HB 2007 | Mega-Project Fund Appropriation | Amendment Rejected - Senate (11 - 22) |
| 4/16 | SB 2860 | Property Insurance Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| 4/15 | SB 2793 | Utility Rate Increases During Planning or Construction of Plants | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 4) |