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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 21, 2008 | MI | HB 4675 | Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association Open Meetings and Public Access Requirements | Bill Passed - House (66 - 38) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | MS | SB 2468 | Voter Identification | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 18) |
| Feb. 19, 2008 | IA | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - House (56 - 44) |
| Feb. 19, 2008 | MI | HB 4092 | DNA Testing for Violent Felonies | Bill Passed - House (104 - 4) |
| Feb. 18, 2008 | ID | H 348 | Legalizing Alcohol Sales on Election Day | Bill Passed - House (44 - 25) |
| Feb. 18, 2008 | WA | HB 2713 | Convicted Criminal DNA Database | Bill Passed - House (80 - 15) |
| Feb. 14, 2008 | NE | AM 1736 | Eliminating Opt-Out Provision of Smoking Ban | Amendment Adopted - Senate (33 - 13) |
| Feb. 14, 2008 | MI | HB 4505 | Changes to Driver's License Eligibility | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (99 - 5) |
| Feb. 14, 2008 | KS | HB 2617 | Mandatory Drug Testing for Drivers Causing Serious Accidents | Bill Passed - House (117 - 5) |
| Feb. 13, 2008 | SD | SB 174 | Railroad Eminent Domain | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| 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 | National | S 2248 | FISA Amendments Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 29) |
| Feb. 11, 2008 | OR | SB 1080 | Driver's License Residency Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 7) |
| Feb. 7, 2008 | KY | SB 40 | Abortion Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 4) |
| Feb. 6, 2008 | SD | SB 164 | Right to Obtain Contraception | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 22) |
| Feb. 6, 2008 | CO | HB 1130 | Removing Wiretap Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (43 - 20) |
| Feb. 6, 2008 | UT | SB 75 | Prohibiting Gang Activity | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 10) |
| Feb. 6, 2008 | MI | SB 962 | Prohibiting Driver's Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| Feb. 5, 2008 | VA | SB 202 | Local Regulation of Smoking in Restaurants | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9) |
| Feb. 5, 2008 | VA | SB 501 | Restaurant and Bar Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| Feb. 5, 2008 | VA | SB 298 | Banning Smoking Public Places | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| Jan. 31, 2008 | GA | HB 89 | Concealed Weapons in Motor Vehicles | Bill Passed - House (111 - 58) |
| Jan. 30, 2008 | NH | HB 847 | Speed Limitations for Vessels Operating on Water | Bill Passed - House (236 - 111) |
| Jan. 29, 2008 | GA | HB 908 | Expanding Sex Offender Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (141 - 29) |
| Jan. 29, 2008 | IN | SB 3 | Authorizing Physicians to Refuse Prescriptions | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| Jan. 24, 2008 | IN | SB 3 | Authorizing Physicians to Refuse Prescriptions | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 24) |
| Jan. 23, 2008 | MA | H 4477 | Cell Phone Driving Ban | Bill Passed - House (107 - 47) |
| Jan. 23, 2008 | WI | AB 377 | Emergency Contraception for Sexual Assault Victims | Bill Passed - House (61 - 35) |
| Jan. 21, 2008 | VA | HB 188 | HPV Vaccine Deadline Extension | Bill Passed - House (57 - 39) |
| Jan. 15, 2008 | NE | LB 253 | Repealing Motorcycle Helmet Law | Bill Failed - Senate (23 - 25) |
| Jan. 15, 2008 | WI | AB 363 | Limiting the Scope of Citizen-Proposed Ordinances | Bill Passed - House (48 - 44) |
| Jan. 7, 2008 | NJ | A 4314 | Traffic Control Signal Monitoring | Bill Passed - House (49 - 25) |
| Jan. 7, 2008 | NJ | A 4314 | Traffic Control Signal Monitoring | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/21 | HB 4675 | Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association Open Meetings and Public Access Requirements | Bill Passed - House (66 - 38) |
| 2/21 | SB 2468 | Voter Identification | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 18) |
| 2/19 | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - House (56 - 44) |
| 2/19 | HB 4092 | DNA Testing for Violent Felonies | Bill Passed - House (104 - 4) |
| 2/18 | H 348 | Legalizing Alcohol Sales on Election Day | Bill Passed - House (44 - 25) |
| 2/18 | HB 2713 | Convicted Criminal DNA Database | Bill Passed - House (80 - 15) |
| 2/14 | AM 1736 | Eliminating Opt-Out Provision of Smoking Ban | Amendment Adopted - Senate (33 - 13) |
| 2/14 | HB 4505 | Changes to Driver's License Eligibility | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (99 - 5) |
| 2/14 | HB 2617 | Mandatory Drug Testing for Drivers Causing Serious Accidents | Bill Passed - House (117 - 5) |
| 2/13 | SB 174 | Railroad Eminent Domain | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| 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 | S 2248 | FISA Amendments Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 29) |
| 2/11 | SB 1080 | Driver's License Residency Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 7) |
| 2/07 | SB 40 | Abortion Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 4) |
| 2/06 | SB 164 | Right to Obtain Contraception | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 22) |
| 2/06 | HB 1130 | Removing Wiretap Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (43 - 20) |
| 2/06 | SB 75 | Prohibiting Gang Activity | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 10) |
| 2/06 | SB 962 | Prohibiting Driver's Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| 2/05 | SB 202 | Local Regulation of Smoking in Restaurants | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9) |
| 2/05 | SB 501 | Restaurant and Bar Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| 2/05 | SB 298 | Banning Smoking Public Places | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 1/31 | HB 89 | Concealed Weapons in Motor Vehicles | Bill Passed - House (111 - 58) |
| 1/30 | HB 847 | Speed Limitations for Vessels Operating on Water | Bill Passed - House (236 - 111) |
| 1/29 | HB 908 | Expanding Sex Offender Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (141 - 29) |
| 1/29 | SB 3 | Authorizing Physicians to Refuse Prescriptions | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| 1/24 | SB 3 | Authorizing Physicians to Refuse Prescriptions | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 24) |
| 1/23 | H 4477 | Cell Phone Driving Ban | Bill Passed - House (107 - 47) |
| 1/23 | AB 377 | Emergency Contraception for Sexual Assault Victims | Bill Passed - House (61 - 35) |
| 1/21 | HB 188 | HPV Vaccine Deadline Extension | Bill Passed - House (57 - 39) |
| 1/15 | LB 253 | Repealing Motorcycle Helmet Law | Bill Failed - Senate (23 - 25) |
| 1/15 | AB 363 | Limiting the Scope of Citizen-Proposed Ordinances | Bill Passed - House (48 - 44) |
| 1/07 | A 4314 | Traffic Control Signal Monitoring | Bill Passed - House (49 - 25) |
| 1/07 | A 4314 | Traffic Control Signal Monitoring | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |