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.


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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)

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