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
Feb. 22, 2008 NE LB 395 Statewide Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14)
Feb. 21, 2008 MS HB 1089 Legalizing Deer Baiting Bill Passed - House (74 - 47)
Feb. 21, 2008 MS SB 2468 Voter Identification Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 18)
Feb. 21, 2008 WY HB 46 Animal Abuse and Cruelty Bill Passed - House (56 - 2)
Feb. 21, 2008 VA SB 476 Prohibiting Drinking with a Concealed Weapon Bill Passed - House (62 - 36)
Feb. 21, 2008 MI HB 4675 Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association Open Meetings and Public Access Requirements Bill Passed - House (66 - 38)
Feb. 21, 2008 MD SB 111 Expanding Hate Crimes Classification to Homeless Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 4)
Feb. 21, 2008 VA SB 436 Concealed Weapons in Vehicles Bill Passed - House (69 - 29)
Feb. 19, 2008 MI HB 4092 DNA Testing for Violent Felonies Bill Passed - House (104 - 4)
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 WA HB 2713 Convicted Criminal DNA Database Bill Passed - House (80 - 15)
Feb. 18, 2008 WA HB 2476 Tribal Police Jurisdiction Bill Passed - House (58 - 37)
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. 14, 2008 KS HB 2617 Mandatory Drug Testing for Drivers Causing Serious Accidents Bill Passed - House (117 - 5)
Feb. 13, 2008 National HR 2082 Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 45)
Feb. 13, 2008 TN SB 3419 Parental Consent for Sexual Abuse Prevention Education Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 6)
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 Amdt 3907 Striking Telecommunications Companies' Civil Immunity for Surveillance Amendment Rejected - Senate (31 - 67)
Date No. Title Outcome
2/22 LB 395 Statewide Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14)
2/21 HB 1089 Legalizing Deer Baiting Bill Passed - House (74 - 47)
2/21 SB 2468 Voter Identification Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 18)
2/21 HB 46 Animal Abuse and Cruelty Bill Passed - House (56 - 2)
2/21 SB 476 Prohibiting Drinking with a Concealed Weapon Bill Passed - House (62 - 36)
2/21 HB 4675 Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association Open Meetings and Public Access Requirements Bill Passed - House (66 - 38)
2/21 SB 111 Expanding Hate Crimes Classification to Homeless Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 4)
2/21 SB 436 Concealed Weapons in Vehicles Bill Passed - House (69 - 29)
2/19 HB 4092 DNA Testing for Violent Felonies Bill Passed - House (104 - 4)
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 HB 2713 Convicted Criminal DNA Database Bill Passed - House (80 - 15)
2/18 HB 2476 Tribal Police Jurisdiction Bill Passed - House (58 - 37)
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)
2/14 HB 2617 Mandatory Drug Testing for Drivers Causing Serious Accidents Bill Passed - House (117 - 5)
2/13 HR 2082 Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 45)
2/13 SB 3419 Parental Consent for Sexual Abuse Prevention Education Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 6)
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 Amdt 3907 Striking Telecommunications Companies' Civil Immunity for Surveillance Amendment Rejected - Senate (31 - 67)

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