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
May 1, 2008 RI H 7204 2007-2008 Budget Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11)
April 30, 2008 IL HB 5191 Parental Responsibility for Gun Accessibility Bill Passed - House (74 - 36)
April 29, 2008 TN SB 3042 Open Container Law Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 7)
April 25, 2008 RI H 7204 2007-2008 Budget Amendments Bill Passed - House (60 - 12)
April 25, 2008 IA SF 2432 Prison and Infrastructure Funding Bill Passed - House (53 - 43)
April 25, 2008 IA H 8672 DUI Appeals Amendment Rejected - House (45 - 50)
April 25, 2008 IA H 8672 DUI Appeals Amendment Rejected - House (45 - 50)
April 24, 2008 AZ HB 2395 Driving and Boating Under the Influence Concurrence Vote Passed - House (35 - 15)
April 24, 2008 IA SF 2432 2008-2009 Prison and Infrastructure Budget Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 13)
April 23, 2008 AZ HB 2359 County Sheriff and Border Patrol Collaboration Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10)
April 23, 2008 AZ HB 2630 Illegally Concealed Weapon Penalty Reduction Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 10)
April 23, 2008 AZ HB 2630 Illegally Concealed Weapon Penalty Reduction Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 10)
April 22, 2008 CO HB 1082 Sealing Criminal Records Bill Passed - House (36 - 28)
April 22, 2008 CO HB 1082 Sealing Criminal Records Bill Passed - House (36 - 28)
April 21, 2008 MN HF 1351 Transportation Policy Reform Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 11)
April 21, 2008 AZ HB 2395 Driving and Boating Under the Influence Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 6)
April 21, 2008 LA HB 852 Banning Cell Phones While Driving Bill Passed - House (55 - 43)
April 15, 2008 KY HB 683 DNA Collection, Parole Board, and Felony Review Conference Report Adopted - House (51 - 42)
April 15, 2008 KY HB 683 DNA Collection, Parole Board, and Felony Review Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 1)
April 15, 2008 LA SB 144 Castration of Sex Offenders Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 3)
April 14, 2008 MN HF 1351 Transportation Policy Reform Conference Report Adopted - House (88 - 44)
April 9, 2008 FL HB 503 Firearms in Vehicles Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13)
April 8, 2008 IA HF 2212 Smoking Ban Conference Report Adopted - House (54 - 45)
April 8, 2008 IA HF 2212 Smoking Ban Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 22)
April 7, 2008 MN Emmer Amnd. Voter Identification Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (59 - 70)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/01 H 7204 2007-2008 Budget Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11)
4/30 HB 5191 Parental Responsibility for Gun Accessibility Bill Passed - House (74 - 36)
4/29 SB 3042 Open Container Law Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 7)
4/25 H 7204 2007-2008 Budget Amendments Bill Passed - House (60 - 12)
4/25 SF 2432 Prison and Infrastructure Funding Bill Passed - House (53 - 43)
4/25 H 8672 DUI Appeals Amendment Rejected - House (45 - 50)
4/25 H 8672 DUI Appeals Amendment Rejected - House (45 - 50)
4/24 HB 2395 Driving and Boating Under the Influence Concurrence Vote Passed - House (35 - 15)
4/24 SF 2432 2008-2009 Prison and Infrastructure Budget Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 13)
4/23 HB 2359 County Sheriff and Border Patrol Collaboration Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10)
4/23 HB 2630 Illegally Concealed Weapon Penalty Reduction Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 10)
4/23 HB 2630 Illegally Concealed Weapon Penalty Reduction Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 10)
4/22 HB 1082 Sealing Criminal Records Bill Passed - House (36 - 28)
4/22 HB 1082 Sealing Criminal Records Bill Passed - House (36 - 28)
4/21 HF 1351 Transportation Policy Reform Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 11)
4/21 HB 2395 Driving and Boating Under the Influence Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 6)
4/21 HB 852 Banning Cell Phones While Driving Bill Passed - House (55 - 43)
4/15 HB 683 DNA Collection, Parole Board, and Felony Review Conference Report Adopted - House (51 - 42)
4/15 HB 683 DNA Collection, Parole Board, and Felony Review Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 1)
4/15 SB 144 Castration of Sex Offenders Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 3)
4/14 HF 1351 Transportation Policy Reform Conference Report Adopted - House (88 - 44)
4/09 HB 503 Firearms in Vehicles Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13)
4/08 HF 2212 Smoking Ban Conference Report Adopted - House (54 - 45)
4/08 HF 2212 Smoking Ban Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 22)
4/07 Emmer Amnd. Voter Identification Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (59 - 70)

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