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 18, 2008 | NY | S 4632 | Reinstate the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 21) |
| June 17, 2008 | LA | HB 852 | Banning Cell Phones While Driving | Bill Failed - Senate (6 - 27) |
| June 17, 2008 | NC | SB 1686 | Restrictions on Public Smoking | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 15) |
| June 17, 2008 | RI | S 2706 | Red Light Cameras | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 2) |
| June 12, 2008 | NY | S 2375 | DNA Database Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 9) |
| June 12, 2008 | NY | S 2375 | DNA Database Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 9) |
| June 10, 2008 | PA | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 9) |
| June 4, 2008 | PA | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (19 - 31) |
| May 29, 2008 | OH | SB 184 | Lethal Force Against Intruders | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 7) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | SB 1096 | Pharmacy Prescription Refill Mailings | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | SB 1407 | Financing Courthouse Construction | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 8) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | CA SB 1665 | Prison Health Care Facility Bonds | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| May 29, 2008 | LA | S Amdt 3870 | Legislator Financial Disclosures | Amendment Rejected - Senate (5 - 29) |
| May 28, 2008 | LA | SB 718 | State Board Member and Commissioner Financial Disclosures | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| May 27, 2008 | IL | HB 5288 | Expand Use of Red Light Cameras | Bill Failed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| May 22, 2008 | MS | SB 2004 | Voter Identification Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| May 21, 2008 | LA | SB 51 | Guns in Parked Locked Cars | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 4) |
| May 19, 2008 | AZ | HB 2389 | Involving Gun Owners' Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 9) |
| May 15, 2008 | CA | SB 1322 | Communist Party Membership | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| May 15, 2008 | CA | SB 1589 | Uncorroborated Jailhouse Informant Testimony Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| May 13, 2008 | MN | HF 3807 | Real ID Prohibition | Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 16) |
| May 12, 2008 | AZ | HB 2629 | Legalizing the Defensive Display of a Firearm | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 7) |
| May 8, 2008 | MI | HB 4163 | Workplace Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| May 6, 2008 | KS | HB 2019 | Voter Identification | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 3) |
| May 6, 2008 | OK | SB 1150 | Voter Identification Requirement | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (24 - 23) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/18 | S 4632 | Reinstate the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 21) |
| 6/17 | HB 852 | Banning Cell Phones While Driving | Bill Failed - Senate (6 - 27) |
| 6/17 | SB 1686 | Restrictions on Public Smoking | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 15) |
| 6/17 | S 2706 | Red Light Cameras | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 2) |
| 6/12 | S 2375 | DNA Database Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 9) |
| 6/12 | S 2375 | DNA Database Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 9) |
| 6/10 | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 9) |
| 6/04 | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (19 - 31) |
| 5/29 | SB 184 | Lethal Force Against Intruders | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 7) |
| 5/29 | SB 1096 | Pharmacy Prescription Refill Mailings | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| 5/29 | SB 1407 | Financing Courthouse Construction | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 8) |
| 5/29 | CA SB 1665 | Prison Health Care Facility Bonds | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| 5/29 | S Amdt 3870 | Legislator Financial Disclosures | Amendment Rejected - Senate (5 - 29) |
| 5/28 | SB 718 | State Board Member and Commissioner Financial Disclosures | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| 5/27 | HB 5288 | Expand Use of Red Light Cameras | Bill Failed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| 5/22 | SB 2004 | Voter Identification Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| 5/21 | SB 51 | Guns in Parked Locked Cars | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 4) |
| 5/19 | HB 2389 | Involving Gun Owners' Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 9) |
| 5/15 | SB 1322 | Communist Party Membership | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| 5/15 | SB 1589 | Uncorroborated Jailhouse Informant Testimony Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| 5/13 | HF 3807 | Real ID Prohibition | Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 16) |
| 5/12 | HB 2629 | Legalizing the Defensive Display of a Firearm | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 7) |
| 5/08 | HB 4163 | Workplace Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| 5/06 | HB 2019 | Voter Identification | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 3) |
| 5/06 | SB 1150 | Voter Identification Requirement | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (24 - 23) |