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
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)

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