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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 6, 2008 | AZ | HB 2677 | Real ID | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 7) |
| May 6, 2008 | LA | SB 137 | Young Drivers Using Cell Phones While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
| May 2, 2008 | CO | HB 1082 | Sealing Criminal Records | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
| May 2, 2008 | CO | HB 1082 | Sealing Criminal Records | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
| May 2, 2008 | CO | HB 1208 | Limitations on Direct File Juvenile Cases | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16) |
| May 1, 2008 | RI | H 7204 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| April 29, 2008 | TN | SB 3042 | Open Container Law | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 7) |
| 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 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 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 9, 2008 | FL | HB 503 | Firearms in Vehicles | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| April 8, 2008 | IA | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 22) |
| April 4, 2008 | GA | HB 978 | Vehicle Seizures for Unlicensed Drivers | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| April 3, 2008 | AZ | SB 1132 | Allowing Pistols in Restaurants | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10) |
| April 3, 2008 | MO | SB 858 | Restrictions on Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| April 2, 2008 | GA | HB 257 | Limiting Concealed Weapon Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17) |
| April 1, 2008 | IL | SB 1997 | Interscholastic Event Image Release | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 5) |
| March 27, 2008 | ME | LD 2012 | Prohibiting Smoking in Vehicles with Children | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| March 26, 2008 | KS | Journey Amnd. 1 | Penalties for Obstructing Immigration Enforcement | Amendment Rejected - Senate (14 - 24) |
| March 25, 2008 | NE | LB 1063 | Abolishing the Death Penalty | Motion Rejected - Senate (20 - 28) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/06 | HB 2677 | Real ID | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 7) |
| 5/06 | SB 137 | Young Drivers Using Cell Phones While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
| 5/02 | HB 1082 | Sealing Criminal Records | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
| 5/02 | HB 1082 | Sealing Criminal Records | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
| 5/02 | HB 1208 | Limitations on Direct File Juvenile Cases | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16) |
| 5/01 | H 7204 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| 4/29 | SB 3042 | Open Container Law | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 7) |
| 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) |
| 4/21 | 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) |
| 4/15 | 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) |
| 4/09 | HB 503 | Firearms in Vehicles | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| 4/08 | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 22) |
| 4/04 | HB 978 | Vehicle Seizures for Unlicensed Drivers | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| 4/03 | SB 1132 | Allowing Pistols in Restaurants | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10) |
| 4/03 | SB 858 | Restrictions on Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| 4/02 | HB 257 | Limiting Concealed Weapon Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17) |
| 4/01 | SB 1997 | Interscholastic Event Image Release | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 5) |
| 3/27 | LD 2012 | Prohibiting Smoking in Vehicles with Children | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 3/26 | Journey Amnd. 1 | Penalties for Obstructing Immigration Enforcement | Amendment Rejected - Senate (14 - 24) |
| 3/25 | LB 1063 | Abolishing the Death Penalty | Motion Rejected - Senate (20 - 28) |