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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 18, 2008 | CA | ABx1 5 | Modifying Transportation Project Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
| Sept. 18, 2008 | MI | HB 5524 | Energy Utility Regulations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 11) |
| Sept. 18, 2008 | MI | SB 213 | Renewable Electricity Standards | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 10) |
| Aug. 30, 2008 | CA | SB 375 | Global Warming and Land Use Policy | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| Aug. 22, 2008 | CA | AB 3025 | Polystyrene Packaging Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| Aug. 7, 2008 | CA | AB 2270 | Water Softener Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 12) |
| Aug. 7, 2008 | CA | AB 1946 | Expanding Enforcement of Water Pollution Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| Aug. 5, 2008 | CA | SB 974 | Shipping Fee | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
| July 17, 2008 | NC | HB 2499 | Water Management During Droughts | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 9) |
| July 10, 2008 | NC | HB 822 | Swine Farm Rebuilding | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 8) |
| June 23, 2008 | AZ | SB 1167 | Off-Highway Vehicle Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 7) |
| June 23, 2008 | AZ | HB 2156 | Reviews for Potential Railroad Sites | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 6) |
| June 11, 2008 | DE | SB 263 | Greenhouse Gas Caps | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 5) |
| June 6, 2008 | National | S Amdt 4825 | Carbon Emissions Cap and Trade Plan | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (48 - 36) |
| May 15, 2008 | MN | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 22) |
| May 15, 2008 | NH | HB 1434 | Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8) |
| May 15, 2008 | MI | SB 860 | Great Lakes Water Management | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| May 7, 2008 | KS | SB 586 | Incentives to Develop Nuclear Power Facilities | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 3) |
| May 6, 2008 | KS | HB 2412 | Coal Plant Incentives | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (24 - 10) |
| May 2, 2008 | CO | HB 1161 | Mining Regulation | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 2) |
| April 30, 2008 | KS | SB 148 | Electricity Generation and Conservation | Veto Override Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| April 30, 2008 | MN | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 21) |
| April 23, 2008 | AZ | HB 2017 | Legislative Approval for Regulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
| April 16, 2008 | IL | SB 2052 | Taxes for Levee Repair | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 15) |
| April 7, 2008 | MD | SB 268 | Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 16) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/18 | ABx1 5 | Modifying Transportation Project Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
| 9/18 | HB 5524 | Energy Utility Regulations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 11) |
| 9/18 | SB 213 | Renewable Electricity Standards | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 10) |
| 8/30 | SB 375 | Global Warming and Land Use Policy | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| 8/22 | AB 3025 | Polystyrene Packaging Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| 8/07 | AB 2270 | Water Softener Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 12) |
| 8/07 | AB 1946 | Expanding Enforcement of Water Pollution Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| 8/05 | SB 974 | Shipping Fee | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
| 7/17 | HB 2499 | Water Management During Droughts | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 9) |
| 7/10 | HB 822 | Swine Farm Rebuilding | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 8) |
| 6/23 | SB 1167 | Off-Highway Vehicle Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 7) |
| 6/23 | HB 2156 | Reviews for Potential Railroad Sites | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 6) |
| 6/11 | SB 263 | Greenhouse Gas Caps | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 5) |
| 6/06 | S Amdt 4825 | Carbon Emissions Cap and Trade Plan | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (48 - 36) |
| 5/15 | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 22) |
| 5/15 | HB 1434 | Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8) |
| 5/15 | SB 860 | Great Lakes Water Management | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| 5/07 | SB 586 | Incentives to Develop Nuclear Power Facilities | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 3) |
| 5/06 | HB 2412 | Coal Plant Incentives | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (24 - 10) |
| 5/02 | HB 1161 | Mining Regulation | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 2) |
| 4/30 | SB 148 | Electricity Generation and Conservation | Veto Override Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| 4/30 | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 21) |
| 4/23 | HB 2017 | Legislative Approval for Regulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
| 4/16 | SB 2052 | Taxes for Levee Repair | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 15) |
| 4/07 | SB 268 | Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 16) |