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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Dec. 4, 2008 MI HB 4404 Prohibiting Life Without Parole Sentencing for Juveniles Bill Passed - House (59 - 47)
Dec. 4, 2008 MI HB 4405 Juvenile Parole Eligibility Reform Bill Passed - House (63 - 43)
Nov. 21, 2008 NE LB 1 Establishing an Age Limit on Safe Haven Law Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 5)
Nov. 18, 2008 NE Amdt 4 Establishing an Age Limit on Safe Haven Law Amendment Rejected - Senate (23 - 26)
Aug. 19, 2008 IL HB 5285 Extending Parental Health Insurance to Unmarried Dependents Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 17)
Aug. 19, 2008 NM SB 24 Tax Rebate Bill Passed - House (51 - 16)
Aug. 19, 2008 NM HB 4 Working Families Tax Credit Increase Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2)
Aug. 18, 2008 NM SB 22 Subsidizing Children's Health Care Bill Passed - House (47 - 19)
Aug. 18, 2008 NM SB 24 Tax Rebate Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 2)
Aug. 16, 2008 NM HB 4 Working Families Tax Credit Increase Bill Passed - House (39 - 25)
Aug. 13, 2008 IL HB 5285 Extending Parental Health Insurance to Unmarried Dependents Concurrence Vote Passed - House (70 - 21)
Aug. 13, 2008 CA AB 86 Cyber-Bullying Enforcement Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 22)
Aug. 11, 2008 CA AB 86 Cyber-Bullying Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12)
July 17, 2008 NC HB 2340 Prohibiting Children from Riding in Pickup Truck Beds Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 20)
June 23, 2008 NJ S 1557 FamilyCare Expansion bill Bill Passed - House (59 - 18)
June 19, 2008 LA SB 137 Young Drivers Using Cell Phones While Driving Bill Passed - House (70 - 19)
June 12, 2008 RI H 7222 page 5, re: Sec. 3-8-9: Transportation of Alcohol by Minors Bill Passed - House (52 - 14)
May 27, 2008 MI Byrnes Amdt: Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Exception For Rape And Incest Amendment Rejected - House (41 - 66)
May 22, 2008 IL HB 2310 Truancy, Information Sharing, and Fines Bill Passed - House (85 - 25)
May 15, 2008 MN SF 960 Modification of the Definition of Dependents for Local Government Benefits Bill Passed - House (83 - 50)
May 13, 2008 PA SB 1278 Child Support Fee Bill Passed - House (116 - 84)
May 8, 2008 MN SF 3001 Modifying State Education Policies Conference Report Adopted - House (82 - 49)
May 7, 2008 MN SF 3001 Modifying State Education Policies Conference Report Adopted - Senate (45 - 20)
May 6, 2008 CO HB 1388 Increasing Education Funding Conference Report Adopted - House (58 - 5)
May 6, 2008 CO HB 1388 Increasing Education Funding Conference Report Adopted - Senate (22 - 13)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/04 HB 4404 Prohibiting Life Without Parole Sentencing for Juveniles Bill Passed - House (59 - 47)
12/04 HB 4405 Juvenile Parole Eligibility Reform Bill Passed - House (63 - 43)
11/21 LB 1 Establishing an Age Limit on Safe Haven Law Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 5)
11/18 Amdt 4 Establishing an Age Limit on Safe Haven Law Amendment Rejected - Senate (23 - 26)
8/19 HB 5285 Extending Parental Health Insurance to Unmarried Dependents Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 17)
8/19 SB 24 Tax Rebate Bill Passed - House (51 - 16)
8/19 HB 4 Working Families Tax Credit Increase Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2)
8/18 SB 22 Subsidizing Children's Health Care Bill Passed - House (47 - 19)
8/18 SB 24 Tax Rebate Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 2)
8/16 HB 4 Working Families Tax Credit Increase Bill Passed - House (39 - 25)
8/13 HB 5285 Extending Parental Health Insurance to Unmarried Dependents Concurrence Vote Passed - House (70 - 21)
8/13 AB 86 Cyber-Bullying Enforcement Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 22)
8/11 AB 86 Cyber-Bullying Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12)
7/17 HB 2340 Prohibiting Children from Riding in Pickup Truck Beds Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 20)
6/23 S 1557 FamilyCare Expansion bill Bill Passed - House (59 - 18)
6/19 SB 137 Young Drivers Using Cell Phones While Driving Bill Passed - House (70 - 19)
6/12 H 7222 page 5, re: Sec. 3-8-9: Transportation of Alcohol by Minors Bill Passed - House (52 - 14)
5/27 Byrnes Amdt: Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Exception For Rape And Incest Amendment Rejected - House (41 - 66)
5/22 HB 2310 Truancy, Information Sharing, and Fines Bill Passed - House (85 - 25)
5/15 SF 960 Modification of the Definition of Dependents for Local Government Benefits Bill Passed - House (83 - 50)
5/13 SB 1278 Child Support Fee Bill Passed - House (116 - 84)
5/08 SF 3001 Modifying State Education Policies Conference Report Adopted - House (82 - 49)
5/07 SF 3001 Modifying State Education Policies Conference Report Adopted - Senate (45 - 20)
5/06 HB 1388 Increasing Education Funding Conference Report Adopted - House (58 - 5)
5/06 HB 1388 Increasing Education Funding Conference Report Adopted - Senate (22 - 13)

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