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
Sept. 9, 2008 CA SB 1087 2008-2009 Budget Amendments Bill Failed - House (27 - 45)
Aug. 31, 2008 CA AB 2321 Metro Sales Tax Increase Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 25)
Aug. 31, 2008 CA SB 1301 Extending Student Financial Aid Eligibility Bill Passed - House (46 - 29)
Aug. 30, 2008 CA AB 583 Public Financing of Elections Concurrence Vote Passed - House (42 - 32)
Aug. 30, 2008 CA AB 583 Public Financing of Elections Concurrence Vote Passed - House (42 - 32)
Aug. 29, 2008 CA AB 1107 Drought-Related Unemployment Benefits Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 18)
Aug. 29, 2008 CA SB 1407 Financing Courthouse Construction Bill Passed - House (45 - 20)
Aug. 19, 2008 NM SB 24 Tax Rebate Bill Passed - House (51 - 16)
Aug. 19, 2008 NY A 11838 Tax Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (118 - 24)
Aug. 18, 2008 NM SB 22 Subsidizing Children's Health Care Bill Passed - House (47 - 19)
Aug. 17, 2008 CA AB 1781 2008-2009 Budget Conference Report Rejected - House (45 - 30)
Aug. 17, 2008 NM HB 5 Electronic Medical Records Bill Passed - House (35 - 29)
Aug. 16, 2008 NM HB 4 Working Families Tax Credit Increase Bill Passed - House (39 - 25)
Aug. 13, 2008 IL HB 4201 Property Tax Exemption for Disabled Veterans Concurrence Vote Passed - House (78 - 12)
Aug. 13, 2008 CA AB 3034 High-Speed Rail Bond Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (58 - 15)
Aug. 12, 2008 CA AB 1946 Expanding Enforcement of Water Pollution Laws Concurrence Vote Passed - House (48 - 29)
Aug. 12, 2008 CA SB 1589 Uncorroborated Jailhouse Informant Testimony Ban Bill Passed - House (41 - 37)
Aug. 7, 2008 AK SB 4002 Energy Rebate Bill Bill Passed - House (33 - 5)
Aug. 6, 2008 AK SB 4002 Energy Rebate Bill Bill Passed - House (30 - 7)
July 29, 2008 MA SB 800 Repealing Out of State Marriage Restrictions Bill Passed - House (119 - 36)
July 23, 2008 National HR 3221 Housing Bill with Energy Tax Credit Extensions Concurrence Vote Passed - House (272 - 152)
July 22, 2008 AK HB 3001 Natural Gas Pipeline to Canada Bill Passed - House (24 - 16)
July 16, 2008 National HR 415 Adding Parts of the Taunton River to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System Bill Passed - House (242 - 175)
July 15, 2008 CA SB 974 Shipping Fee Bill Passed - House (46 - 24)
July 15, 2008 National HR 5803 Backup Paper Ballots Bill Failed - House (248 - 170)
Date No. Title Outcome
9/09 SB 1087 2008-2009 Budget Amendments Bill Failed - House (27 - 45)
8/31 AB 2321 Metro Sales Tax Increase Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 25)
8/31 SB 1301 Extending Student Financial Aid Eligibility Bill Passed - House (46 - 29)
8/30 AB 583 Public Financing of Elections Concurrence Vote Passed - House (42 - 32)
8/30 AB 583 Public Financing of Elections Concurrence Vote Passed - House (42 - 32)
8/29 AB 1107 Drought-Related Unemployment Benefits Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 18)
8/29 SB 1407 Financing Courthouse Construction Bill Passed - House (45 - 20)
8/19 SB 24 Tax Rebate Bill Passed - House (51 - 16)
8/19 A 11838 Tax Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (118 - 24)
8/18 SB 22 Subsidizing Children's Health Care Bill Passed - House (47 - 19)
8/17 AB 1781 2008-2009 Budget Conference Report Rejected - House (45 - 30)
8/17 HB 5 Electronic Medical Records Bill Passed - House (35 - 29)
8/16 HB 4 Working Families Tax Credit Increase Bill Passed - House (39 - 25)
8/13 HB 4201 Property Tax Exemption for Disabled Veterans Concurrence Vote Passed - House (78 - 12)
8/13 AB 3034 High-Speed Rail Bond Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (58 - 15)
8/12 AB 1946 Expanding Enforcement of Water Pollution Laws Concurrence Vote Passed - House (48 - 29)
8/12 SB 1589 Uncorroborated Jailhouse Informant Testimony Ban Bill Passed - House (41 - 37)
8/07 SB 4002 Energy Rebate Bill Bill Passed - House (33 - 5)
8/06 SB 4002 Energy Rebate Bill Bill Passed - House (30 - 7)
7/29 SB 800 Repealing Out of State Marriage Restrictions Bill Passed - House (119 - 36)
7/23 HR 3221 Housing Bill with Energy Tax Credit Extensions Concurrence Vote Passed - House (272 - 152)
7/22 HB 3001 Natural Gas Pipeline to Canada Bill Passed - House (24 - 16)
7/16 HR 415 Adding Parts of the Taunton River to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System Bill Passed - House (242 - 175)
7/15 SB 974 Shipping Fee Bill Passed - House (46 - 24)
7/15 HR 5803 Backup Paper Ballots Bill Failed - House (248 - 170)

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