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
March 12, 2008 KY HB 600 State Retirement System Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 3)
March 12, 2008 KY HB 600 State Retirement System Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 3)
March 12, 2008 MI SB 120 Issuing Food Stamps Twice Monthly Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2)
March 12, 2008 MI SB 120 Issuing Food Stamps Twice Monthly Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2)
March 12, 2008 IA SF 2355 Time Off to Attend Presidential Precinct Caucuses Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 10)
March 12, 2008 IA SF 2355 Time Off to Attend Presidential Precinct Caucuses Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 10)
March 12, 2008 MD SB 42 Temporary Confiscation of Firearms Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 17)
March 11, 2008 WA SB 6809 Working Family Tax Exemption Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 17)
March 11, 2008 DE SB 195 Election Day Alcohol Sales Bill Failed - Senate (10 - 11)
March 10, 2008 IA HF 2359 Veterans Trust Fund Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 7)
March 10, 2008 AZ SB 1476 Reducing Probation for Good Behavior Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 7)
March 6, 2008 NH Amdt 0891 to SB 530 Fully Subsidized Kindergarten Construction Program Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 12)
March 6, 2008 AZ HB 2043 State Government Hiring Freeze Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12)
March 6, 2008 CO HB 1025 Governor's Energy Office Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13)
March 6, 2008 MN HF 380 Capital Improvements Budget Bill Passed - Senate (57 - 9)
March 6, 2008 AZ HB 2043 State Government Hiring Freeze Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12)
March 6, 2008 WI SB 523 Great Lakes Water Resources Compact Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 6)
March 6, 2008 FL SB 1852 Medicaid Reimbursement Rate Freeze Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13)
March 6, 2008 GA SB 449 Limiting Agritourism Liability Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 14)
March 6, 2008 AZ HB 2857 State Spending Freeze Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13)
March 5, 2008 WY HB 137 Deadly Force in Self Defense Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 1)
March 5, 2008 AK SB 256 2008-2009 Supplemental Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 2)
March 4, 2008 UT HB 359 Tax Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 3)
March 4, 2008 HI SB 2423 Turtle Bay Acquisition Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 2)
March 4, 2008 UT SB 2 2007-2009 Biennium Education Budget Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 7)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/12 HB 600 State Retirement System Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 3)
3/12 HB 600 State Retirement System Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 3)
3/12 SB 120 Issuing Food Stamps Twice Monthly Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2)
3/12 SB 120 Issuing Food Stamps Twice Monthly Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2)
3/12 SF 2355 Time Off to Attend Presidential Precinct Caucuses Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 10)
3/12 SF 2355 Time Off to Attend Presidential Precinct Caucuses Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 10)
3/12 SB 42 Temporary Confiscation of Firearms Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 17)
3/11 SB 6809 Working Family Tax Exemption Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 17)
3/11 SB 195 Election Day Alcohol Sales Bill Failed - Senate (10 - 11)
3/10 HF 2359 Veterans Trust Fund Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 7)
3/10 SB 1476 Reducing Probation for Good Behavior Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 7)
3/06 Amdt 0891 to SB 530 Fully Subsidized Kindergarten Construction Program Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 12)
3/06 HB 2043 State Government Hiring Freeze Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12)
3/06 HB 1025 Governor's Energy Office Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13)
3/06 HF 380 Capital Improvements Budget Bill Passed - Senate (57 - 9)
3/06 HB 2043 State Government Hiring Freeze Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12)
3/06 SB 523 Great Lakes Water Resources Compact Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 6)
3/06 SB 1852 Medicaid Reimbursement Rate Freeze Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13)
3/06 SB 449 Limiting Agritourism Liability Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 14)
3/06 HB 2857 State Spending Freeze Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13)
3/05 HB 137 Deadly Force in Self Defense Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 1)
3/05 SB 256 2008-2009 Supplemental Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 2)
3/04 HB 359 Tax Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 3)
3/04 SB 2423 Turtle Bay Acquisition Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 2)
3/04 SB 2 2007-2009 Biennium Education Budget Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 7)

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