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 28, 2008 | WI | AB 1 | Education Line Item Veto Override | Veto Override Failed - House (57 - 39) |
| May 27, 2008 | SC | H 3567 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Veto Override Failed - House (54 - 57) |
| May 27, 2008 | MI | Meadows Amdt: Access to Contraceptives | Amendment Rejected - House (41 - 66) | |
| May 27, 2008 | MI | Meadows Amdt: Access to Contraceptives | Amendment Rejected - House (41 - 66) | |
| May 27, 2008 | MI | Byrnes Amdt: Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Exception For Rape And Incest | Amendment Rejected - House (41 - 66) | |
| May 27, 2008 | MI | Byrnes Amdt: Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Exception For Rape And Incest | Amendment Rejected - House (41 - 66) | |
| May 27, 2008 | MI | Bauer Amdt: Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Exception For A Woman's Health | Amendment Rejected - House (40 - 67) | |
| May 27, 2008 | MI | Bauer Amdt: Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Exception For A Woman's Health | Amendment Rejected - House (40 - 67) | |
| May 27, 2008 | MI | HB 6048 | Emergency Contraception for Victims of Sexual Assault | Bill Passed - House (57 - 51) |
| May 27, 2008 | CA | AB 3025 | Polystyrene Packaging Regulations | Bill Passed - House (42 - 32) |
| May 27, 2008 | MI | SB 776 | Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban | Bill Passed - House (74 - 32) |
| May 27, 2008 | MI | SB 776 | Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban | Bill Passed - House (74 - 32) |
| May 27, 2008 | CA | SB 1440 | Capping Administrative Spending for Health Insurers | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| May 27, 2008 | CA | AB 1996 | Food Stamps for Convicted Drug Felons | Bill Passed - House (42 - 35) |
| May 27, 2008 | MI | HB 6048 | Emergency Contraception for Victims of Sexual Assault | Bill Passed - House (57 - 51) |
| May 22, 2008 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - Senate (82 - 13) |
| May 21, 2008 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Veto Override Passed - House (316 - 108) |
| May 21, 2008 | SC | H Amdt 7A | To Reduce Income Tax | Amendment Tabled - House (68 - 52) |
| May 21, 2008 | SC | H Amdt 3A | Cigarette Tax Increase for Employee Health Care | Amendment Tabled - House (67 - 51) |
| May 21, 2008 | SC | H Amdt 4A | Cigarette Tax for Small Business Employee Health Care | Amendment Tabled - House (60 - 58) |
| May 19, 2008 | AZ | SB 1476 | Reducing Probation for Good Behavior | Bill Passed - House (35 - 18) |
| May 15, 2008 | MN | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 22) |
| May 15, 2008 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 15) |
| May 15, 2008 | National | HR 2642 | Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (256 - 166) |
| May 15, 2008 | National | HR 2642 | Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (227 - 196) |