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 15, 2008 | National | HR 2642 | Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (141 - 149) |
| 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 15, 2008 | IL | SB 2052 | Taxes for Levee Repair | Bill Passed - House (64 - 44) |
| May 15, 2008 | CA | SB 1713 | Bisphenol A (BPA) Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| May 14, 2008 | National | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Conference Report Adopted - House (318 - 106) |
| May 13, 2008 | MN | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Conference Report Adopted - House (96 - 36) |
| May 13, 2008 | MN | SF 2965 | Surrogate Mother Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 22) |
| May 13, 2008 | MN | SF 2965 | Surrogate Mother Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 22) |
| May 12, 2008 | MN | HF 3391 | Health Care Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 13) |
| May 12, 2008 | MN | HF 3391 | Health Care Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (83 - 50) |
| May 12, 2008 | AZ | HB 2017 | Legislative Approval for Regulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (36 - 22) |
| May 12, 2008 | MN | SF 2965 | Surrogate Mother Regulations | Bill Passed - House (86 - 46) |
| May 12, 2008 | MN | SF 2965 | Surrogate Mother Regulations | Bill Passed - House (86 - 46) |
| May 12, 2008 | CA | SB 1313 | Perfluorochemical (PFC) Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| May 8, 2008 | MI | HB 4163 | Workplace Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| May 7, 2008 | SC | S Amdt P-4A | Cigarette Tax Rate Adjustment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (18 - 24) |
| May 7, 2008 | MN | Dean Amendment: Stem cell research that does not destroy, injure or create human embryos | Amendment Rejected - House (65 - 69) | |
| May 7, 2008 | KS | SB 586 | Incentives to Develop Nuclear Power Facilities | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 3) |
| May 7, 2008 | MO | HB 2011 | 2008-2009 Department of Social Services Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (86 - 63) |
| May 7, 2008 | KS | SB 586 | Incentives to Develop Nuclear Power Facilities | Conference Report Adopted - House (101 - 22) |
| May 7, 2008 | KS | HB 2412 | Coal Plant Incentives | Conference Report Adopted - House (76 - 48) |
| May 7, 2008 | MN | SF 100 | Public Funding for Stem Cell Research | Bill Passed - House (71 - 62) |
| May 7, 2008 | SC | H 3567 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 11) |
| May 7, 2008 | NH | SB 312 | Insurance Coverage for Obesity Treatments | Bill Passed - House (209 - 139) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/15 | HR 2642 | Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (141 - 149) |
| 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) |
| 5/15 | SB 2052 | Taxes for Levee Repair | Bill Passed - House (64 - 44) |
| 5/15 | SB 1713 | Bisphenol A (BPA) Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| 5/14 | HR 2419 | Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) | Conference Report Adopted - House (318 - 106) |
| 5/13 | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Conference Report Adopted - House (96 - 36) |
| 5/13 | SF 2965 | Surrogate Mother Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 22) |
| 5/13 | SF 2965 | Surrogate Mother Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 22) |
| 5/12 | HF 3391 | Health Care Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 13) |
| 5/12 | HF 3391 | Health Care Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (83 - 50) |
| 5/12 | HB 2017 | Legislative Approval for Regulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (36 - 22) |
| 5/12 | SF 2965 | Surrogate Mother Regulations | Bill Passed - House (86 - 46) |
| 5/12 | SF 2965 | Surrogate Mother Regulations | Bill Passed - House (86 - 46) |
| 5/12 | SB 1313 | Perfluorochemical (PFC) Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| 5/08 | HB 4163 | Workplace Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| 5/07 | S Amdt P-4A | Cigarette Tax Rate Adjustment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (18 - 24) |
| 5/07 | Dean Amendment: Stem cell research that does not destroy, injure or create human embryos | Amendment Rejected - House (65 - 69) | |
| 5/07 | SB 586 | Incentives to Develop Nuclear Power Facilities | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 3) |
| 5/07 | HB 2011 | 2008-2009 Department of Social Services Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (86 - 63) |
| 5/07 | SB 586 | Incentives to Develop Nuclear Power Facilities | Conference Report Adopted - House (101 - 22) |
| 5/07 | HB 2412 | Coal Plant Incentives | Conference Report Adopted - House (76 - 48) |
| 5/07 | SF 100 | Public Funding for Stem Cell Research | Bill Passed - House (71 - 62) |
| 5/07 | H 3567 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 11) |
| 5/07 | SB 312 | Insurance Coverage for Obesity Treatments | Bill Passed - House (209 - 139) |