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
May 15, 2008 National HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 15)
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 CA SB 1713 Bisphenol A (BPA) Ban Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)
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 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 KS SB 586 Incentives to Develop Nuclear Power Facilities Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 3)
May 7, 2008 SC H 3567 Cigarette Tax Increase Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 11)
May 6, 2008 SC S Amdt P-1 Cigarette Tax Increase for Medicaid Amendment Tabled - Senate (31 - 13)
May 6, 2008 KS HB 2412 Coal Plant Incentives Conference Report Adopted - Senate (24 - 10)
May 6, 2008 CO SB 217 Extended Health Care Coverage Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 10)
May 6, 2008 CT HB 5536 Health Insurance Pool Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12)
May 3, 2008 KS SB 81 Health Care Reform Conference Report Adopted - Senate (34 - 1)
May 2, 2008 CO HB 1082 Sealing Criminal Records Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9)
May 2, 2008 CO HB 1161 Mining Regulation Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 2)
May 2, 2008 CO HB 1385 Health Insurance Website Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
May 1, 2008 MI Sub HB 5282 Independent Health Benefit Plans Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
May 1, 2008 MI HB 5283 Health Insurance Package Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
May 1, 2008 RI H 7204 2007-2008 Budget Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11)
April 30, 2008 KS SB 389 Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Law Amendments Veto Override Failed - Senate (25 - 14)
April 30, 2008 KS SB 389 Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Law Amendments Veto Override Failed - Senate (25 - 14)
April 30, 2008 KS SB 148 Electricity Generation and Conservation Veto Override Passed - Senate (32 - 7)
April 30, 2008 MN HF 3195 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 21)
April 30, 2008 FL SB 2400 Pre-Abortion Ultrasound Requirement Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 20)
April 24, 2008 MO SB 817 Physicians' Billing Practices Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 8)
April 23, 2008 AZ HB 2017 Legislative Approval for Regulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7)
April 22, 2008 CO SB 217 Extended Health Care Coverage Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10)
April 17, 2008 IA S 5377 to SF 2425 Pregnancy Counseling and Support Services Amendment Rejected - Senate (22 - 27)
April 17, 2008 IL SB 2858 Public School Trans Fat Ban Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 19)
April 17, 2008 IA SF 2425 2008-2009 Health and Human Services Budget Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 16)
April 16, 2008 IL SB 2052 Taxes for Levee Repair Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 15)
April 15, 2008 ME LD 2247 Alcohol and Soda Tax for Health Care Funding Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17)
April 15, 2008 LA SB 144 Castration of Sex Offenders Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 3)
April 10, 2008 NE LB 1082 Expanding Workers' Compensation Benefits Motion Rejected - Senate (22 - 18)
April 10, 2008 CO HB 1375 2008-2009 Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 14)
April 8, 2008 IA HF 2212 Smoking Ban Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 22)
April 7, 2008 MD SB 268 Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Program Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 16)
April 7, 2008 IA HF 2539 Health Care Expansion Plan Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 6)
April 7, 2008 MD HB 374 Energy Efficiency Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 13)
April 7, 2008 MD HB 375 Increasing Renewable Energy Standards Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 13)
April 4, 2008 KS SB 148 Electricity Generation and Conservation Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 7)
April 4, 2008 CO SB 129 Restricting Beverage Sales at Schools Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
April 2, 2008 KY HB 406 2008-2010 Biennium Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 3)
April 2, 2008 KY HB 406 2008-2010 Biennium Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 3)
April 1, 2008 GA HB 1281 Restricting Local Outdoor Water Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 13)
April 1, 2008 MD SB 268 Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Program Bill Failed - Senate (21 - 25)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/15 HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 15)
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 1713 Bisphenol A (BPA) Ban Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)
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 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 SB 586 Incentives to Develop Nuclear Power Facilities Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 3)
5/07 H 3567 Cigarette Tax Increase Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 11)
5/06 S Amdt P-1 Cigarette Tax Increase for Medicaid Amendment Tabled - Senate (31 - 13)
5/06 HB 2412 Coal Plant Incentives Conference Report Adopted - Senate (24 - 10)
5/06 SB 217 Extended Health Care Coverage Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 10)
5/06 HB 5536 Health Insurance Pool Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12)
5/03 SB 81 Health Care Reform Conference Report Adopted - Senate (34 - 1)
5/02 HB 1082 Sealing Criminal Records Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9)
5/02 HB 1161 Mining Regulation Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 2)
5/02 HB 1385 Health Insurance Website Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
5/01 Sub HB 5282 Independent Health Benefit Plans Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
5/01 HB 5283 Health Insurance Package Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
5/01 H 7204 2007-2008 Budget Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11)
4/30 SB 389 Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Law Amendments Veto Override Failed - Senate (25 - 14)
4/30 SB 389 Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Law Amendments Veto Override Failed - Senate (25 - 14)
4/30 SB 148 Electricity Generation and Conservation Veto Override Passed - Senate (32 - 7)
4/30 HF 3195 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 21)
4/30 SB 2400 Pre-Abortion Ultrasound Requirement Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 20)
4/24 SB 817 Physicians' Billing Practices Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 8)
4/23 HB 2017 Legislative Approval for Regulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7)
4/22 SB 217 Extended Health Care Coverage Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10)
4/17 S 5377 to SF 2425 Pregnancy Counseling and Support Services Amendment Rejected - Senate (22 - 27)
4/17 SB 2858 Public School Trans Fat Ban Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 19)
4/17 SF 2425 2008-2009 Health and Human Services Budget Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 16)
4/16 SB 2052 Taxes for Levee Repair Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 15)
4/15 LD 2247 Alcohol and Soda Tax for Health Care Funding Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17)
4/15 SB 144 Castration of Sex Offenders Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 3)
4/10 LB 1082 Expanding Workers' Compensation Benefits Motion Rejected - Senate (22 - 18)
4/10 HB 1375 2008-2009 Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 14)
4/08 HF 2212 Smoking Ban Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 22)
4/07 SB 268 Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Program Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 16)
4/07 HF 2539 Health Care Expansion Plan Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 6)
4/07 HB 374 Energy Efficiency Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 13)
4/07 HB 375 Increasing Renewable Energy Standards Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 13)
4/04 SB 148 Electricity Generation and Conservation Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 7)
4/04 SB 129 Restricting Beverage Sales at Schools Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
4/02 HB 406 2008-2010 Biennium Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 3)
4/02 HB 406 2008-2010 Biennium Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 3)
4/01 HB 1281 Restricting Local Outdoor Water Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 13)
4/01 SB 268 Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Program Bill Failed - Senate (21 - 25)

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