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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 10, 2008 | OH | HB 648 | Increasing Restrictions on Access to Confidential Personal Information | Bill Passed - House (69 - 26) |
| Dec. 4, 2008 | MI | HB 4404 | Prohibiting Life Without Parole Sentencing for Juveniles | Bill Passed - House (59 - 47) |
| Dec. 4, 2008 | MI | HB 4405 | Juvenile Parole Eligibility Reform | Bill Passed - House (63 - 43) |
| Nov. 18, 2008 | NE | Amdt 4 | Establishing an Age Limit on Safe Haven Law | Amendment Rejected - Senate (23 - 26) |
| 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 | CA | AB 1946 | Expanding Enforcement of Water Pollution Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| Aug. 7, 2008 | CA | AB 2654 | Expanding Anti-Discrimination Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| Aug. 5, 2008 | CA | AB 2001 | Whistleblower Hotline | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
| July 29, 2008 | MA | SB 800 | Repealing Out of State Marriage Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (119 - 36) |
| July 2, 2008 | NC | SB 1988 | Outlaws Burning Crosses and Hanging Nooses | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 3) |
| June 27, 2008 | AZ | SCR 1042 | Parameters of Marriage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 4) |
| June 27, 2008 | AZ | HCR 2024 | Election of Superior Court Judges | Resolution Failed - House (24 - 32) |
| June 25, 2008 | AZ | SCR 1042 | Parameters of Marriage | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (14 - 11) |
| June 21, 2008 | LA | HB 906 | Anonymity of Ethics Board Complaints | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 21) |
| June 11, 2008 | LA | SB 144 | Castration of Sex Offenders | Bill Passed - House (69 - 15) |
| May 28, 2008 | LA | SB 292 | Public Fishing in Overflow Waters | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 19) |
| May 27, 2008 | IL | HB 5288 | Expand Use of Red Light Cameras | Bill Failed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| May 27, 2008 | CA | AB 2654 | Expanding Anti-Discrimination Laws | Bill Passed - House (48 - 30) |
| May 27, 2008 | MI | SB 776 | Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban | Bill Passed - House (74 - 32) |
| May 21, 2008 | SC | H 3816 | Bankruptcy Exemptions | Veto Override Passed - House (78 - 26) |
| May 20, 2008 | National | HR 6074 | Prohibiting Foreign States or Associations from Forming a Group to Control Oil | Bill Passed - House (324 - 84) |
| May 15, 2008 | CA | SB 1589 | Uncorroborated Jailhouse Informant Testimony Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| May 15, 2008 | MN | SF 960 | Modification of the Definition of Dependents for Local Government Benefits | Bill Passed - House (83 - 50) |
| May 13, 2008 | MN | SF 2965 | Surrogate Mother Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 22) |
| May 12, 2008 | OK | HB 2458 | Professional Malpractice Lawsuits | Veto Override Failed - House (55 - 42) |
| May 12, 2008 | MN | SF 2965 | Surrogate Mother Regulations | Bill Passed - House (86 - 46) |
| May 12, 2008 | AZ | SCR 1042 | Parameters of Marriage | Resolution Passed - House (33 - 25) |
| May 7, 2008 | NY | A 8972 | Foreclosure and Lending | Bill Passed - House (113 - 21) |
| May 7, 2008 | NY | A 10219 | Mortgage Bill of Rights | Bill Passed - House (122 - 15) |
| May 7, 2008 | NY | A 9695 | Foreclosure Relief | Bill Passed - House (126 - 11) |
| May 7, 2008 | NY | A 10083 | Foreclosure Assistance Finance | Bill Passed - House (104 - 33) |
| May 5, 2008 | KS | HB 2860 | Eminent Domain and Water Rights | Conference Report Adopted - House (64 - 57) |
| May 5, 2008 | CO | HB 1208 | Limitations on Direct File Juvenile Cases | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (34 - 30) |
| May 5, 2008 | CO | HB 1082 | Sealing Criminal Records | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (36 - 28) |
| May 2, 2008 | CO | HB 1082 | Sealing Criminal Records | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
| May 2, 2008 | CO | HB 1208 | Limitations on Direct File Juvenile Cases | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16) |
| May 1, 2008 | HI | SB 2423 | Turtle Bay Acquisition | Conference Report Adopted - House (37 - 10) |
| May 1, 2008 | HI | SB 2423 | Turtle Bay Acquisition | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 11) |
| May 1, 2008 | AL | HB 787 | State Employees in Public Office | Bill Passed - House (57 - 36) |
| April 25, 2008 | IA | H 8672 | DUI Appeals | Amendment Rejected - House (45 - 50) |
| April 24, 2008 | FL | Amdt 28283 | Commuter Trains in Orlando | Amendment Rejected - House (54 - 64) |
| April 23, 2008 | OK | SB 163 | English as the Official Language | Bill Passed - House (70 - 28) |
| April 22, 2008 | MI | SB 1078 | Township Annexation Requirements | Bill Failed - Senate (18 - 20) |
| April 22, 2008 | CO | HB 1082 | Sealing Criminal Records | Bill Passed - House (36 - 28) |
| April 16, 2008 | NH | HR 24 | Impeachment Petition | Resolution Tabled - House (227 - 95) |
| April 15, 2008 | KY | HB 683 | DNA Collection, Parole Board, and Felony Review | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 1) |
| April 15, 2008 | KY | HB 683 | DNA Collection, Parole Board, and Felony Review | Conference Report Adopted - House (51 - 42) |
| April 15, 2008 | LA | SB 144 | Castration of Sex Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 3) |
| April 14, 2008 | MN | SF 2822 | "Good Faith" Requirement for Insurance Companies | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (47 - 15) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/10 | HB 648 | Increasing Restrictions on Access to Confidential Personal Information | Bill Passed - House (69 - 26) |
| 12/04 | HB 4404 | Prohibiting Life Without Parole Sentencing for Juveniles | Bill Passed - House (59 - 47) |
| 12/04 | HB 4405 | Juvenile Parole Eligibility Reform | Bill Passed - House (63 - 43) |
| 11/18 | Amdt 4 | Establishing an Age Limit on Safe Haven Law | Amendment Rejected - Senate (23 - 26) |
| 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 | AB 1946 | Expanding Enforcement of Water Pollution Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| 8/07 | AB 2654 | Expanding Anti-Discrimination Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 8/05 | AB 2001 | Whistleblower Hotline | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
| 7/29 | SB 800 | Repealing Out of State Marriage Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (119 - 36) |
| 7/02 | SB 1988 | Outlaws Burning Crosses and Hanging Nooses | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 3) |
| 6/27 | SCR 1042 | Parameters of Marriage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 4) |
| 6/27 | HCR 2024 | Election of Superior Court Judges | Resolution Failed - House (24 - 32) |
| 6/25 | SCR 1042 | Parameters of Marriage | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (14 - 11) |
| 6/21 | HB 906 | Anonymity of Ethics Board Complaints | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 21) |
| 6/11 | SB 144 | Castration of Sex Offenders | Bill Passed - House (69 - 15) |
| 5/28 | SB 292 | Public Fishing in Overflow Waters | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 19) |
| 5/27 | HB 5288 | Expand Use of Red Light Cameras | Bill Failed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| 5/27 | AB 2654 | Expanding Anti-Discrimination Laws | Bill Passed - House (48 - 30) |
| 5/27 | SB 776 | Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban | Bill Passed - House (74 - 32) |
| 5/21 | H 3816 | Bankruptcy Exemptions | Veto Override Passed - House (78 - 26) |
| 5/20 | HR 6074 | Prohibiting Foreign States or Associations from Forming a Group to Control Oil | Bill Passed - House (324 - 84) |
| 5/15 | SB 1589 | Uncorroborated Jailhouse Informant Testimony Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| 5/15 | SF 960 | Modification of the Definition of Dependents for Local Government Benefits | Bill Passed - House (83 - 50) |
| 5/13 | SF 2965 | Surrogate Mother Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 22) |
| 5/12 | HB 2458 | Professional Malpractice Lawsuits | Veto Override Failed - House (55 - 42) |
| 5/12 | SF 2965 | Surrogate Mother Regulations | Bill Passed - House (86 - 46) |
| 5/12 | SCR 1042 | Parameters of Marriage | Resolution Passed - House (33 - 25) |
| 5/07 | A 8972 | Foreclosure and Lending | Bill Passed - House (113 - 21) |
| 5/07 | A 10219 | Mortgage Bill of Rights | Bill Passed - House (122 - 15) |
| 5/07 | A 9695 | Foreclosure Relief | Bill Passed - House (126 - 11) |
| 5/07 | A 10083 | Foreclosure Assistance Finance | Bill Passed - House (104 - 33) |
| 5/05 | HB 2860 | Eminent Domain and Water Rights | Conference Report Adopted - House (64 - 57) |
| 5/05 | HB 1208 | Limitations on Direct File Juvenile Cases | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (34 - 30) |
| 5/05 | HB 1082 | Sealing Criminal Records | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (36 - 28) |
| 5/02 | HB 1082 | Sealing Criminal Records | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
| 5/02 | HB 1208 | Limitations on Direct File Juvenile Cases | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16) |
| 5/01 | SB 2423 | Turtle Bay Acquisition | Conference Report Adopted - House (37 - 10) |
| 5/01 | SB 2423 | Turtle Bay Acquisition | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 11) |
| 5/01 | HB 787 | State Employees in Public Office | Bill Passed - House (57 - 36) |
| 4/25 | H 8672 | DUI Appeals | Amendment Rejected - House (45 - 50) |
| 4/24 | Amdt 28283 | Commuter Trains in Orlando | Amendment Rejected - House (54 - 64) |
| 4/23 | SB 163 | English as the Official Language | Bill Passed - House (70 - 28) |
| 4/22 | SB 1078 | Township Annexation Requirements | Bill Failed - Senate (18 - 20) |
| 4/22 | HB 1082 | Sealing Criminal Records | Bill Passed - House (36 - 28) |
| 4/16 | HR 24 | Impeachment Petition | Resolution Tabled - House (227 - 95) |
| 4/15 | HB 683 | DNA Collection, Parole Board, and Felony Review | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 1) |
| 4/15 | HB 683 | DNA Collection, Parole Board, and Felony Review | Conference Report Adopted - House (51 - 42) |
| 4/15 | SB 144 | Castration of Sex Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 3) |
| 4/14 | SF 2822 | "Good Faith" Requirement for Insurance Companies | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (47 - 15) |