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
April 14, 2008 MN SF 2822 "Good Faith" Requirement for Insurance Companies Conference Report Adopted - House (93 - 39)
April 14, 2008 MO HJR 49 Appellate Judicial Commissioners Joint Resolution Failed - House (69 - 83)
April 14, 2008 ME LD 2304 Driver's License Residency Requirement Bill Passed - House (108 - 29)
April 10, 2008 SC H 3427 Ending Common Law Marriage Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (21 - 17)
April 3, 2008 MN SF 960 Modification of the Definition of Dependents for Local Government Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 22)
April 3, 2008 MO HJR 41 Prohibiting Judges from Imposing Taxes Joint Resolution Passed - House (82 - 68)
March 31, 2008 CO HB 1123 Funeral Registration Bill Passed - House (41 - 24)
March 27, 2008 MN Seifert Amendment: Breaches of Insurance Policy Amendment Adopted - House (80 - 52)
March 27, 2008 MS HB 520 Reporting Sexual Activity of Minors Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 41)
March 26, 2008 KS Brownlee Amnd. Prohibits Union from collecting dues from Undocumented Workers Amendment Adopted - Senate (19 - 18)
March 26, 2008 KS Huelskamp Amnd. 2 Undocumented Immigrants Ineligible for Public Benefits Amendment Rejected - Senate (12 - 26)
March 26, 2008 KS Journey Amnd. 1 Penalties for Obstructing Immigration Enforcement Amendment Rejected - Senate (14 - 24)
March 26, 2008 MS SB 2188 Attorney General-Private Attorney Contract Restrictions Bill Passed - House (95 - 25)
March 25, 2008 NE LB 1063 Abolishing the Death Penalty Motion Rejected - Senate (20 - 28)
March 24, 2008 MS HB 859 Salary Adjustments for State Officials Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 3)
March 20, 2008 GA SB 350 Increasing Penalties for Driving Without a License Bill Passed - House (99 - 68)
March 19, 2008 GA Fleming AM 29 0700 Amending Capital Punishment Sentencing Procedures Amendment Adopted - House (100 - 66)
March 19, 2008 GA SB 145 Amending Sentencing Guidelines for Murder Bill Passed - House (112 - 55)
March 19, 2008 KS SB 409 Three-Strikes Sentencing for Theft Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 6)
March 18, 2008 MN Scheid Amnd. Insurance Payouts Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (37 - 30)
March 18, 2008 NH HB 1623 Marijuana Decriminalization Bill Passed - House (193 - 141)
March 12, 2008 MD SB 42 Temporary Confiscation of Firearms Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 17)
March 6, 2008 WY HB 137 Deadly Force in Self Defense Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 2)
March 6, 2008 GA SB 449 Limiting Agritourism Liability Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 14)
March 5, 2008 CO HB 1130 Removing Wiretap Restrictions Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 9)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/14 SF 2822 "Good Faith" Requirement for Insurance Companies Conference Report Adopted - House (93 - 39)
4/14 HJR 49 Appellate Judicial Commissioners Joint Resolution Failed - House (69 - 83)
4/14 LD 2304 Driver's License Residency Requirement Bill Passed - House (108 - 29)
4/10 H 3427 Ending Common Law Marriage Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (21 - 17)
4/03 SF 960 Modification of the Definition of Dependents for Local Government Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 22)
4/03 HJR 41 Prohibiting Judges from Imposing Taxes Joint Resolution Passed - House (82 - 68)
3/31 HB 1123 Funeral Registration Bill Passed - House (41 - 24)
3/27 Seifert Amendment: Breaches of Insurance Policy Amendment Adopted - House (80 - 52)
3/27 HB 520 Reporting Sexual Activity of Minors Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 41)
3/26 Brownlee Amnd. Prohibits Union from collecting dues from Undocumented Workers Amendment Adopted - Senate (19 - 18)
3/26 Huelskamp Amnd. 2 Undocumented Immigrants Ineligible for Public Benefits Amendment Rejected - Senate (12 - 26)
3/26 Journey Amnd. 1 Penalties for Obstructing Immigration Enforcement Amendment Rejected - Senate (14 - 24)
3/26 SB 2188 Attorney General-Private Attorney Contract Restrictions Bill Passed - House (95 - 25)
3/25 LB 1063 Abolishing the Death Penalty Motion Rejected - Senate (20 - 28)
3/24 HB 859 Salary Adjustments for State Officials Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 3)
3/20 SB 350 Increasing Penalties for Driving Without a License Bill Passed - House (99 - 68)
3/19 Fleming AM 29 0700 Amending Capital Punishment Sentencing Procedures Amendment Adopted - House (100 - 66)
3/19 SB 145 Amending Sentencing Guidelines for Murder Bill Passed - House (112 - 55)
3/19 SB 409 Three-Strikes Sentencing for Theft Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 6)
3/18 Scheid Amnd. Insurance Payouts Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (37 - 30)
3/18 HB 1623 Marijuana Decriminalization Bill Passed - House (193 - 141)
3/12 SB 42 Temporary Confiscation of Firearms Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 17)
3/06 HB 137 Deadly Force in Self Defense Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 2)
3/06 SB 449 Limiting Agritourism Liability Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 14)
3/05 HB 1130 Removing Wiretap Restrictions Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 9)

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