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 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 | 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 - House (51 - 42) |
| April 14, 2008 | MN | SF 2822 | "Good Faith" Requirement for Insurance Companies | Conference Report Adopted - House (93 - 39) |
| April 14, 2008 | ME | LD 2304 | Driver's License Residency Requirement | Bill Passed - House (108 - 29) |
| April 14, 2008 | MO | HJR 49 | Appellate Judicial Commissioners | Joint Resolution Failed - House (69 - 83) |
| 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 | MS | SB 2188 | Attorney General-Private Attorney Contract Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (95 - 25) |
| 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 18, 2008 | NH | HB 1623 | Marijuana Decriminalization | Bill Passed - House (193 - 141) |
| March 6, 2008 | WY | HB 137 | Deadly Force in Self Defense | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 2) |
| March 5, 2008 | CO | HB 1130 | Removing Wiretap Restrictions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 9) |
| March 4, 2008 | GA | HB 1245 | Public Defender Funding Amendments | Bill Passed - House (141 - 21) |
| March 4, 2008 | KY | HB 31 | Felony Record Expungement | Bill Passed - House (76 - 21) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | IN | SB 143 | Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention | Bill Passed - House (51 - 48) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | IN | Amnd. 2 | Permitting Lawsuits for Injuries Caused by Hazardous Substances | Amendment Adopted - House (52 - 45) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 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 - House (51 - 42) |
| 4/14 | SF 2822 | "Good Faith" Requirement for Insurance Companies | Conference Report Adopted - House (93 - 39) |
| 4/14 | LD 2304 | Driver's License Residency Requirement | Bill Passed - House (108 - 29) |
| 4/14 | HJR 49 | Appellate Judicial Commissioners | Joint Resolution Failed - House (69 - 83) |
| 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 | SB 2188 | Attorney General-Private Attorney Contract Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (95 - 25) |
| 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) |
| 3/18 | HB 1623 | Marijuana Decriminalization | Bill Passed - House (193 - 141) |
| 3/06 | HB 137 | Deadly Force in Self Defense | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 2) |
| 3/05 | HB 1130 | Removing Wiretap Restrictions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 9) |
| 3/04 | HB 1245 | Public Defender Funding Amendments | Bill Passed - House (141 - 21) |
| 3/04 | HB 31 | Felony Record Expungement | Bill Passed - House (76 - 21) |
| 2/28 | SB 143 | Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention | Bill Passed - House (51 - 48) |
| 2/26 | Amnd. 2 | Permitting Lawsuits for Injuries Caused by Hazardous Substances | Amendment Adopted - House (52 - 45) |