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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 15, 2008 | LA | HB 370 | Banning Public Funds for Human Cloning | Bill Passed - House (90 - 9) |
| April 14, 2008 | MN | HF 1351 | Transportation Policy Reform | Conference Report Adopted - House (88 - 44) |
| April 10, 2008 | SC | H 3427 | Ending Common Law Marriage | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (21 - 17) |
| April 10, 2008 | AZ | SB 1096 | English Language Education Funding | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 14) |
| April 10, 2008 | ME | LD 701 | Slot Machine Authorization | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| April 9, 2008 | AZ | SB 1096 | English Language Education Funding | Bill Passed - House (37 - 23) |
| April 9, 2008 | FL | HB 503 | Firearms in Vehicles | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| April 8, 2008 | IA | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 22) |
| April 8, 2008 | IA | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - House (54 - 45) |
| April 8, 2008 | AK | HJR 2 | Gambling Restrictions | Joint Resolution Passed - House (33 - 6) |
| April 7, 2008 | MN | Emmer Amnd. | Voter Identification Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (59 - 70) |
| April 7, 2008 | IA | HF 2539 | Health Care Expansion Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 6) |
| April 6, 2008 | AK | HB 364 | Parental Consent for Underage Abortions | Bill Passed - House (23 - 16) |
| April 6, 2008 | AK | HB 364 | Parental Consent for Underage Abortions | Bill Passed - House (23 - 16) |
| April 4, 2008 | CO | SB 129 | Restricting Beverage Sales at Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| April 4, 2008 | GA | HB 978 | Vehicle Seizures for Unlicensed Drivers | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (115 - 44) |
| April 4, 2008 | GA | HB 978 | Vehicle Seizures for Unlicensed Drivers | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (115 - 44) |
| April 4, 2008 | MD | SB 597 | Property Transfer Tax Exemptions for Domestic Partners | Bill Passed - House (86 - 47) |
| April 4, 2008 | ME | LD 701 | Slot Machine Authorization | Bill Passed - House (98 - 32) |
| April 4, 2008 | MD | SB 566 | Hospital Visitation/Decision-Making Rights for Domestic Partners | Bill Passed - House (88 - 46) |
| April 4, 2008 | GA | HB 978 | Vehicle Seizures for Unlicensed Drivers | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| April 4, 2008 | GA | HB 978 | Vehicle Seizures for Unlicensed Drivers | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| April 3, 2008 | MO | SB 858 | Restrictions on Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| April 3, 2008 | AZ | SB 1132 | Allowing Pistols in Restaurants | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10) |
| April 3, 2008 | MN | SF 960 | Modification of the Definition of Dependents for Local Government Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 22) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/15 | HB 370 | Banning Public Funds for Human Cloning | Bill Passed - House (90 - 9) |
| 4/14 | HF 1351 | Transportation Policy Reform | Conference Report Adopted - House (88 - 44) |
| 4/10 | H 3427 | Ending Common Law Marriage | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (21 - 17) |
| 4/10 | SB 1096 | English Language Education Funding | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 14) |
| 4/10 | LD 701 | Slot Machine Authorization | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 4/09 | SB 1096 | English Language Education Funding | Bill Passed - House (37 - 23) |
| 4/09 | HB 503 | Firearms in Vehicles | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| 4/08 | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 22) |
| 4/08 | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - House (54 - 45) |
| 4/08 | HJR 2 | Gambling Restrictions | Joint Resolution Passed - House (33 - 6) |
| 4/07 | Emmer Amnd. | Voter Identification Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (59 - 70) |
| 4/07 | HF 2539 | Health Care Expansion Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 6) |
| 4/06 | HB 364 | Parental Consent for Underage Abortions | Bill Passed - House (23 - 16) |
| 4/06 | HB 364 | Parental Consent for Underage Abortions | Bill Passed - House (23 - 16) |
| 4/04 | SB 129 | Restricting Beverage Sales at Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 4/04 | HB 978 | Vehicle Seizures for Unlicensed Drivers | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (115 - 44) |
| 4/04 | HB 978 | Vehicle Seizures for Unlicensed Drivers | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (115 - 44) |
| 4/04 | SB 597 | Property Transfer Tax Exemptions for Domestic Partners | Bill Passed - House (86 - 47) |
| 4/04 | LD 701 | Slot Machine Authorization | Bill Passed - House (98 - 32) |
| 4/04 | SB 566 | Hospital Visitation/Decision-Making Rights for Domestic Partners | Bill Passed - House (88 - 46) |
| 4/04 | HB 978 | Vehicle Seizures for Unlicensed Drivers | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| 4/04 | HB 978 | Vehicle Seizures for Unlicensed Drivers | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| 4/03 | SB 858 | Restrictions on Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| 4/03 | SB 1132 | Allowing Pistols in Restaurants | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10) |
| 4/03 | SF 960 | Modification of the Definition of Dependents for Local Government Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 22) |