Key Votes

Chamber

Keyword Search

Search string must be longer than 3 characters.

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 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)

arrow_upward