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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 19, 2008 | KS | SB 541 | Expanding Children's Health Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 8) |
| March 19, 2008 | KS | SB 409 | Three-Strikes Sentencing for Theft | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 6) |
| March 19, 2008 | AZ | HB 2454 | Child Protective Services Information Disclosure | Bill Passed - House (47 - 12) |
| March 19, 2008 | ID | S 1441 | Prohibiting Local Gun Ordinances | Bill Passed - House (60 - 9) |
| March 18, 2008 | CO | SB 139 | Undocumented Immigrant Hiring Ban Notification | Bill Passed - House (52 - 12) |
| March 18, 2008 | MD | SB 566 | Hospital Visitation/Decision-Making Rights for Domestic Partners | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| March 18, 2008 | CO | HB 1297 | Supplemental Department of Public Safety Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9) |
| March 18, 2008 | KS | SB 389 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (84 - 40) |
| March 18, 2008 | KS | SB 389 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (84 - 40) |
| March 18, 2008 | MD | SB 269 | Authorizing Speed Monitoring Systems | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 21) |
| March 18, 2008 | MD | SB 269 | Authorizing Speed Monitoring Systems | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 21) |
| March 18, 2008 | NH | HB 1623 | Marijuana Decriminalization | Bill Passed - House (193 - 141) |
| March 18, 2008 | NH | HB 1623 | Marijuana Decriminalization | Bill Passed - House (193 - 141) |
| March 17, 2008 | KS | Mah Amdt | Abortion Reporting Requirements | Amendment Rejected - House (48 - 74) |
| March 17, 2008 | ID | H 348 | Legalizing Alcohol Sales on Election Day | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16) |
| March 14, 2008 | National | S Amdt 4233 | Codifying the Definition of a Child Eligible for SCHIP | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 52) |
| March 14, 2008 | National | HR 3773 | Electronic Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Review Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (213 - 197) |
| March 14, 2008 | MD | SB 461 | Prohibiting Cell Phone Use by Drivers Under 18 | Bill Failed - Senate (22 - 21) |
| March 14, 2008 | MD | SB 461 | Prohibiting Cell Phone Use by Drivers Under 18 | Bill Failed - Senate (22 - 21) |
| March 14, 2008 | KS | HB 2873 | Department of Corrections Bonds | Bill Passed - House (104 - 18) |
| March 13, 2008 | NH | HB 1495 | Parental Notification for Underage Abortions | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (190 - 128) |
| March 13, 2008 | NH | HB 1517 | Parental Consent for Underage Abortions | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (211 - 109) |
| March 13, 2008 | NH | HB 1517 | Parental Consent for Underage Abortions | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (211 - 109) |
| March 13, 2008 | NH | HB 1588 | Residency Verification for Underage Abortions | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (210 - 106) |
| March 13, 2008 | NH | HB 1498 | Parental Notification for Underage Medical Procedures | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (207 - 111) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/19 | SB 541 | Expanding Children's Health Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 8) |
| 3/19 | SB 409 | Three-Strikes Sentencing for Theft | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 6) |
| 3/19 | HB 2454 | Child Protective Services Information Disclosure | Bill Passed - House (47 - 12) |
| 3/19 | S 1441 | Prohibiting Local Gun Ordinances | Bill Passed - House (60 - 9) |
| 3/18 | SB 139 | Undocumented Immigrant Hiring Ban Notification | Bill Passed - House (52 - 12) |
| 3/18 | SB 566 | Hospital Visitation/Decision-Making Rights for Domestic Partners | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| 3/18 | HB 1297 | Supplemental Department of Public Safety Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9) |
| 3/18 | SB 389 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (84 - 40) |
| 3/18 | SB 389 | Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (84 - 40) |
| 3/18 | SB 269 | Authorizing Speed Monitoring Systems | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 21) |
| 3/18 | SB 269 | Authorizing Speed Monitoring Systems | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 21) |
| 3/18 | HB 1623 | Marijuana Decriminalization | Bill Passed - House (193 - 141) |
| 3/18 | HB 1623 | Marijuana Decriminalization | Bill Passed - House (193 - 141) |
| 3/17 | Mah Amdt | Abortion Reporting Requirements | Amendment Rejected - House (48 - 74) |
| 3/17 | H 348 | Legalizing Alcohol Sales on Election Day | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16) |
| 3/14 | S Amdt 4233 | Codifying the Definition of a Child Eligible for SCHIP | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 52) |
| 3/14 | HR 3773 | Electronic Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Review Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (213 - 197) |
| 3/14 | SB 461 | Prohibiting Cell Phone Use by Drivers Under 18 | Bill Failed - Senate (22 - 21) |
| 3/14 | SB 461 | Prohibiting Cell Phone Use by Drivers Under 18 | Bill Failed - Senate (22 - 21) |
| 3/14 | HB 2873 | Department of Corrections Bonds | Bill Passed - House (104 - 18) |
| 3/13 | HB 1495 | Parental Notification for Underage Abortions | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (190 - 128) |
| 3/13 | HB 1517 | Parental Consent for Underage Abortions | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (211 - 109) |
| 3/13 | HB 1517 | Parental Consent for Underage Abortions | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (211 - 109) |
| 3/13 | HB 1588 | Residency Verification for Underage Abortions | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (210 - 106) |
| 3/13 | HB 1498 | Parental Notification for Underage Medical Procedures | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (207 - 111) |