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
March 4, 2008 WA HB 3104 Domestic Partnership Rights Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 20)
March 3, 2008 UT AM 1 Mandating the Concealment of Firearms on Campus Amendment Adopted - House (41 - 29)
March 3, 2008 MN Seifert Amendment: Restriction of State Aid Based on Compliance with Immigration Laws Amendment Rejected - House (66 - 67)
March 3, 2008 UT SB 81 Expanding Immigration Enforcement Bill Passed - House (56 - 15)
March 3, 2008 WY HB 73 Increasing DUI Penalties Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 16)
March 3, 2008 WY HB 73 Increasing DUI Penalties Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 16)
March 3, 2008 UT HB 473 Campus Gun Restrictions Bill Passed - House (60 - 11)
March 3, 2008 NJ S 786 Extending Family Leave Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16)
March 3, 2008 AZ HB 2359 County Sheriff and Border Patrol Collaboration Bill Passed - House (33 - 27)
March 3, 2008 AZ HB 2359 County Sheriff and Border Patrol Collaboration Bill Passed - House (33 - 27)
March 3, 2008 AZ HB 2769 Increasing Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Penalties Bill Passed - House (34 - 25)
March 3, 2008 UT SB 299 Domestic Partnership Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 7)
March 3, 2008 AZ HB 2769 Increasing Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Penalties Bill Passed - House (34 - 25)
March 3, 2008 UT SB 299 Domestic Partnership Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 7)
March 3, 2008 UT SB 299 Domestic Partnership Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 7)
Feb. 29, 2008 GA SB 506 Mandatory School Physical Fitness Testing Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 13)
Feb. 28, 2008 WI A Amnd. 2 Exemptions to Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Ban Amendment Tabled - House (54 - 43)
Feb. 28, 2008 WI A Amnd. 2 Exemptions to Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Ban Amendment Tabled - House (54 - 43)
Feb. 28, 2008 WI A Amnd. 2 Exemptions to Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Ban Amendment Tabled - House (54 - 43)
Feb. 28, 2008 WI A Amnd. 1 Exemptions to Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Ban Amendment Tabled - House (54 - 43)
Feb. 28, 2008 WI A Amnd. 1 Exemptions to Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Ban Amendment Tabled - House (54 - 43)
Feb. 28, 2008 GA HB 978 Vehicle Seizures for Undocumented Immigrant Traffic Violations Bill Passed - House (104 - 51)
Feb. 28, 2008 WI AB 581 Gun Possession During Emergencies Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 5)
Feb. 28, 2008 CO SB 129 Restricting Beverage Sales at Schools Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12)
Feb. 28, 2008 IN SB 345 Penalties for Employers of Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - House (66 - 33)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/04 HB 3104 Domestic Partnership Rights Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 20)
3/03 AM 1 Mandating the Concealment of Firearms on Campus Amendment Adopted - House (41 - 29)
3/03 Seifert Amendment: Restriction of State Aid Based on Compliance with Immigration Laws Amendment Rejected - House (66 - 67)
3/03 SB 81 Expanding Immigration Enforcement Bill Passed - House (56 - 15)
3/03 HB 73 Increasing DUI Penalties Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 16)
3/03 HB 73 Increasing DUI Penalties Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 16)
3/03 HB 473 Campus Gun Restrictions Bill Passed - House (60 - 11)
3/03 S 786 Extending Family Leave Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16)
3/03 HB 2359 County Sheriff and Border Patrol Collaboration Bill Passed - House (33 - 27)
3/03 HB 2359 County Sheriff and Border Patrol Collaboration Bill Passed - House (33 - 27)
3/03 HB 2769 Increasing Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Penalties Bill Passed - House (34 - 25)
3/03 SB 299 Domestic Partnership Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 7)
3/03 HB 2769 Increasing Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Penalties Bill Passed - House (34 - 25)
3/03 SB 299 Domestic Partnership Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 7)
3/03 SB 299 Domestic Partnership Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 7)
2/29 SB 506 Mandatory School Physical Fitness Testing Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 13)
2/28 A Amnd. 2 Exemptions to Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Ban Amendment Tabled - House (54 - 43)
2/28 A Amnd. 2 Exemptions to Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Ban Amendment Tabled - House (54 - 43)
2/28 A Amnd. 2 Exemptions to Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Ban Amendment Tabled - House (54 - 43)
2/28 A Amnd. 1 Exemptions to Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Ban Amendment Tabled - House (54 - 43)
2/28 A Amnd. 1 Exemptions to Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Ban Amendment Tabled - House (54 - 43)
2/28 HB 978 Vehicle Seizures for Undocumented Immigrant Traffic Violations Bill Passed - House (104 - 51)
2/28 AB 581 Gun Possession During Emergencies Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 5)
2/28 SB 129 Restricting Beverage Sales at Schools Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12)
2/28 SB 345 Penalties for Employers of Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - House (66 - 33)

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