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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 25, 2008 | VA | HB 933 | "Triggerman Rule" in Capital Murder Cases | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| Feb. 25, 2008 | MO | HB 1406 | Establishment of Drunk Driving Memorial Sign Program | Bill Passed - House (82 - 51) |
| Feb. 25, 2008 | MS | HB 729 | Parole Eligibility for Non-Violent Offenders | Bill Passed - House (69 - 52) |
| Feb. 25, 2008 | MS | HB 729 | Parole Eligibility for Non-Violent Offenders | Bill Passed - House (69 - 52) |
| Feb. 25, 2008 | WV | HB 4132 | Prohibiting Mandatory Employee Participation in Political Events | Bill Passed - House (64 - 33) |
| Feb. 25, 2008 | WY | HB 137 | Deadly Force in Self Defense | Bill Passed - House (54 - 4) |
| Feb. 25, 2008 | WY | HB 137 | Deadly Force in Self Defense | Bill Passed - House (54 - 4) |
| Feb. 25, 2008 | WV | HB 4023 | Linking Driving Privileges with Student Performance | Bill Passed - House (80 - 15) |
| Feb. 25, 2008 | WY | HB 145 | Restricting Benefits for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (40 - 18) |
| Feb. 22, 2008 | MD | SB 243 | Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 10) |
| Feb. 22, 2008 | MD | SB 243 | Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 10) |
| Feb. 22, 2008 | NE | LB 395 | Statewide Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | SD | HB 1151 | Adult-Oriented Business Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | UT | SB 81 | Expanding Immigration Enforcement | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | MS | HB 1089 | Legalizing Deer Baiting | Bill Passed - House (74 - 47) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | MS | HB 1089 | Legalizing Deer Baiting | Bill Passed - House (74 - 47) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | MS | SB 2468 | Voter Identification | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 18) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | WY | HB 46 | Animal Abuse and Cruelty | Bill Passed - House (56 - 2) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | WY | HB 46 | Animal Abuse and Cruelty | Bill Passed - House (56 - 2) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | VA | SB 476 | Prohibiting Drinking with a Concealed Weapon | Bill Passed - House (62 - 36) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | MI | HB 4675 | Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association Open Meetings and Public Access Requirements | Bill Passed - House (66 - 38) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | MD | SB 111 | Expanding Hate Crimes Classification to Homeless | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 4) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | VA | SB 436 | Concealed Weapons in Vehicles | Bill Passed - House (69 - 29) |
| Feb. 20, 2008 | KY | HB 396 | HPV Vaccinations for Primary, Secondary and Preschool Students | Bill Passed - House (56 - 37) |
| Feb. 20, 2008 | SD | SB 88 | Offering Sonograms to Women Considering Abortion | Bill Passed - House (38 - 32) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/25 | HB 933 | "Triggerman Rule" in Capital Murder Cases | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| 2/25 | HB 1406 | Establishment of Drunk Driving Memorial Sign Program | Bill Passed - House (82 - 51) |
| 2/25 | HB 729 | Parole Eligibility for Non-Violent Offenders | Bill Passed - House (69 - 52) |
| 2/25 | HB 729 | Parole Eligibility for Non-Violent Offenders | Bill Passed - House (69 - 52) |
| 2/25 | HB 4132 | Prohibiting Mandatory Employee Participation in Political Events | Bill Passed - House (64 - 33) |
| 2/25 | HB 137 | Deadly Force in Self Defense | Bill Passed - House (54 - 4) |
| 2/25 | HB 137 | Deadly Force in Self Defense | Bill Passed - House (54 - 4) |
| 2/25 | HB 4023 | Linking Driving Privileges with Student Performance | Bill Passed - House (80 - 15) |
| 2/25 | HB 145 | Restricting Benefits for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (40 - 18) |
| 2/22 | SB 243 | Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 10) |
| 2/22 | SB 243 | Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 10) |
| 2/22 | LB 395 | Statewide Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14) |
| 2/21 | HB 1151 | Adult-Oriented Business Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| 2/21 | SB 81 | Expanding Immigration Enforcement | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
| 2/21 | HB 1089 | Legalizing Deer Baiting | Bill Passed - House (74 - 47) |
| 2/21 | HB 1089 | Legalizing Deer Baiting | Bill Passed - House (74 - 47) |
| 2/21 | SB 2468 | Voter Identification | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 18) |
| 2/21 | HB 46 | Animal Abuse and Cruelty | Bill Passed - House (56 - 2) |
| 2/21 | HB 46 | Animal Abuse and Cruelty | Bill Passed - House (56 - 2) |
| 2/21 | SB 476 | Prohibiting Drinking with a Concealed Weapon | Bill Passed - House (62 - 36) |
| 2/21 | HB 4675 | Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association Open Meetings and Public Access Requirements | Bill Passed - House (66 - 38) |
| 2/21 | SB 111 | Expanding Hate Crimes Classification to Homeless | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 4) |
| 2/21 | SB 436 | Concealed Weapons in Vehicles | Bill Passed - House (69 - 29) |
| 2/20 | HB 396 | HPV Vaccinations for Primary, Secondary and Preschool Students | Bill Passed - House (56 - 37) |
| 2/20 | SB 88 | Offering Sonograms to Women Considering Abortion | Bill Passed - House (38 - 32) |