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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 13, 2008 | LA | HB 1358 | Transporting Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (70 - 17) |
| May 12, 2008 | OK | HB 2633 | Religious Expression at Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (70 - 28) |
| May 12, 2008 | MN | SF 2965 | Surrogate Mother Regulations | Bill Passed - House (86 - 46) |
| May 12, 2008 | AZ | HB 2629 | Legalizing the Defensive Display of a Firearm | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 7) |
| May 12, 2008 | CA | SB 1301 | Extending Student Financial Aid Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| May 12, 2008 | AZ | SCR 1042 | Parameters of Marriage | Resolution Passed - House (33 - 25) |
| May 12, 2008 | AZ | SCR 1042 | Parameters of Marriage | Resolution Passed - House (33 - 25) |
| May 12, 2008 | AZ | SCR 1042 | Parameters of Marriage | Resolution Passed - House (33 - 25) |
| May 8, 2008 | National | H Amdt 1045 | Undocumented Immigrants' Ineligibility for Certain Financial Assistance | Amendment Adopted - House (391 - 33) |
| May 8, 2008 | MN | SF 3001 | Modifying State Education Policies | Conference Report Adopted - House (82 - 49) |
| May 8, 2008 | MN | SF 3001 | Modifying State Education Policies | Conference Report Adopted - House (82 - 49) |
| May 8, 2008 | MI | HB 4163 | Workplace Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| May 7, 2008 | SC | Amendment No. 8A | Requiring Employers to Verify Immigration the Status of Their Employees | Amendment Adopted - House (80 - 33) |
| May 7, 2008 | SC | Amendment No. 8A | Requiring Employers to Verify Immigration the Status of Their Employees | Amendment Adopted - House (80 - 33) |
| May 7, 2008 | MN | Dean Amendment: Stem cell research that does not destroy, injure or create human embryos | Amendment Rejected - House (65 - 69) | |
| May 7, 2008 | MN | SF 3001 | Modifying State Education Policies | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (45 - 20) |
| May 7, 2008 | MN | SF 3001 | Modifying State Education Policies | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (45 - 20) |
| May 7, 2008 | MN | SF 100 | Public Funding for Stem Cell Research | Bill Passed - House (71 - 62) |
| May 7, 2008 | IL | HB 4139 | Peace Officer Firearms | Bill Passed - House (91 - 18) |
| May 6, 2008 | RI | H 7040 | Twenty-Four Hour Operation of Video Lottery Games | Veto Override Passed - House (51 - 16) |
| May 6, 2008 | RI | H 7040 | Twenty-Four Hour Operation of Video Lottery Games | Veto Override Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
| May 6, 2008 | CO | HB 1388 | Increasing Education Funding | Conference Report Adopted - House (58 - 5) |
| May 6, 2008 | KS | HB 2019 | Voter Identification | Conference Report Adopted - House (67 - 56) |
| May 6, 2008 | KS | HB 2019 | Voter Identification | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 3) |
| May 6, 2008 | CO | HB 1388 | Increasing Education Funding | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (22 - 13) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/13 | HB 1358 | Transporting Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (70 - 17) |
| 5/12 | HB 2633 | Religious Expression at Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (70 - 28) |
| 5/12 | SF 2965 | Surrogate Mother Regulations | Bill Passed - House (86 - 46) |
| 5/12 | HB 2629 | Legalizing the Defensive Display of a Firearm | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 7) |
| 5/12 | SB 1301 | Extending Student Financial Aid Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| 5/12 | SCR 1042 | Parameters of Marriage | Resolution Passed - House (33 - 25) |
| 5/12 | SCR 1042 | Parameters of Marriage | Resolution Passed - House (33 - 25) |
| 5/12 | SCR 1042 | Parameters of Marriage | Resolution Passed - House (33 - 25) |
| 5/08 | H Amdt 1045 | Undocumented Immigrants' Ineligibility for Certain Financial Assistance | Amendment Adopted - House (391 - 33) |
| 5/08 | SF 3001 | Modifying State Education Policies | Conference Report Adopted - House (82 - 49) |
| 5/08 | SF 3001 | Modifying State Education Policies | Conference Report Adopted - House (82 - 49) |
| 5/08 | HB 4163 | Workplace Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| 5/07 | Amendment No. 8A | Requiring Employers to Verify Immigration the Status of Their Employees | Amendment Adopted - House (80 - 33) |
| 5/07 | Amendment No. 8A | Requiring Employers to Verify Immigration the Status of Their Employees | Amendment Adopted - House (80 - 33) |
| 5/07 | Dean Amendment: Stem cell research that does not destroy, injure or create human embryos | Amendment Rejected - House (65 - 69) | |
| 5/07 | SF 3001 | Modifying State Education Policies | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (45 - 20) |
| 5/07 | SF 3001 | Modifying State Education Policies | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (45 - 20) |
| 5/07 | SF 100 | Public Funding for Stem Cell Research | Bill Passed - House (71 - 62) |
| 5/07 | HB 4139 | Peace Officer Firearms | Bill Passed - House (91 - 18) |
| 5/06 | H 7040 | Twenty-Four Hour Operation of Video Lottery Games | Veto Override Passed - House (51 - 16) |
| 5/06 | H 7040 | Twenty-Four Hour Operation of Video Lottery Games | Veto Override Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
| 5/06 | HB 1388 | Increasing Education Funding | Conference Report Adopted - House (58 - 5) |
| 5/06 | HB 2019 | Voter Identification | Conference Report Adopted - House (67 - 56) |
| 5/06 | HB 2019 | Voter Identification | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 3) |
| 5/06 | HB 1388 | Increasing Education Funding | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (22 - 13) |