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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 24, 2008 | National | HR 5501 | Funding to Combat AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (303 - 115) |
| June 18, 2008 | AZ | SB 1048 | Prohibiting Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion | Conference Report Adopted - House (19 - 7) |
| June 18, 2008 | AZ | SB 1048 | Prohibiting Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion | Conference Report Adopted - House (19 - 7) |
| June 11, 2008 | LA | SB 144 | Castration of Sex Offenders | Bill Passed - House (69 - 15) |
| May 27, 2008 | MI | Bauer Amdt: Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Exception For A Woman's Health | Amendment Rejected - House (40 - 67) | |
| May 27, 2008 | MI | Meadows Amdt: Access to Contraceptives | Amendment Rejected - House (41 - 66) | |
| May 27, 2008 | MI | Byrnes Amdt: Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Exception For Rape And Incest | Amendment Rejected - House (41 - 66) | |
| May 27, 2008 | MI | Byrnes Amdt: Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Exception For Rape And Incest | Amendment Rejected - House (41 - 66) | |
| May 27, 2008 | MI | Bauer Amdt: Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Exception For A Woman's Health | Amendment Rejected - House (40 - 67) | |
| May 27, 2008 | MI | SB 776 | Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban | Bill Passed - House (74 - 32) |
| May 27, 2008 | MI | SB 776 | Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban | Bill Passed - House (74 - 32) |
| May 27, 2008 | MI | HB 6048 | Emergency Contraception for Victims of Sexual Assault | Bill Passed - House (57 - 51) |
| May 12, 2008 | MN | SF 2965 | Surrogate Mother Regulations | Bill Passed - House (86 - 46) |
| April 22, 2008 | AZ | SB 1048 | Prohibiting Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion | Bill Passed - House (31 - 24) |
| April 22, 2008 | AZ | SB 1048 | Prohibiting Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion | Bill Passed - House (31 - 24) |
| April 21, 2008 | MO | HB 1831 | Prohibiting Coerced Abortion | Bill Passed - House (113 - 33) |
| April 21, 2008 | MO | HB 1831 | Prohibiting Coerced Abortion | Bill Passed - House (113 - 33) |
| 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 2, 2008 | OK | SB 1878 | Abortion Regulations | Bill Passed - House (80 - 12) |
| April 2, 2008 | National | HR 5501 | Funding to Combat AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis | Bill Passed - House (308 - 116) |
| April 2, 2008 | OK | SB 1878 | Abortion Regulations | Bill Passed - House (80 - 12) |
| April 1, 2008 | MN | Seifert Amendment: Prohibiting Grants for Groups Associated with Abortion Providers | Amendment Rejected - House (64 - 66) | |
| April 1, 2008 | MN | Seifert Amendment: Prohibiting Grants for Groups Associated with Abortion Providers | Amendment Rejected - House (64 - 66) | |
| March 27, 2008 | MS | HB 520 | Reporting Sexual Activity of Minors | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 41) |