Key Votes

Chamber

Keyword Search

Search string must be longer than 3 characters.

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
June 4, 2008 PA SB 246 Smoking Ban Conference Report Rejected - Senate (19 - 31)
June 4, 2008 NH SB 321 Cigarette Tax Increase and Wine Discount Reduction Conference Report Adopted - Senate (12 - 11)
June 4, 2008 MI HB 5068 Great Lakes Water Management Bill Passed - House (56 - 52)
June 4, 2008 NY S 6823 Long Island Affordable Housing Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 9)
May 29, 2008 SC H 4400 Immigration Bill Concurrence Vote Passed - House (94 - 16)
May 29, 2008 CA AB 1830 Subprime Lending Regulations Bill Passed - House (47 - 28)
May 29, 2008 CA AB 2076 Prohibiting E-verify Bill Passed - House (43 - 31)
May 29, 2008 MS HB 17 Medicaid Funds Bill Bill Failed - House (55 - 53)
May 29, 2008 CA SB 1499 Foil Balloon Ban Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17)
May 29, 2008 CA AB 2572 Nutritional Disclosure Bill Bill Passed - House (46 - 15)
May 29, 2008 CA SB 1096 Pharmacy Prescription Refill Mailings Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
May 28, 2008 CA AB 1991 Development on Half Moon Bay Bill Passed - House (46 - 18)
May 28, 2008 CA AB 2058 Paper and Plastic Bag Tax Bill Passed - House (44 - 33)
May 28, 2008 CA AB 2279 Prohibiting Employment Discrimination Against Medical Marijuana Patients Bill Passed - House (41 - 35)
May 28, 2008 MI HB 5074 Ban Smoking in Places of Employment and Public Places with Exceptions for Casinos, Cigar Bars, and Specialty Tobacco Stores Bill Passed - House (65 - 39)
May 28, 2008 WI AB 1 Education Line Item Veto Override Veto Override Failed - House (60 - 36)
May 28, 2008 WI AB 1 Education Line Item Veto Override Veto Override Failed - House (57 - 39)
May 27, 2008 SC H 3567 Cigarette Tax Increase Veto Override Failed - House (54 - 57)
May 27, 2008 CA AB 3025 Polystyrene Packaging Regulations Bill Passed - House (42 - 32)
May 27, 2008 CA SB 1440 Capping Administrative Spending for Health Insurers Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16)
May 21, 2008 SC H 3816 Bankruptcy Exemptions Veto Override Passed - House (78 - 26)
May 21, 2008 SC H Amdt 4A Cigarette Tax for Small Business Employee Health Care Amendment Tabled - House (60 - 58)
May 21, 2008 SC H Amdt 7A To Reduce Income Tax Amendment Tabled - House (68 - 52)
May 21, 2008 SC H Amdt 3A Cigarette Tax Increase for Employee Health Care Amendment Tabled - House (67 - 51)
May 21, 2008 NH HB 1436 Automatic Continuation Clause in Collective Bargaining Agreements Concurrence Vote Passed - House (186 - 128)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/04 SB 246 Smoking Ban Conference Report Rejected - Senate (19 - 31)
6/04 SB 321 Cigarette Tax Increase and Wine Discount Reduction Conference Report Adopted - Senate (12 - 11)
6/04 HB 5068 Great Lakes Water Management Bill Passed - House (56 - 52)
6/04 S 6823 Long Island Affordable Housing Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 9)
5/29 H 4400 Immigration Bill Concurrence Vote Passed - House (94 - 16)
5/29 AB 1830 Subprime Lending Regulations Bill Passed - House (47 - 28)
5/29 AB 2076 Prohibiting E-verify Bill Passed - House (43 - 31)
5/29 HB 17 Medicaid Funds Bill Bill Failed - House (55 - 53)
5/29 SB 1499 Foil Balloon Ban Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17)
5/29 AB 2572 Nutritional Disclosure Bill Bill Passed - House (46 - 15)
5/29 SB 1096 Pharmacy Prescription Refill Mailings Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
5/28 AB 1991 Development on Half Moon Bay Bill Passed - House (46 - 18)
5/28 AB 2058 Paper and Plastic Bag Tax Bill Passed - House (44 - 33)
5/28 AB 2279 Prohibiting Employment Discrimination Against Medical Marijuana Patients Bill Passed - House (41 - 35)
5/28 HB 5074 Ban Smoking in Places of Employment and Public Places with Exceptions for Casinos, Cigar Bars, and Specialty Tobacco Stores Bill Passed - House (65 - 39)
5/28 AB 1 Education Line Item Veto Override Veto Override Failed - House (60 - 36)
5/28 AB 1 Education Line Item Veto Override Veto Override Failed - House (57 - 39)
5/27 H 3567 Cigarette Tax Increase Veto Override Failed - House (54 - 57)
5/27 AB 3025 Polystyrene Packaging Regulations Bill Passed - House (42 - 32)
5/27 SB 1440 Capping Administrative Spending for Health Insurers Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16)
5/21 H 3816 Bankruptcy Exemptions Veto Override Passed - House (78 - 26)
5/21 H Amdt 4A Cigarette Tax for Small Business Employee Health Care Amendment Tabled - House (60 - 58)
5/21 H Amdt 7A To Reduce Income Tax Amendment Tabled - House (68 - 52)
5/21 H Amdt 3A Cigarette Tax Increase for Employee Health Care Amendment Tabled - House (67 - 51)
5/21 HB 1436 Automatic Continuation Clause in Collective Bargaining Agreements Concurrence Vote Passed - House (186 - 128)

arrow_upward