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 5, 2008 | CO | HB 1389 | Health Insurance Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| May 5, 2008 | CT | HB 5105 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| May 2, 2008 | CO | HB 1161 | Mining Regulation | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 2) |
| May 2, 2008 | CO | HB 1325 | Seasonal Foreign Worker Pilot Program | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| May 1, 2008 | HI | SB 2423 | Turtle Bay Acquisition | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 11) |
| May 1, 2008 | MI | Sub HB 5282 | Independent Health Benefit Plans | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| May 1, 2008 | MI | HB 5283 | Health Insurance Package | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| May 1, 2008 | MO | HB 2393 | Mega-Project Tax Credits | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
| May 1, 2008 | CT | SB 217 | Mandatory Sick Leave | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| April 30, 2008 | KS | SB 148 | Electricity Generation and Conservation | Veto Override Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| April 30, 2008 | LA | SB 160 | Homeowners' Insurance | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| April 28, 2008 | AZ | HB 2745 | Amending Undocumented Immigrant Employment Sanctions | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 4) |
| April 28, 2008 | CA | SB 1137 | Residential Property Foreclosures | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| April 24, 2008 | MO | SB 817 | Physicians' Billing Practices | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 8) |
| April 23, 2008 | National | HR 2831 | Equal Pay Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42) |
| April 23, 2008 | DE | SB 195 | Election Day Alcohol Sales | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 5) |
| April 22, 2008 | MI | SB 1198 | Changes to Michigan Business Tax Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| April 22, 2008 | CO | SB 217 | Extended Health Care Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| April 21, 2008 | AZ | HB 2395 | Driving and Boating Under the Influence | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 6) |
| April 16, 2008 | MO | SA 1 to HB 2007 | Mega-Project Fund Appropriation | Amendment Rejected - Senate (11 - 22) |
| April 16, 2008 | FL | SB 2860 | Property Insurance Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| April 15, 2008 | MS | SB 2793 | Utility Rate Increases During Planning or Construction of Plants | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 4) |
| April 15, 2008 | ME | LD 2247 | Alcohol and Soda Tax for Health Care Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| April 14, 2008 | MN | SF 2822 | "Good Faith" Requirement for Insurance Companies | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (47 - 15) |
| April 8, 2008 | IA | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 22) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/05 | HB 1389 | Health Insurance Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| 5/05 | HB 5105 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| 5/02 | HB 1161 | Mining Regulation | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 2) |
| 5/02 | HB 1325 | Seasonal Foreign Worker Pilot Program | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 5/01 | SB 2423 | Turtle Bay Acquisition | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 11) |
| 5/01 | Sub HB 5282 | Independent Health Benefit Plans | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| 5/01 | HB 5283 | Health Insurance Package | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| 5/01 | HB 2393 | Mega-Project Tax Credits | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
| 5/01 | SB 217 | Mandatory Sick Leave | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| 4/30 | SB 148 | Electricity Generation and Conservation | Veto Override Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| 4/30 | SB 160 | Homeowners' Insurance | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| 4/28 | HB 2745 | Amending Undocumented Immigrant Employment Sanctions | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 4) |
| 4/28 | SB 1137 | Residential Property Foreclosures | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| 4/24 | SB 817 | Physicians' Billing Practices | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 8) |
| 4/23 | HR 2831 | Equal Pay Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42) |
| 4/23 | SB 195 | Election Day Alcohol Sales | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 5) |
| 4/22 | SB 1198 | Changes to Michigan Business Tax Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 4/22 | SB 217 | Extended Health Care Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| 4/21 | HB 2395 | Driving and Boating Under the Influence | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 6) |
| 4/16 | SA 1 to HB 2007 | Mega-Project Fund Appropriation | Amendment Rejected - Senate (11 - 22) |
| 4/16 | SB 2860 | Property Insurance Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| 4/15 | SB 2793 | Utility Rate Increases During Planning or Construction of Plants | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 4) |
| 4/15 | LD 2247 | Alcohol and Soda Tax for Health Care Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| 4/14 | SF 2822 | "Good Faith" Requirement for Insurance Companies | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (47 - 15) |
| 4/08 | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 22) |