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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 18, 2008 | NM | SB 24 | Tax Rebate | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 2) |
| Aug. 17, 2008 | CA | AB 1781 | 2008-2009 Budget | Conference Report Rejected - House (45 - 30) |
| Aug. 17, 2008 | NM | HB 5 | Electronic Medical Records | Bill Passed - House (35 - 29) |
| Aug. 16, 2008 | NM | HB 4 | Working Families Tax Credit Increase | Bill Passed - House (39 - 25) |
| Aug. 14, 2008 | CA | AB 1107 | Drought-Related Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
| Aug. 13, 2008 | IL | HB 4201 | Property Tax Exemption for Disabled Veterans | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (78 - 12) |
| Aug. 13, 2008 | CA | AB 3034 | High-Speed Rail Bond Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (58 - 15) |
| Aug. 8, 2008 | NY | A 11258 | Mandatory Cigarette Taxation | Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 4) |
| Aug. 8, 2008 | NY | S 8736 | School District Property Tax Cap | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 20) |
| Aug. 7, 2008 | AK | SB 4002 | Energy Rebate Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (11 - 5) |
| Aug. 7, 2008 | AK | SB 4002 | Energy Rebate Bill | Bill Passed - House (33 - 5) |
| Aug. 7, 2008 | CA | AB 3034 | High-Speed Rail Bond Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
| Aug. 6, 2008 | AK | SB 4002 | Energy Rebate Bill | Bill Passed - House (30 - 7) |
| Aug. 5, 2008 | CA | SB 974 | Shipping Fee | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
| Aug. 4, 2008 | AK | SB 4002 | Energy Rebate Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 3) |
| Aug. 1, 2008 | AK | HB 3001 | Natural Gas Pipeline to Canada | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 5) |
| July 29, 2008 | MA | S 2807 | Election Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5) |
| July 26, 2008 | National | HR 3221 | Housing Bill with Energy Tax Credit Extensions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (72 - 13) |
| July 23, 2008 | National | HR 3221 | Housing Bill with Energy Tax Credit Extensions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (272 - 152) |
| July 22, 2008 | AK | HB 3001 | Natural Gas Pipeline to Canada | Bill Passed - House (24 - 16) |
| July 17, 2008 | NC | HB 2690 | Durham County Meals Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 22) |
| July 15, 2008 | CA | SB 974 | Shipping Fee | Bill Passed - House (46 - 24) |
| July 9, 2008 | VA | SB 6009 | Transportation Taxes | Bill Failed - House (39 - 59) |
| July 8, 2008 | NC | HB 2690 | Durham County Meals Tax | Bill Passed - House (60 - 59) |
| July 8, 2008 | NC | HB 2436 | 2008-2009 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (97 - 20) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/18 | SB 24 | Tax Rebate | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 2) |
| 8/17 | AB 1781 | 2008-2009 Budget | Conference Report Rejected - House (45 - 30) |
| 8/17 | HB 5 | Electronic Medical Records | Bill Passed - House (35 - 29) |
| 8/16 | HB 4 | Working Families Tax Credit Increase | Bill Passed - House (39 - 25) |
| 8/14 | AB 1107 | Drought-Related Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
| 8/13 | HB 4201 | Property Tax Exemption for Disabled Veterans | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (78 - 12) |
| 8/13 | AB 3034 | High-Speed Rail Bond Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (58 - 15) |
| 8/08 | A 11258 | Mandatory Cigarette Taxation | Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 4) |
| 8/08 | S 8736 | School District Property Tax Cap | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 20) |
| 8/07 | SB 4002 | Energy Rebate Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (11 - 5) |
| 8/07 | SB 4002 | Energy Rebate Bill | Bill Passed - House (33 - 5) |
| 8/07 | AB 3034 | High-Speed Rail Bond Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
| 8/06 | SB 4002 | Energy Rebate Bill | Bill Passed - House (30 - 7) |
| 8/05 | SB 974 | Shipping Fee | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
| 8/04 | SB 4002 | Energy Rebate Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 3) |
| 8/01 | HB 3001 | Natural Gas Pipeline to Canada | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 5) |
| 7/29 | S 2807 | Election Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5) |
| 7/26 | HR 3221 | Housing Bill with Energy Tax Credit Extensions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (72 - 13) |
| 7/23 | HR 3221 | Housing Bill with Energy Tax Credit Extensions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (272 - 152) |
| 7/22 | HB 3001 | Natural Gas Pipeline to Canada | Bill Passed - House (24 - 16) |
| 7/17 | HB 2690 | Durham County Meals Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 22) |
| 7/15 | SB 974 | Shipping Fee | Bill Passed - House (46 - 24) |
| 7/09 | SB 6009 | Transportation Taxes | Bill Failed - House (39 - 59) |
| 7/08 | HB 2690 | Durham County Meals Tax | Bill Passed - House (60 - 59) |
| 7/08 | HB 2436 | 2008-2009 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (97 - 20) |