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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 16, 2008 | PA | SB 1387 | Business Property Tax Deduction | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15) |
| June 16, 2008 | PA | SB 1385 | Increase Tax Credit for Business Net Losses | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| June 12, 2008 | MA | H 4554 | Life-Science Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7) |
| June 11, 2008 | CT | SB 1001 | Real Estate Conveyance Tax Extension | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| June 11, 2008 | LA | HB 1347 | Vouchers Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| June 10, 2008 | LA | SB 672 | Legislative Pay Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| June 4, 2008 | NH | SB 321 | Cigarette Tax Increase and Wine Discount Reduction | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (12 - 11) |
| June 4, 2008 | NH | SSHB 1 | Education Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 9) |
| June 4, 2008 | AZ | HB 2475 | Bonds for School Computers | Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 13) |
| June 2, 2008 | PA | SB 1386 | Poverty Income Tax Cut | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 16) |
| May 29, 2008 | IL | SB 788 | Authorizing $16 Billion Increase in Bonds for State Pensions | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 21) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | CA SB 1665 | Prison Health Care Facility Bonds | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | SB 1407 | Financing Courthouse Construction | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 8) |
| May 29, 2008 | AL | SB 51 | 2008-2009 Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 1) |
| May 28, 2008 | MI | Anderson Amendment: Increase Revenue Sharing Grants | Amendment Rejected - Senate (19 - 18) | |
| May 28, 2008 | MS | SB 2013 | Hospital Tax for Medicaid Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 7) |
| May 22, 2008 | MS | SB 2011 | Increasing Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 3) |
| May 15, 2008 | MN | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 22) |
| May 15, 2008 | NH | HB 1509 | Allocation of Gambling/Gaming Profits | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8) |
| May 13, 2008 | MN | HF 6 | 2008 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (55 - 10) |
| May 13, 2008 | WI | AB 1 | Budget Repair Plan | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 16) |
| May 12, 2008 | MN | HF 3391 | Health Care Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 13) |
| May 12, 2008 | CA | SB 1301 | Extending Student Financial Aid Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| May 7, 2008 | SC | S Amdt P-4A | Cigarette Tax Rate Adjustment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (18 - 24) |
| May 7, 2008 | KS | HB 2946 | 2007-2009 Biennium Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 11) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/16 | SB 1387 | Business Property Tax Deduction | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15) |
| 6/16 | SB 1385 | Increase Tax Credit for Business Net Losses | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| 6/12 | H 4554 | Life-Science Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7) |
| 6/11 | SB 1001 | Real Estate Conveyance Tax Extension | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| 6/11 | HB 1347 | Vouchers Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| 6/10 | SB 672 | Legislative Pay Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| 6/04 | SB 321 | Cigarette Tax Increase and Wine Discount Reduction | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (12 - 11) |
| 6/04 | SSHB 1 | Education Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 9) |
| 6/04 | HB 2475 | Bonds for School Computers | Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 13) |
| 6/02 | SB 1386 | Poverty Income Tax Cut | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 16) |
| 5/29 | SB 788 | Authorizing $16 Billion Increase in Bonds for State Pensions | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 21) |
| 5/29 | CA SB 1665 | Prison Health Care Facility Bonds | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| 5/29 | SB 1407 | Financing Courthouse Construction | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 8) |
| 5/29 | SB 51 | 2008-2009 Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 1) |
| 5/28 | Anderson Amendment: Increase Revenue Sharing Grants | Amendment Rejected - Senate (19 - 18) | |
| 5/28 | SB 2013 | Hospital Tax for Medicaid Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 7) |
| 5/22 | SB 2011 | Increasing Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 3) |
| 5/15 | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 22) |
| 5/15 | HB 1509 | Allocation of Gambling/Gaming Profits | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8) |
| 5/13 | HF 6 | 2008 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (55 - 10) |
| 5/13 | AB 1 | Budget Repair Plan | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 16) |
| 5/12 | HF 3391 | Health Care Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 13) |
| 5/12 | SB 1301 | Extending Student Financial Aid Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| 5/07 | S Amdt P-4A | Cigarette Tax Rate Adjustment | Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (18 - 24) |
| 5/07 | HB 2946 | 2007-2009 Biennium Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 11) |