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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 4, 2008 | HI | SB 2423 | Turtle Bay Acquisition | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 2) |
| March 4, 2008 | UT | HB 359 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 3) |
| March 4, 2008 | UT | SB 2 | 2007-2009 Biennium Education Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 7) |
| March 3, 2008 | UT | SB 48 | School Building Funding Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 9) |
| March 3, 2008 | NJ | S 786 | Extending Family Leave Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| Feb. 29, 2008 | ID | S 1436 | Teacher Pay-for-Performance Plan | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 19) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | VA | HB 30 | 2008-2010 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | SD | HB 1085 | Constructing Science Facilities at Universities | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 3) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | CO | SB 128 | Eliminating Sales and Use Tax Cap | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | IN | HB 1001 | Property Tax Reduction | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | SD | HB 1233 | Government Spending Database | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | KY | SB 14 | Non-Partisan Public Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| Feb. 25, 2008 | MN | HF 2800 | 2009-2010 Transportation Budget | Veto Override Passed - Senate (47 - 20) |
| Feb. 25, 2008 | IN | Amnd. 17 | Elimination of Township Assessors | Amendment Rejected - Senate (23 - 23) |
| Feb. 25, 2008 | VA | HB 11 | Property Tax Exemptions | Motion Agreed - Senate (21 - 19) |
| Feb. 25, 2008 | IN | Amnd. 19 | Referendum on Township Assessors | Amendment Rejected - Senate (24 - 20) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | SD | HB 1250 | Legislative Pay Raise | Bill Tabled - Senate (29 - 4) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | MN | HF 2800 | 2009-2010 Transportation Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 20) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | NH | CACR 34 | Constitutional Amendment to Define an Adequate Education | Resolution Passed - Senate (19 - 5) |
| Feb. 20, 2008 | GA | SR 845 | Regional Transportation Sales Tax | Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 4) |
| Feb. 19, 2008 | WI | SB 171 | Financing of Judicial Campaigns | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| Feb. 19, 2008 | WA | SB 6809 | Working Family Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 16) |
| Feb. 18, 2008 | WA | SB 6305 | Use of Federal Sex Education Grants | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 11) |
| Feb. 14, 2008 | MN | HF 2285 | Funding for Natural Resources and Cultural Heritage | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (46 - 17) |
| Feb. 14, 2008 | NM | HB 24 | Removing Tax Restrictions for Counties and Municipalities | Bill Failed - Senate (19 - 21) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/04 | SB 2423 | Turtle Bay Acquisition | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 2) |
| 3/04 | HB 359 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 3) |
| 3/04 | SB 2 | 2007-2009 Biennium Education Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 7) |
| 3/03 | SB 48 | School Building Funding Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 9) |
| 3/03 | S 786 | Extending Family Leave Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| 2/29 | S 1436 | Teacher Pay-for-Performance Plan | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 19) |
| 2/27 | HB 30 | 2008-2010 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| 2/27 | HB 1085 | Constructing Science Facilities at Universities | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 3) |
| 2/27 | SB 128 | Eliminating Sales and Use Tax Cap | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
| 2/26 | HB 1001 | Property Tax Reduction | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
| 2/26 | HB 1233 | Government Spending Database | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 2/26 | SB 14 | Non-Partisan Public Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 2/25 | HF 2800 | 2009-2010 Transportation Budget | Veto Override Passed - Senate (47 - 20) |
| 2/25 | Amnd. 17 | Elimination of Township Assessors | Amendment Rejected - Senate (23 - 23) |
| 2/25 | HB 11 | Property Tax Exemptions | Motion Agreed - Senate (21 - 19) |
| 2/25 | Amnd. 19 | Referendum on Township Assessors | Amendment Rejected - Senate (24 - 20) |
| 2/21 | HB 1250 | Legislative Pay Raise | Bill Tabled - Senate (29 - 4) |
| 2/21 | HF 2800 | 2009-2010 Transportation Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 20) |
| 2/21 | CACR 34 | Constitutional Amendment to Define an Adequate Education | Resolution Passed - Senate (19 - 5) |
| 2/20 | SR 845 | Regional Transportation Sales Tax | Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 4) |
| 2/19 | SB 171 | Financing of Judicial Campaigns | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| 2/19 | SB 6809 | Working Family Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 16) |
| 2/18 | SB 6305 | Use of Federal Sex Education Grants | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 11) |
| 2/14 | HF 2285 | Funding for Natural Resources and Cultural Heritage | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (46 - 17) |
| 2/14 | HB 24 | Removing Tax Restrictions for Counties and Municipalities | Bill Failed - Senate (19 - 21) |