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 17, 2008 | ID | H 562 | Tax Exemption for New Capital Investments | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| March 17, 2008 | ID | HCR 49 | State Employee Pay Raise | Resolution Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| March 17, 2008 | ID | H 561 | Tax Exemptions for the Processing of Fuel for Energy Production | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
| March 14, 2008 | National | S Amdt 4299 | Expressing the Sense of the Senate on the Legalization of Importing Certain Prescription Drugs | Amendment Adopted - Senate (73 - 23) |
| March 14, 2008 | IN | HB 1001 | Property Tax Reduction | Conference Report Adopted - House (82 - 17) |
| March 14, 2008 | IN | SJR 1 | Constitutional Property Tax Cap | Conference Report Adopted - House (79 - 20) |
| March 14, 2008 | IN | HB 1001 | Property Tax Reduction | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 6) |
| March 14, 2008 | IN | SJR 1 | Constitutional Property Tax Cap | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (40 - 7) |
| March 14, 2008 | MD | SB 90 | 2008-2009 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 7) |
| March 14, 2008 | MD | SB 461 | Prohibiting Cell Phone Use by Drivers Under 18 | Bill Failed - Senate (22 - 21) |
| March 13, 2008 | NH | HB 1498 | Parental Notification for Underage Medical Procedures | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (207 - 111) |
| March 13, 2008 | NH | HB 1160 | Pre-Abortion Counseling Requirement for Minors | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (236 - 79) |
| March 13, 2008 | National | S Amdt 4207 | Amendment on Certain Energy-Related Programs, Including the Development of Oil Shale and Offshore Natural Gas | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51) |
| March 13, 2008 | National | S Amdt 4329 | Amendment on Certain Energy-Related Programs, Including the Development of Oil and Natural Gas in Coastal Areas Not Covered by a Moratorium | Amendment Adopted - Senate (56 - 43) |
| March 13, 2008 | VA | HB 30 | 2008-2010 Biennium Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 14) |
| March 13, 2008 | VA | HB 30 | 2008-2010 Biennium Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 14) |
| March 13, 2008 | IA | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (23 - 27) |
| March 13, 2008 | National | H Con Res 312 | Concurrent Budget Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - House (212 - 207) |
| March 13, 2008 | OH | HB 314 | Abortion and Ultrasound Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
| March 13, 2008 | FL | SB 1380 | Electronic Gaming Machines | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 11) |
| March 12, 2008 | IA | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 40) |
| March 12, 2008 | OK | HB 2628 | Parental Consent for Sex Education | Bill Failed - House (50 - 51) |
| March 12, 2008 | OK | SB 1521 | Mandatory Clinical Cancer Trial Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 13) |
| March 12, 2008 | KY | SB 156 | Nuclear Waste Disposal | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| March 12, 2008 | CA | ABx3 9 | Oil Tax | Bill Failed - House (45 - 30) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/17 | H 562 | Tax Exemption for New Capital Investments | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| 3/17 | HCR 49 | State Employee Pay Raise | Resolution Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| 3/17 | H 561 | Tax Exemptions for the Processing of Fuel for Energy Production | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
| 3/14 | S Amdt 4299 | Expressing the Sense of the Senate on the Legalization of Importing Certain Prescription Drugs | Amendment Adopted - Senate (73 - 23) |
| 3/14 | HB 1001 | Property Tax Reduction | Conference Report Adopted - House (82 - 17) |
| 3/14 | SJR 1 | Constitutional Property Tax Cap | Conference Report Adopted - House (79 - 20) |
| 3/14 | HB 1001 | Property Tax Reduction | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 6) |
| 3/14 | SJR 1 | Constitutional Property Tax Cap | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (40 - 7) |
| 3/14 | SB 90 | 2008-2009 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 7) |
| 3/14 | SB 461 | Prohibiting Cell Phone Use by Drivers Under 18 | Bill Failed - Senate (22 - 21) |
| 3/13 | HB 1498 | Parental Notification for Underage Medical Procedures | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (207 - 111) |
| 3/13 | HB 1160 | Pre-Abortion Counseling Requirement for Minors | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (236 - 79) |
| 3/13 | S Amdt 4207 | Amendment on Certain Energy-Related Programs, Including the Development of Oil Shale and Offshore Natural Gas | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51) |
| 3/13 | S Amdt 4329 | Amendment on Certain Energy-Related Programs, Including the Development of Oil and Natural Gas in Coastal Areas Not Covered by a Moratorium | Amendment Adopted - Senate (56 - 43) |
| 3/13 | HB 30 | 2008-2010 Biennium Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 14) |
| 3/13 | HB 30 | 2008-2010 Biennium Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 14) |
| 3/13 | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (23 - 27) |
| 3/13 | H Con Res 312 | Concurrent Budget Resolution | Joint Resolution Passed - House (212 - 207) |
| 3/13 | HB 314 | Abortion and Ultrasound Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
| 3/13 | SB 1380 | Electronic Gaming Machines | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 11) |
| 3/12 | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 40) |
| 3/12 | HB 2628 | Parental Consent for Sex Education | Bill Failed - House (50 - 51) |
| 3/12 | SB 1521 | Mandatory Clinical Cancer Trial Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 13) |
| 3/12 | SB 156 | Nuclear Waste Disposal | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 3/12 | ABx3 9 | Oil Tax | Bill Failed - House (45 - 30) |