Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
May 27, 2008 IL HB 5288 Expand Use of Red Light Cameras Bill Failed - Senate (26 - 24)
May 27, 2008 CA SB 1440 Capping Administrative Spending for Health Insurers Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16)
May 22, 2008 National HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Veto Override Passed - Senate (82 - 13)
May 22, 2008 National HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Veto Override Passed - Senate (82 - 13)
May 22, 2008 National S Amdt 4818 Funding for Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan Amendment Adopted - Senate (70 - 26)
May 22, 2008 National S Amdt 4817 Funding for Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan with Provisions Regarding Conduct and Congressional Oversight Amendment Rejected - Senate (34 - 63)
May 15, 2008 MN HF 3195 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 22)
May 15, 2008 National HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 15)
May 15, 2008 National HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 15)
May 15, 2008 NH HB 1509 Allocation of Gambling/Gaming Profits Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8)
May 15, 2008 NH HB 1434 Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8)
May 15, 2008 CA SB 1713 Bisphenol A (BPA) Ban Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)
May 15, 2008 CA SB 1322 Communist Party Membership Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16)
May 13, 2008 MN HF 6 2008 Education Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (55 - 10)
May 13, 2008 MN SF 2965 Surrogate Mother Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 22)
May 13, 2008 MN HF 3807 Real ID Prohibition Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 16)
May 13, 2008 WI AB 1 Budget Repair Plan Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 16)
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 1313 Perfluorochemical (PFC) Ban Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)
May 12, 2008 CA SB 1301 Extending Student Financial Aid Eligibility Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
May 8, 2008 MI HB 4163 Workplace Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
May 7, 2008 SC S Amdt P-4A Cigarette Tax Rate Adjustment Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (18 - 24)
May 7, 2008 National S Amdt 4719 Optional Wind Damage Insurance Amendment Rejected - Senate (19 - 74)
May 7, 2008 KS SB 586 Incentives to Develop Nuclear Power Facilities Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 3)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/27 HB 5288 Expand Use of Red Light Cameras Bill Failed - Senate (26 - 24)
5/27 SB 1440 Capping Administrative Spending for Health Insurers Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16)
5/22 HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Veto Override Passed - Senate (82 - 13)
5/22 HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Veto Override Passed - Senate (82 - 13)
5/22 S Amdt 4818 Funding for Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan Amendment Adopted - Senate (70 - 26)
5/22 S Amdt 4817 Funding for Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan with Provisions Regarding Conduct and Congressional Oversight Amendment Rejected - Senate (34 - 63)
5/15 HF 3195 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 22)
5/15 HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 15)
5/15 HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Conference Report Adopted - Senate (81 - 15)
5/15 HB 1509 Allocation of Gambling/Gaming Profits Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8)
5/15 HB 1434 Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8)
5/15 SB 1713 Bisphenol A (BPA) Ban Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)
5/15 SB 1322 Communist Party Membership Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16)
5/13 HF 6 2008 Education Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (55 - 10)
5/13 SF 2965 Surrogate Mother Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 22)
5/13 HF 3807 Real ID Prohibition Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 16)
5/13 AB 1 Budget Repair Plan Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 16)
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 1313 Perfluorochemical (PFC) Ban Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)
5/12 SB 1301 Extending Student Financial Aid Eligibility Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
5/08 HB 4163 Workplace Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
5/07 S Amdt P-4A Cigarette Tax Rate Adjustment Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (18 - 24)
5/07 S Amdt 4719 Optional Wind Damage Insurance Amendment Rejected - Senate (19 - 74)
5/07 SB 586 Incentives to Develop Nuclear Power Facilities Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 3)

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