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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |