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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 19, 2009 | CA | SBx3 7 | Transportation Financing Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 12) |
| Dec. 18, 2008 | CA | ABx1 5 | Modifying Transportation Project Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
| Dec. 18, 2008 | CA | ABx1 2 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| Dec. 18, 2008 | CA | ABx1 4 | Reducing Education Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8) |
| Dec. 18, 2008 | CA | ABx1 8 | Amending Sentencing, Parole, and Property Crime Statutes | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| Sept. 19, 2008 | CA | SBx1 28 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| Sept. 16, 2008 | CA | AB 1781 | 2008-2009 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 11) |
| Sept. 16, 2008 | CA | AB 1452 | Suspending Carryback and Net Operating Loss Deductions | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| Sept. 16, 2008 | CA | SCA 12 | State Lottery Amendments | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
| Sept. 8, 2008 | CA | AB 1793 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 21) |
| Aug. 31, 2008 | CA | SB 1407 | Financing Courthouse Construction | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
| Aug. 29, 2008 | CA | AB 1781 | 2008-2009 Budget | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (24 - 15) |
| Aug. 29, 2008 | CA | AB 583 | Public Financing of Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18) |
| Aug. 29, 2008 | CA | AB 2321 | Metro Sales Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| Aug. 14, 2008 | CA | AB 1107 | Drought-Related Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
| Aug. 7, 2008 | CA | AB 3034 | High-Speed Rail Bond Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
| Aug. 5, 2008 | CA | SB 974 | Shipping Fee | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
| 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 12, 2008 | CA | SB 1301 | Extending Student Financial Aid Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| Aug. 21, 2007 | CA | SB 77 | 2007-2008 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 12) |
| June 6, 2007 | CA | SB 974 | Shipping Fee | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| June 27, 2006 | CA | AB 1801 | 2006-2007 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 10) |
| May 4, 2006 | CA | AB 140 | Disaster Preparedness and Flood Prevention Bond Act | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 1) |
| May 4, 2006 | CA | AB 127 | Kindergarten-University Public Education Bond Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/19 | SBx3 7 | Transportation Financing Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 12) |
| 12/18 | ABx1 5 | Modifying Transportation Project Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
| 12/18 | ABx1 2 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 12/18 | ABx1 4 | Reducing Education Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8) |
| 12/18 | ABx1 8 | Amending Sentencing, Parole, and Property Crime Statutes | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 9/19 | SBx1 28 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| 9/16 | AB 1781 | 2008-2009 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 11) |
| 9/16 | AB 1452 | Suspending Carryback and Net Operating Loss Deductions | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| 9/16 | SCA 12 | State Lottery Amendments | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
| 9/08 | AB 1793 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 21) |
| 8/31 | SB 1407 | Financing Courthouse Construction | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
| 8/29 | AB 1781 | 2008-2009 Budget | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (24 - 15) |
| 8/29 | AB 583 | Public Financing of Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18) |
| 8/29 | AB 2321 | Metro Sales Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| 8/14 | AB 1107 | Drought-Related Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
| 8/07 | AB 3034 | High-Speed Rail Bond Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
| 8/05 | SB 974 | Shipping Fee | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
| 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) |
| 5/12 | SB 1301 | Extending Student Financial Aid Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| 8/21 | SB 77 | 2007-2008 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 12) |
| 6/06 | SB 974 | Shipping Fee | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| 6/27 | AB 1801 | 2006-2007 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 10) |
| 5/04 | AB 140 | Disaster Preparedness and Flood Prevention Bond Act | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 1) |
| 5/04 | AB 127 | Kindergarten-University Public Education Bond Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8) |