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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 7, 2008 | CA | AB 2949 | Retrieving Abandoned Pets | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| July 2, 2008 | CA | AB 97 | Trans Fats Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| June 30, 2008 | CA | SB 1137 | Residential Property Foreclosures | Bill Passed - House (55 - 18) |
| June 30, 2008 | CA | SB 823 | Private Postsecondary Education Regulation | Bill Failed - House (41 - 33) |
| June 23, 2008 | CA | SB 606 | 'No Child Left Behind' Implementation | Bill Passed - House (54 - 24) |
| June 9, 2008 | CA | SB 606 | 'No Child Left Behind' Implementation | Bill Failed - House (49 - 26) |
| June 5, 2008 | CA | SB 153 | Property Transfer | Bill Passed - House (45 - 29) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | AB 1819 | Voter Registration Age Minimum Changes | Bill Passed - House (45 - 31) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | AB 3034 | High-Speed Rail Bond Amendments | Bill Passed - House (60 - 3) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | AB 2076 | Prohibiting E-verify | Bill Passed - House (43 - 31) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | AB 1830 | Subprime Lending Regulations | Bill Passed - House (47 - 28) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | SB 1499 | Foil Balloon Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | AB 2572 | Nutritional Disclosure Bill | Bill Passed - House (46 - 15) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | SB 1096 | Pharmacy Prescription Refill Mailings | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | CA SB 1665 | Prison Health Care Facility Bonds | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | SB 1764 | Certification of Local Fire Agencies | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 14) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | SB 1407 | Financing Courthouse Construction | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 8) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | AB 2062 | Regulation Of Ammunition Sales | Bill Passed - House (42 - 32) |
| May 28, 2008 | CA | AB 1991 | Development on Half Moon Bay | Bill Passed - House (46 - 18) |
| May 28, 2008 | CA | AB 2716 | Paid Sick Leave | Bill Passed - House (45 - 33) |
| May 28, 2008 | CA | AB 2058 | Paper and Plastic Bag Tax | Bill Passed - House (44 - 33) |
| May 28, 2008 | CA | AB 2747 | Disclosing End-of-Life Care Options | Bill Passed - House (42 - 34) |
| May 28, 2008 | CA | AB 2368 | CalWORKs Eligibility | Bill Passed - House (46 - 33) |
| May 28, 2008 | CA | AB 2759 | Amending the Administration of State Preschool Programs | Bill Passed - House (47 - 31) |
| May 28, 2008 | CA | AB 2279 | Prohibiting Employment Discrimination Against Medical Marijuana Patients | Bill Passed - House (41 - 35) |
| May 27, 2008 | CA | AB 3025 | Polystyrene Packaging Regulations | Bill Passed - House (42 - 32) |
| May 27, 2008 | CA | SB 1440 | Capping Administrative Spending for Health Insurers | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| May 27, 2008 | CA | AB 1996 | Food Stamps for Convicted Drug Felons | Bill Passed - House (42 - 35) |
| May 27, 2008 | CA | AB 2654 | Expanding Anti-Discrimination Laws | Bill Passed - House (48 - 30) |
| May 19, 2008 | CA | AB 2567 | Creation of "Harvey Milk Day" | Bill Passed - House (45 - 28) |
| May 15, 2008 | CA | SB 1322 | Communist Party Membership | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| May 15, 2008 | CA | SB 1713 | Bisphenol A (BPA) Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| May 15, 2008 | CA | SB 1589 | Uncorroborated Jailhouse Informant Testimony Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| 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 5, 2008 | CA | AB 2233 | Ban on Holding Pets While Driving | Bill Passed - House (44 - 20) |
| May 1, 2008 | CA | AB 1943 | Passenger Rights on Commercial Airlines | Bill Passed - House (57 - 17) |
| April 28, 2008 | CA | SB 1137 | Residential Property Foreclosures | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| March 12, 2008 | CA | ABx3 9 | Oil Tax | Bill Failed - House (45 - 30) |
| Feb. 19, 2008 | CA | GN Borucki | Confirmation of Joan Borucki as State Lottery Director | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (32 - 3) |
| Jan. 30, 2008 | CA | SB 908 | Global Warming Education in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| Jan. 30, 2008 | CA | SB 926 | Mortgage Lender Requirements | Bill Failed - Senate (26 - 14) |
| Jan. 29, 2008 | CA | AB 624 | Disclosing Organizational Diversity | Bill Passed - House (45 - 29) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/07 | AB 2949 | Retrieving Abandoned Pets | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| 7/02 | AB 97 | Trans Fats Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| 6/30 | SB 1137 | Residential Property Foreclosures | Bill Passed - House (55 - 18) |
| 6/30 | SB 823 | Private Postsecondary Education Regulation | Bill Failed - House (41 - 33) |
| 6/23 | SB 606 | 'No Child Left Behind' Implementation | Bill Passed - House (54 - 24) |
| 6/09 | SB 606 | 'No Child Left Behind' Implementation | Bill Failed - House (49 - 26) |
| 6/05 | SB 153 | Property Transfer | Bill Passed - House (45 - 29) |
| 5/29 | AB 1819 | Voter Registration Age Minimum Changes | Bill Passed - House (45 - 31) |
| 5/29 | AB 3034 | High-Speed Rail Bond Amendments | Bill Passed - House (60 - 3) |
| 5/29 | AB 2076 | Prohibiting E-verify | Bill Passed - House (43 - 31) |
| 5/29 | AB 1830 | Subprime Lending Regulations | Bill Passed - House (47 - 28) |
| 5/29 | SB 1499 | Foil Balloon Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| 5/29 | AB 2572 | Nutritional Disclosure Bill | Bill Passed - House (46 - 15) |
| 5/29 | SB 1096 | Pharmacy Prescription Refill Mailings | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| 5/29 | CA SB 1665 | Prison Health Care Facility Bonds | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| 5/29 | SB 1764 | Certification of Local Fire Agencies | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 14) |
| 5/29 | SB 1407 | Financing Courthouse Construction | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 8) |
| 5/29 | AB 2062 | Regulation Of Ammunition Sales | Bill Passed - House (42 - 32) |
| 5/28 | AB 1991 | Development on Half Moon Bay | Bill Passed - House (46 - 18) |
| 5/28 | AB 2716 | Paid Sick Leave | Bill Passed - House (45 - 33) |
| 5/28 | AB 2058 | Paper and Plastic Bag Tax | Bill Passed - House (44 - 33) |
| 5/28 | AB 2747 | Disclosing End-of-Life Care Options | Bill Passed - House (42 - 34) |
| 5/28 | AB 2368 | CalWORKs Eligibility | Bill Passed - House (46 - 33) |
| 5/28 | AB 2759 | Amending the Administration of State Preschool Programs | Bill Passed - House (47 - 31) |
| 5/28 | AB 2279 | Prohibiting Employment Discrimination Against Medical Marijuana Patients | Bill Passed - House (41 - 35) |
| 5/27 | AB 3025 | Polystyrene Packaging Regulations | Bill Passed - House (42 - 32) |
| 5/27 | SB 1440 | Capping Administrative Spending for Health Insurers | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| 5/27 | AB 1996 | Food Stamps for Convicted Drug Felons | Bill Passed - House (42 - 35) |
| 5/27 | AB 2654 | Expanding Anti-Discrimination Laws | Bill Passed - House (48 - 30) |
| 5/19 | AB 2567 | Creation of "Harvey Milk Day" | Bill Passed - House (45 - 28) |
| 5/15 | SB 1322 | Communist Party Membership | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| 5/15 | SB 1713 | Bisphenol A (BPA) Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| 5/15 | SB 1589 | Uncorroborated Jailhouse Informant Testimony Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| 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) |
| 5/05 | AB 2233 | Ban on Holding Pets While Driving | Bill Passed - House (44 - 20) |
| 5/01 | AB 1943 | Passenger Rights on Commercial Airlines | Bill Passed - House (57 - 17) |
| 4/28 | SB 1137 | Residential Property Foreclosures | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| 3/12 | ABx3 9 | Oil Tax | Bill Failed - House (45 - 30) |
| 2/19 | GN Borucki | Confirmation of Joan Borucki as State Lottery Director | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (32 - 3) |
| 1/30 | SB 908 | Global Warming Education in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| 1/30 | SB 926 | Mortgage Lender Requirements | Bill Failed - Senate (26 - 14) |
| 1/29 | AB 624 | Disclosing Organizational Diversity | Bill Passed - House (45 - 29) |