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 26, 2008 | KS | Journey Amnd. 1 | Penalties for Obstructing Immigration Enforcement | Amendment Rejected - Senate (14 - 24) |
| March 26, 2008 | KS | Huelskamp Amnd. 2 | Undocumented Immigrants Ineligible for Public Benefits | Amendment Rejected - Senate (12 - 26) |
| March 26, 2008 | KS | Brownlee Amnd. | Prohibits Union from collecting dues from Undocumented Workers | Amendment Adopted - Senate (19 - 18) |
| March 25, 2008 | KS | SB 81 | Health Care Reform | Bill Passed - House (103 - 20) |
| March 20, 2008 | KS | SB 461 | Electronic Wage Reports and Reimbursement Payments | Motion Agreed - House (63 - 58) |
| March 20, 2008 | KS | HB 2936 | Capital Improvements Funding | Bill Passed - House (87 - 35) |
| March 20, 2008 | KS | HB 2947 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (71 - 51) |
| March 19, 2008 | KS | SB 541 | Expanding Children's Health Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 8) |
| March 19, 2008 | KS | SB 409 | Three-Strikes Sentencing for Theft | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 6) |
| March 18, 2008 | KS | Hensley Amnd. | Premium Assistance Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 27) |
| March 18, 2008 | KS | Kelly Amnd. | Premium Assistance Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 27) |
| March 17, 2008 | KS | HB 2938 | Sales Tax Exemptions | Bill Passed - House (96 - 26) |
| March 17, 2008 | KS | HB 2762 | Income Tax Reduction | Bill Passed - House (109 - 13) |
| March 14, 2008 | KS | HB 2873 | Department of Corrections Bonds | Bill Passed - House (104 - 18) |
| Feb. 29, 2008 | KS | HB 2870 | Employment Incentive for Teachers | Bill Failed - House (59 - 63) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | KS | Ward Amnd. | Teacher Scholarship Program | Amendment Rejected - House (50 - 71) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | KS | HB 2605 | Changing School Finance Formula | Bill Failed - House (62 - 63) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | KS | McKinney Amnd. A to HB 2760 | Per Student Public School Funding | Amendment Rejected - House (50 - 70) |
| April 30, 2007 | KS | Sub HB 2237 | Maintenance for State Colleges and Universities | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 8) |
| April 30, 2007 | KS | Sub HB 2237 | Maintenance for State Colleges and Universities | Conference Report Adopted - House (102 - 20) |
| April 3, 2007 | KS | HB 2019 | Voter Identification | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (61 - 61) |
| March 28, 2007 | KS | HB 2019 | Voter Identification | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 14) |
| March 27, 2007 | KS | SB 385 | State Employee Pay Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 11) |
| March 16, 2007 | KS | HB 2540 | Capital Improvement Budget | Bill Passed - House (99 - 24) |
| March 16, 2007 | KS | HB 2542 | 2007-2008, 2008-2009, 2009-2010, 2010-2011, 2011-2012 Budget | Bill Passed - House (79 - 44) |
| March 15, 2007 | KS | Amend HB 2542 | Presidential Primary Funding | Amendment Adopted - House (85 - 34) |
| March 15, 2007 | KS | Amend HB 2542 | Presidential Primary Funding | Amendment Adopted - House (85 - 34) |
| March 15, 2007 | KS | HB 2530 | Physician Liability Exemption | Bill Passed - House (109 - 14) |
| March 15, 2007 | KS | Amend HB 2542 | Expand Children's Health Care | Amendment Rejected - House (55 - 67) |
| Feb. 22, 2007 | KS | Sub SB 152 | Elections for Senate Vacancies | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
| Feb. 22, 2007 | KS | Sub SB 152 | Elections for Senate Vacancies | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
| Feb. 15, 2007 | KS | SB 169 | Identification Requirement to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 12) |
| Feb. 5, 2007 | KS | HB 2038 | Tax Exemption for Nuclear Power Facilities | Bill Passed - House (95 - 28) |
| May 10, 2006 | KS | SB 142 | Campaign Finance | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 11) |
| May 10, 2006 | KS | HB 2583 | Machinery Tax Exemptions | Conference Report Adopted - House (109 - 10) |
| May 10, 2006 | KS | HB 2583 | Machinery Tax Exemptions | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 11) |
| May 9, 2006 | KS | SB 549 | 2006-2007, 2007-2008, and 2008-2009 Department of Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 18) |
| May 9, 2006 | KS | SB 549 | 2006-2007, 2007-2008, and 2008-2009 Department of Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (66 - 54) |
| May 8, 2006 | KS | SB 142 | Campaign Finance | Conference Report Adopted - House (75 - 45) |
| May 1, 2006 | KS | HB 2554 | DNA Sampling in Felony Cases | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 11) |
| May 1, 2006 | KS | HB 3021 | 2006-2007, 2007-2008, 2008-2009, 2009-2010, 2010-2011 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (64 - 58) |
| April 27, 2006 | KS | SCS SB 584 | School Finance | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| March 30, 2006 | KS | SB 501 | School Funding | Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 20) |
| March 30, 2006 | KS | Sub HB 2986 | School Finance | Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 25) |
| March 24, 2006 | KS | Sub HB 2986 | School Finance | Bill Passed - House (64 - 61) |
| March 22, 2006 | KS | HCR 5032 | Legislative Appropriations | Joint Resolution Failed - House (66 - 58) |
| March 22, 2006 | KS | HCR 5032 | Legislative Appropriations | Joint Resolution Failed - House (66 - 58) |
| March 16, 2006 | KS | SB 587 | Gambling Expansion | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 20) |
| March 9, 2006 | KS | SCR 1606 | Supreme Court Justice Selection Procedure Constitutional Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (22 - 17) |
| March 6, 2006 | KS | Amend HB 2573 | Federal Income Tax Deduction from State Tax Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (45 - 70) |
| Feb. 15, 2006 | KS | Sub HB 2525 | Taxation | Bill Passed - House (106 - 15) |
| Feb. 15, 2006 | KS | HB 2619 | Property Taxes | Bill Passed - House (108 - 14) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/26 | Journey Amnd. 1 | Penalties for Obstructing Immigration Enforcement | Amendment Rejected - Senate (14 - 24) |
| 3/26 | Huelskamp Amnd. 2 | Undocumented Immigrants Ineligible for Public Benefits | Amendment Rejected - Senate (12 - 26) |
| 3/26 | Brownlee Amnd. | Prohibits Union from collecting dues from Undocumented Workers | Amendment Adopted - Senate (19 - 18) |
| 3/25 | SB 81 | Health Care Reform | Bill Passed - House (103 - 20) |
| 3/20 | SB 461 | Electronic Wage Reports and Reimbursement Payments | Motion Agreed - House (63 - 58) |
| 3/20 | HB 2936 | Capital Improvements Funding | Bill Passed - House (87 - 35) |
| 3/20 | HB 2947 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (71 - 51) |
| 3/19 | SB 541 | Expanding Children's Health Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 8) |
| 3/19 | SB 409 | Three-Strikes Sentencing for Theft | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 6) |
| 3/18 | Hensley Amnd. | Premium Assistance Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 27) |
| 3/18 | Kelly Amnd. | Premium Assistance Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 27) |
| 3/17 | HB 2938 | Sales Tax Exemptions | Bill Passed - House (96 - 26) |
| 3/17 | HB 2762 | Income Tax Reduction | Bill Passed - House (109 - 13) |
| 3/14 | HB 2873 | Department of Corrections Bonds | Bill Passed - House (104 - 18) |
| 2/29 | HB 2870 | Employment Incentive for Teachers | Bill Failed - House (59 - 63) |
| 2/28 | Ward Amnd. | Teacher Scholarship Program | Amendment Rejected - House (50 - 71) |
| 2/28 | HB 2605 | Changing School Finance Formula | Bill Failed - House (62 - 63) |
| 2/27 | McKinney Amnd. A to HB 2760 | Per Student Public School Funding | Amendment Rejected - House (50 - 70) |
| 4/30 | Sub HB 2237 | Maintenance for State Colleges and Universities | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 8) |
| 4/30 | Sub HB 2237 | Maintenance for State Colleges and Universities | Conference Report Adopted - House (102 - 20) |
| 4/03 | HB 2019 | Voter Identification | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (61 - 61) |
| 3/28 | HB 2019 | Voter Identification | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 14) |
| 3/27 | SB 385 | State Employee Pay Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 11) |
| 3/16 | HB 2540 | Capital Improvement Budget | Bill Passed - House (99 - 24) |
| 3/16 | HB 2542 | 2007-2008, 2008-2009, 2009-2010, 2010-2011, 2011-2012 Budget | Bill Passed - House (79 - 44) |
| 3/15 | Amend HB 2542 | Presidential Primary Funding | Amendment Adopted - House (85 - 34) |
| 3/15 | Amend HB 2542 | Presidential Primary Funding | Amendment Adopted - House (85 - 34) |
| 3/15 | HB 2530 | Physician Liability Exemption | Bill Passed - House (109 - 14) |
| 3/15 | Amend HB 2542 | Expand Children's Health Care | Amendment Rejected - House (55 - 67) |
| 2/22 | Sub SB 152 | Elections for Senate Vacancies | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
| 2/22 | Sub SB 152 | Elections for Senate Vacancies | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
| 2/15 | SB 169 | Identification Requirement to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 12) |
| 2/05 | HB 2038 | Tax Exemption for Nuclear Power Facilities | Bill Passed - House (95 - 28) |
| 5/10 | SB 142 | Campaign Finance | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 11) |
| 5/10 | HB 2583 | Machinery Tax Exemptions | Conference Report Adopted - House (109 - 10) |
| 5/10 | HB 2583 | Machinery Tax Exemptions | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 11) |
| 5/09 | SB 549 | 2006-2007, 2007-2008, and 2008-2009 Department of Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 18) |
| 5/09 | SB 549 | 2006-2007, 2007-2008, and 2008-2009 Department of Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (66 - 54) |
| 5/08 | SB 142 | Campaign Finance | Conference Report Adopted - House (75 - 45) |
| 5/01 | HB 2554 | DNA Sampling in Felony Cases | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 11) |
| 5/01 | HB 3021 | 2006-2007, 2007-2008, 2008-2009, 2009-2010, 2010-2011 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (64 - 58) |
| 4/27 | SCS SB 584 | School Finance | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| 3/30 | SB 501 | School Funding | Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 20) |
| 3/30 | Sub HB 2986 | School Finance | Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 25) |
| 3/24 | Sub HB 2986 | School Finance | Bill Passed - House (64 - 61) |
| 3/22 | HCR 5032 | Legislative Appropriations | Joint Resolution Failed - House (66 - 58) |
| 3/22 | HCR 5032 | Legislative Appropriations | Joint Resolution Failed - House (66 - 58) |
| 3/16 | SB 587 | Gambling Expansion | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 20) |
| 3/09 | SCR 1606 | Supreme Court Justice Selection Procedure Constitutional Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (22 - 17) |
| 3/06 | Amend HB 2573 | Federal Income Tax Deduction from State Tax Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (45 - 70) |
| 2/15 | Sub HB 2525 | Taxation | Bill Passed - House (106 - 15) |
| 2/15 | HB 2619 | Property Taxes | Bill Passed - House (108 - 14) |