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 8, 2008 | MN | SF 875 | Minimum Wage Increase | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (40 - 18) |
| May 8, 2008 | MN | SF 875 | Minimum Wage Increase | Conference Report Adopted - House (89 - 45) |
| May 8, 2008 | MN | SF 3001 | Modifying State Education Policies | Conference Report Adopted - House (82 - 49) |
| May 7, 2008 | MN | Dean Amendment: Stem cell research that does not destroy, injure or create human embryos | Amendment Rejected - House (65 - 69) | |
| May 7, 2008 | MN | SF 3001 | Modifying State Education Policies | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (45 - 20) |
| May 7, 2008 | MN | HF 3149 | Homeowner and Property Tax Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 27) |
| May 7, 2008 | MN | SF 100 | Public Funding for Stem Cell Research | Bill Passed - House (71 - 62) |
| May 5, 2008 | MN | Howes Amendment: Gas Tax Holiday | Amendment Rejected - House (28 - 102) | |
| May 5, 2008 | MN | Severson Amendment: Income Tax Refund | Amendment Adopted - House (75 - 54) | |
| May 5, 2008 | MN | HF 3149 | Homeowner and Property Tax Bill | Bill Passed - House (80 - 52) |
| May 1, 2008 | MN | SF 2369 | Background Checks for Coaches | Conference Report Adopted - House (112 - 15) |
| May 1, 2008 | MN | SF 875 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - House (82 - 45) |
| April 30, 2008 | MN | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 21) |
| April 28, 2008 | MN | Walker Amdt to SF 3001 | Sex Education in Schools | Amendment Adopted - House (79 - 53) |
| April 23, 2008 | MN | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Bill Passed - House (91 - 38) |
| April 21, 2008 | MN | HF 1351 | Transportation Policy Reform | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 11) |
| April 14, 2008 | MN | SF 2822 | "Good Faith" Requirement for Insurance Companies | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (47 - 15) |
| April 14, 2008 | MN | HF 1351 | Transportation Policy Reform | Conference Report Adopted - House (88 - 44) |
| April 14, 2008 | MN | SF 2822 | "Good Faith" Requirement for Insurance Companies | Conference Report Adopted - House (93 - 39) |
| April 10, 2008 | MN | HF 3569 | Workers' Lung Health Study | Bill Passed - House (88 - 45) |
| April 7, 2008 | MN | Emmer Amnd. | Voter Identification Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (59 - 70) |
| April 7, 2008 | MN | Brod Amendment: Voter Registration Training | Amendment Rejected - House (48 - 82) | |
| April 3, 2008 | MN | SF 960 | Modification of the Definition of Dependents for Local Government Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 22) |
| April 2, 2008 | MN | Hann Amnd. | Prohibiting Funding for Cities that Prevent Immigration Status Checks | Amendment Rejected - Senate (24 - 33) |
| April 2, 2008 | MN | Marty Amnd. | Removing Funding for Stadium Study | Amendment Adopted - Senate (41 - 22) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/08 | SF 875 | Minimum Wage Increase | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (40 - 18) |
| 5/08 | SF 875 | Minimum Wage Increase | Conference Report Adopted - House (89 - 45) |
| 5/08 | SF 3001 | Modifying State Education Policies | Conference Report Adopted - House (82 - 49) |
| 5/07 | Dean Amendment: Stem cell research that does not destroy, injure or create human embryos | Amendment Rejected - House (65 - 69) | |
| 5/07 | SF 3001 | Modifying State Education Policies | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (45 - 20) |
| 5/07 | HF 3149 | Homeowner and Property Tax Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 27) |
| 5/07 | SF 100 | Public Funding for Stem Cell Research | Bill Passed - House (71 - 62) |
| 5/05 | Howes Amendment: Gas Tax Holiday | Amendment Rejected - House (28 - 102) | |
| 5/05 | Severson Amendment: Income Tax Refund | Amendment Adopted - House (75 - 54) | |
| 5/05 | HF 3149 | Homeowner and Property Tax Bill | Bill Passed - House (80 - 52) |
| 5/01 | SF 2369 | Background Checks for Coaches | Conference Report Adopted - House (112 - 15) |
| 5/01 | SF 875 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - House (82 - 45) |
| 4/30 | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 21) |
| 4/28 | Walker Amdt to SF 3001 | Sex Education in Schools | Amendment Adopted - House (79 - 53) |
| 4/23 | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Bill Passed - House (91 - 38) |
| 4/21 | HF 1351 | Transportation Policy Reform | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 11) |
| 4/14 | SF 2822 | "Good Faith" Requirement for Insurance Companies | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (47 - 15) |
| 4/14 | HF 1351 | Transportation Policy Reform | Conference Report Adopted - House (88 - 44) |
| 4/14 | SF 2822 | "Good Faith" Requirement for Insurance Companies | Conference Report Adopted - House (93 - 39) |
| 4/10 | HF 3569 | Workers' Lung Health Study | Bill Passed - House (88 - 45) |
| 4/07 | Emmer Amnd. | Voter Identification Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (59 - 70) |
| 4/07 | Brod Amendment: Voter Registration Training | Amendment Rejected - House (48 - 82) | |
| 4/03 | SF 960 | Modification of the Definition of Dependents for Local Government Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 22) |
| 4/02 | Hann Amnd. | Prohibiting Funding for Cities that Prevent Immigration Status Checks | Amendment Rejected - Senate (24 - 33) |
| 4/02 | Marty Amnd. | Removing Funding for Stadium Study | Amendment Adopted - Senate (41 - 22) |