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 7, 2008 | MN | SF 3001 | Modifying State Education Policies | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (45 - 20) |
| May 7, 2008 | MN | SF 3001 | Modifying State Education Policies | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (45 - 20) |
| April 14, 2008 | MN | SF 2822 | "Good Faith" Requirement for Insurance Companies | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (47 - 15) |
| April 3, 2008 | MN | SF 960 | Modification of the Definition of Dependents for Local Government Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 22) |
| April 3, 2008 | MN | SF 960 | Modification of the Definition of Dependents for Local Government Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 22) |
| 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) |
| March 18, 2008 | MN | Scheid Amnd. | Insurance Payouts Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (37 - 30) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | MN | GN Molnau | Confirmation of Carol Molnau as Department of Transportation Commissioner | Nomination Rejected - Senate (22 - 44) |
| May 19, 2007 | MN | HF 464 | School District Health Insurance Pool | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 16) |
| May 16, 2007 | MN | SF 653 | Resident Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 20) |
| May 11, 2007 | MN | SF 238 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (43 - 21) |
| May 7, 2007 | MN | SF 2171 | 2008-2009 Health and Human Services Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (47 - 19) |
| May 7, 2007 | MN | SF 2171 | 2008-2009 Health and Human Services Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (47 - 19) |
| May 7, 2007 | MN | SF 2171 | 2008-2009 Health and Human Services Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (47 - 19) |
| May 2, 2007 | MN | SF 1398 | Domestic Partnership Visitation Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 22) |
| April 30, 2007 | MN | S Amendment | Domestic Partner Visitation Rights | Amendment Rejected - Senate (31 - 34) |
| April 23, 2007 | MN | SF 875 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 23) |
| March 29, 2007 | MN | SF 2171 | 2008-2009 Health and Human Services Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 23) |
| March 29, 2007 | MN | SF 2171 | 2008-2009 Health and Human Services Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 23) |
| March 29, 2007 | MN | SF 2171 | 2008-2009 Health and Human Services Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 23) |
| March 28, 2007 | MN | SF 276 | School District Health Insurance Pool | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 23) |
| March 27, 2007 | MN | SF 238 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 24) |
| March 24, 2007 | MN | SF 1997 | 2008-2009 State Government Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 20) |
| March 22, 2007 | MN | SF 1989 | 2008-2009 Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 2) |
| March 22, 2007 | MN | SF 1989 | 2008-2009 Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 2) |
| April 12, 2006 | MN | SF 1459 | School District Employees Statewide Health Insurance Pool | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 27) |
| April 10, 2006 | MN | SF 2702 | Labor Disputes, Eligibility for Unemployment, and Dislocated Worker Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 28) |
| April 10, 2006 | MN | SF 2702 | Labor Disputes, Eligibility for Unemployment, and Dislocated Worker Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 28) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/07 | SF 3001 | Modifying State Education Policies | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (45 - 20) |
| 5/07 | SF 3001 | Modifying State Education Policies | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (45 - 20) |
| 4/14 | SF 2822 | "Good Faith" Requirement for Insurance Companies | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (47 - 15) |
| 4/03 | SF 960 | Modification of the Definition of Dependents for Local Government Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 22) |
| 4/03 | SF 960 | Modification of the Definition of Dependents for Local Government Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 22) |
| 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) |
| 3/18 | Scheid Amnd. | Insurance Payouts Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (37 - 30) |
| 2/28 | GN Molnau | Confirmation of Carol Molnau as Department of Transportation Commissioner | Nomination Rejected - Senate (22 - 44) |
| 5/19 | HF 464 | School District Health Insurance Pool | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 16) |
| 5/16 | SF 653 | Resident Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 20) |
| 5/11 | SF 238 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (43 - 21) |
| 5/07 | SF 2171 | 2008-2009 Health and Human Services Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (47 - 19) |
| 5/07 | SF 2171 | 2008-2009 Health and Human Services Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (47 - 19) |
| 5/07 | SF 2171 | 2008-2009 Health and Human Services Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (47 - 19) |
| 5/02 | SF 1398 | Domestic Partnership Visitation Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 22) |
| 4/30 | S Amendment | Domestic Partner Visitation Rights | Amendment Rejected - Senate (31 - 34) |
| 4/23 | SF 875 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 23) |
| 3/29 | SF 2171 | 2008-2009 Health and Human Services Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 23) |
| 3/29 | SF 2171 | 2008-2009 Health and Human Services Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 23) |
| 3/29 | SF 2171 | 2008-2009 Health and Human Services Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 23) |
| 3/28 | SF 276 | School District Health Insurance Pool | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 23) |
| 3/27 | SF 238 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 24) |
| 3/24 | SF 1997 | 2008-2009 State Government Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 20) |
| 3/22 | SF 1989 | 2008-2009 Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 2) |
| 3/22 | SF 1989 | 2008-2009 Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 2) |
| 4/12 | SF 1459 | School District Employees Statewide Health Insurance Pool | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 27) |
| 4/10 | SF 2702 | Labor Disputes, Eligibility for Unemployment, and Dislocated Worker Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 28) |
| 4/10 | SF 2702 | Labor Disputes, Eligibility for Unemployment, and Dislocated Worker Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 28) |