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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 30, 2008 | MN | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 21) |
| 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 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) |
| April 2, 2008 | MN | Marty Amnd. | Removing Funding for Stadium Study | Amendment Adopted - Senate (41 - 22) |
| March 18, 2008 | MN | Scheid Amnd. | Insurance Payouts Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (37 - 30) |
| March 6, 2008 | MN | HF 380 | Capital Improvements Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (57 - 9) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | MN | GN Molnau | Confirmation of Carol Molnau as Department of Transportation Commissioner | Nomination Rejected - Senate (22 - 44) |
| Feb. 25, 2008 | MN | HF 2800 | 2009-2010 Transportation Budget | Veto Override Passed - Senate (47 - 20) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | MN | HF 2800 | 2009-2010 Transportation Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 20) |
| Feb. 14, 2008 | MN | HF 2285 | Funding for Natural Resources and Cultural Heritage | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (46 - 17) |
| May 14, 2007 | MN | HF 946 | Transportation Funding and Gas Tax | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (47 - 17) |
| May 11, 2007 | MN | SF 893 | Earlier Precinct Caucus Date | Bill Passed - Senate (55 - 9) |
| May 8, 2007 | MN | SF 1989 | 2008-2009 Higher Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (44 - 21) |
| May 7, 2007 | MN | SF 2171 | 2008-2009 Health and Human Services Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (47 - 19) |
| May 4, 2007 | MN | SF 1997 | 2008-2009 State Government Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (42 - 23) |
| April 27, 2007 | MN | SF 100 | Public Funding for Stem Cell Research | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 26) |
| March 31, 2007 | MN | SF 1611 | Income Tax Increase and Education Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 29) |
| March 29, 2007 | MN | SF 2171 | 2008-2009 Health and Human Services Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 23) |
| March 26, 2007 | MN | HF 946 | Transportation Funding and Gas Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 24) |
| March 24, 2007 | MN | SF 1997 | 2008-2009 State Government Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 20) |
| March 23, 2007 | MN | SF 1986 | Transportation Taxes and Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 24) |
| March 22, 2007 | MN | SF 1989 | 2008-2009 Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 2) |
| May 20, 2006 | MN | HF 2480 | Baseball Stadium Financing, Construction, and Operation | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (34 - 32) |
| May 20, 2006 | MN | SF 2460 | University of Minnesota Football Stadium | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (43 - 24) |
| May 9, 2006 | MN | HF 2480 | Baseball Stadium Financing, Construction, and Operation | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 32) |
| May 9, 2006 | MN | SF 2460 | University of Minnesota Football Stadium | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 32) |
| April 20, 2006 | MN | SF 3131 | Omnibus Tax Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 30) |
| April 3, 2006 | MN | SF 2734 | Sales Tax Dedicated to the Environment and the Arts Constitutional Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (42 - 22) |
| March 23, 2006 | MN | SF 3475 | Omnibus Buildings Bonding Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 9) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/30 | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 21) |
| 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) |
| 4/03 | 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) |
| 4/02 | Marty Amnd. | Removing Funding for Stadium Study | Amendment Adopted - Senate (41 - 22) |
| 3/18 | Scheid Amnd. | Insurance Payouts Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (37 - 30) |
| 3/06 | HF 380 | Capital Improvements Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (57 - 9) |
| 2/28 | GN Molnau | Confirmation of Carol Molnau as Department of Transportation Commissioner | Nomination Rejected - Senate (22 - 44) |
| 2/25 | HF 2800 | 2009-2010 Transportation Budget | Veto Override Passed - Senate (47 - 20) |
| 2/21 | HF 2800 | 2009-2010 Transportation Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 20) |
| 2/14 | HF 2285 | Funding for Natural Resources and Cultural Heritage | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (46 - 17) |
| 5/14 | HF 946 | Transportation Funding and Gas Tax | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (47 - 17) |
| 5/11 | SF 893 | Earlier Precinct Caucus Date | Bill Passed - Senate (55 - 9) |
| 5/08 | SF 1989 | 2008-2009 Higher Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (44 - 21) |
| 5/07 | SF 2171 | 2008-2009 Health and Human Services Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (47 - 19) |
| 5/04 | SF 1997 | 2008-2009 State Government Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (42 - 23) |
| 4/27 | SF 100 | Public Funding for Stem Cell Research | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 26) |
| 3/31 | SF 1611 | Income Tax Increase and Education Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 29) |
| 3/29 | SF 2171 | 2008-2009 Health and Human Services Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 23) |
| 3/26 | HF 946 | Transportation Funding and Gas Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 24) |
| 3/24 | SF 1997 | 2008-2009 State Government Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 20) |
| 3/23 | SF 1986 | Transportation Taxes and Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 24) |
| 3/22 | SF 1989 | 2008-2009 Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 2) |
| 5/20 | HF 2480 | Baseball Stadium Financing, Construction, and Operation | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (34 - 32) |
| 5/20 | SF 2460 | University of Minnesota Football Stadium | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (43 - 24) |
| 5/09 | HF 2480 | Baseball Stadium Financing, Construction, and Operation | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 32) |
| 5/09 | SF 2460 | University of Minnesota Football Stadium | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 32) |
| 4/20 | SF 3131 | Omnibus Tax Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 30) |
| 4/03 | SF 2734 | Sales Tax Dedicated to the Environment and the Arts Constitutional Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (42 - 22) |
| 3/23 | SF 3475 | Omnibus Buildings Bonding Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 9) |