Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Dec. 11, 2008 MI SB 505 Authorizing Judges to Carry Concealed Weapons in Courtrooms Bill Passed - House (80 - 18)
Sept. 17, 2008 National HR 6842 Repealing Portions of the D.C. Firearm Ban Bill Passed - House (266 - 152)
Aug. 19, 2008 CA SB 1171 Expanding Loaded Firearm Restrictions Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
Aug. 13, 2008 CA SB 1171 Expanding Loaded Firearm Restrictions Bill Passed - House (45 - 32)
July 29, 2008 MA Peterson Amdt to H 5022 Reducing Firearm Licensing Fee Amendment Adopted - House (97 - 59)
June 27, 2008 AZ HB 2389 Involving Gun Owners' Rights Conference Report Adopted - House (33 - 21)
June 27, 2008 AZ HB 2389 Involving Gun Owners' Rights Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 5)
June 23, 2008 NJ A 339 Handgun Purchasing Limitations Bill Passed - House (47 - 28)
June 20, 2008 LA SB 51 Guns in Parked Locked Cars Bill Passed - House (66 - 35)
May 29, 2008 OH SB 184 Lethal Force Against Intruders Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 7)
May 29, 2008 CA AB 2062 Regulation Of Ammunition Sales Bill Passed - House (42 - 32)
May 28, 2008 OH SB 184 Lethal Force Against Intruders Bill Passed - House (73 - 23)
May 21, 2008 AZ HB 2629 Legalizing the Defensive Display of a Firearm Concurrence Vote Passed - House (34 - 26)
May 21, 2008 LA SB 51 Guns in Parked Locked Cars Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 4)
May 19, 2008 AZ HB 2389 Involving Gun Owners' Rights Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 9)
May 12, 2008 AZ HB 2629 Legalizing the Defensive Display of a Firearm Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 7)
May 7, 2008 IL HB 4139 Peace Officer Firearms Bill Passed - House (91 - 18)
April 30, 2008 IL HB 5191 Parental Responsibility for Gun Accessibility Bill Passed - House (74 - 36)
April 23, 2008 AZ HB 2630 Illegally Concealed Weapon Penalty Reduction Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 10)
April 9, 2008 FL HB 503 Firearms in Vehicles Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13)
April 3, 2008 AZ SB 1132 Allowing Pistols in Restaurants Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10)
April 2, 2008 GA HB 257 Limiting Concealed Weapon Restrictions Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17)
April 1, 2008 PA A 6178 to HB 1845 Reporting Missing Firearms Amendment Rejected - House (75 - 128)
March 31, 2008 MS HB 1089 Legalizing Deer Baiting Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 51)
March 27, 2008 AZ HB 2788 Relaxing Concealed Weapon Restrictions Bill Passed - House (51 - 5)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/11 SB 505 Authorizing Judges to Carry Concealed Weapons in Courtrooms Bill Passed - House (80 - 18)
9/17 HR 6842 Repealing Portions of the D.C. Firearm Ban Bill Passed - House (266 - 152)
8/19 SB 1171 Expanding Loaded Firearm Restrictions Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
8/13 SB 1171 Expanding Loaded Firearm Restrictions Bill Passed - House (45 - 32)
7/29 Peterson Amdt to H 5022 Reducing Firearm Licensing Fee Amendment Adopted - House (97 - 59)
6/27 HB 2389 Involving Gun Owners' Rights Conference Report Adopted - House (33 - 21)
6/27 HB 2389 Involving Gun Owners' Rights Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 5)
6/23 A 339 Handgun Purchasing Limitations Bill Passed - House (47 - 28)
6/20 SB 51 Guns in Parked Locked Cars Bill Passed - House (66 - 35)
5/29 SB 184 Lethal Force Against Intruders Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 7)
5/29 AB 2062 Regulation Of Ammunition Sales Bill Passed - House (42 - 32)
5/28 SB 184 Lethal Force Against Intruders Bill Passed - House (73 - 23)
5/21 HB 2629 Legalizing the Defensive Display of a Firearm Concurrence Vote Passed - House (34 - 26)
5/21 SB 51 Guns in Parked Locked Cars Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 4)
5/19 HB 2389 Involving Gun Owners' Rights Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 9)
5/12 HB 2629 Legalizing the Defensive Display of a Firearm Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 7)
5/07 HB 4139 Peace Officer Firearms Bill Passed - House (91 - 18)
4/30 HB 5191 Parental Responsibility for Gun Accessibility Bill Passed - House (74 - 36)
4/23 HB 2630 Illegally Concealed Weapon Penalty Reduction Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 10)
4/09 HB 503 Firearms in Vehicles Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13)
4/03 SB 1132 Allowing Pistols in Restaurants Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10)
4/02 HB 257 Limiting Concealed Weapon Restrictions Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17)
4/01 A 6178 to HB 1845 Reporting Missing Firearms Amendment Rejected - House (75 - 128)
3/31 HB 1089 Legalizing Deer Baiting Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 51)
3/27 HB 2788 Relaxing Concealed Weapon Restrictions Bill Passed - House (51 - 5)

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