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. 19, 2008 MI SB 861 Tuition Assistance for Students in High Poverty Areas Bill Passed - House (61 - 34)
Nov. 17, 2008 NJ A 3374 Public Assistance Appropriations Bill Passed - House (67 - 10)
Nov. 17, 2008 NJ A 3459 Foreclosure Assistance Appropriations Bill Passed - House (47 - 26)
Oct. 3, 2008 National HR 6867 Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Bill Passed - House (368 - 28)
Aug. 29, 2008 CA AB 1107 Drought-Related Unemployment Benefits Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 18)
Aug. 29, 2008 CA SB 840 California Universal Healthcare Agency Bill Passed - House (44 - 32)
Aug. 19, 2008 NM SB 24 Tax Rebate Bill Passed - House (51 - 16)
Aug. 18, 2008 NM SB 22 Subsidizing Children's Health Care Bill Passed - House (47 - 19)
Aug. 16, 2008 NM HB 4 Working Families Tax Credit Increase Bill Passed - House (39 - 25)
July 23, 2008 National HR 3221 Housing Bill with Energy Tax Credit Extensions Concurrence Vote Passed - House (272 - 152)
July 1, 2008 DE SB 300 2008-2009 Budget Bill Passed - House (33 - 7)
June 27, 2008 MS HB 17 Medicaid Funds Bill Bill Passed - House (68 - 44)
June 23, 2008 NJ S 1557 FamilyCare Expansion bill Bill Passed - House (59 - 18)
June 19, 2008 National HR 2642 GI Bill, Funding for Midwest Flood Cleanup, Extension of Unemployment Benefits, and Other Provisions Concurrence Vote Passed - House (268 - 155)
June 18, 2008 National HR 6124 Second Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Veto Override Passed - House (317 - 109)
June 16, 2008 NJ A 500 Affordable Housing Bill Passed - House (44 - 34)
June 12, 2008 National HR 5749 Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2008 Bill Passed - House (274 - 137)
May 29, 2008 MS HB 17 Medicaid Funds Bill Bill Failed - House (55 - 53)
May 28, 2008 MS SB 2011 Increasing Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - House (87 - 33)
May 28, 2008 CA AB 2368 CalWORKs Eligibility Bill Passed - House (46 - 33)
May 27, 2008 SC H 3567 Cigarette Tax Increase Veto Override Failed - House (54 - 57)
May 27, 2008 CA AB 1996 Food Stamps for Convicted Drug Felons Bill Passed - House (42 - 35)
May 21, 2008 SC H 3816 Bankruptcy Exemptions Veto Override Passed - House (78 - 26)
May 21, 2008 National HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Veto Override Passed - House (316 - 108)
May 16, 2008 MO HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 Undocumented Immigrants Conference Report Adopted - House (136 - 12)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/19 SB 861 Tuition Assistance for Students in High Poverty Areas Bill Passed - House (61 - 34)
11/17 A 3374 Public Assistance Appropriations Bill Passed - House (67 - 10)
11/17 A 3459 Foreclosure Assistance Appropriations Bill Passed - House (47 - 26)
10/03 HR 6867 Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Bill Passed - House (368 - 28)
8/29 AB 1107 Drought-Related Unemployment Benefits Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 18)
8/29 SB 840 California Universal Healthcare Agency Bill Passed - House (44 - 32)
8/19 SB 24 Tax Rebate Bill Passed - House (51 - 16)
8/18 SB 22 Subsidizing Children's Health Care Bill Passed - House (47 - 19)
8/16 HB 4 Working Families Tax Credit Increase Bill Passed - House (39 - 25)
7/23 HR 3221 Housing Bill with Energy Tax Credit Extensions Concurrence Vote Passed - House (272 - 152)
7/01 SB 300 2008-2009 Budget Bill Passed - House (33 - 7)
6/27 HB 17 Medicaid Funds Bill Bill Passed - House (68 - 44)
6/23 S 1557 FamilyCare Expansion bill Bill Passed - House (59 - 18)
6/19 HR 2642 GI Bill, Funding for Midwest Flood Cleanup, Extension of Unemployment Benefits, and Other Provisions Concurrence Vote Passed - House (268 - 155)
6/18 HR 6124 Second Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Veto Override Passed - House (317 - 109)
6/16 A 500 Affordable Housing Bill Passed - House (44 - 34)
6/12 HR 5749 Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2008 Bill Passed - House (274 - 137)
5/29 HB 17 Medicaid Funds Bill Bill Failed - House (55 - 53)
5/28 SB 2011 Increasing Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - House (87 - 33)
5/28 AB 2368 CalWORKs Eligibility Bill Passed - House (46 - 33)
5/27 H 3567 Cigarette Tax Increase Veto Override Failed - House (54 - 57)
5/27 AB 1996 Food Stamps for Convicted Drug Felons Bill Passed - House (42 - 35)
5/21 H 3816 Bankruptcy Exemptions Veto Override Passed - House (78 - 26)
5/21 HR 2419 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) Veto Override Passed - House (316 - 108)
5/16 HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 Undocumented Immigrants Conference Report Adopted - House (136 - 12)

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