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. 13, 2007 NJ S 171 Eliminating the Death Penalty Bill Passed - House (44 - 36)
Dec. 11, 2007 WI SB 176 Compensation for Discharged Police Officers Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 3)
Dec. 11, 2007 WI SJR 5 Limiting Governor's Partial Veto Authority Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (33 - 0)
Dec. 10, 2007 NJ S 171 Eliminating the Death Penalty Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
Nov. 8, 2007 National PN 958 Michael B. Mukasey, Attorney General Nomination Confirmed - Senate (53 - 40)
Oct. 30, 2007 MI SB 233 2007-2008 State Judiciary Budget Conference Report Adopted - House (102 - 7)
Oct. 16, 2007 National HR 2102 Reporter's Source Confidentiality Guidelines Bill Passed - House (398 - 21)
Oct. 4, 2007 National HR 2740 Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA) Expansion and Enforcement Act of 2007 Bill Passed - House (389 - 30)
June 27, 2007 OH SB 7 Eminent Domain Bill Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 3)
June 27, 2007 OH SB 7 Eminent Domain Bill Bill Passed - House (71 - 27)
June 27, 2007 OH SJR 1 Eminent Domain Constitutional Amendment Ballot Bill Bill Failed - House (56 - 42)
June 20, 2007 AZ HB 2641 Maturity Requirement for Underage Abortions Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 6)
June 19, 2007 RI LCO # 2552/4 to H5300Aaa Repeal of Provision Requiring the Trying Seventeen Year-Olds as Adults in Criminal Cases Amendment Rejected - Senate (5 - 30)
June 19, 2007 RI H 5127 Mandatory Minimum Drug Possession Sentence Repeal Bill Passed - House (54 - 6)
June 15, 2007 RI Article 22 of H5300A Classifying Seventeen Year-Olds as Adults in Criminal Cases Amendment Adopted - House (48 - 19)
June 11, 2007 National S J Res 14 Attorney General No Confidence Vote Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 38)
June 7, 2007 NH HB 143 Damages in Civil Actions Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 11)
June 7, 2007 IL HR 25 State Constitutional Convention Awareness Resolution Passed - House (48 - 47)
June 5, 2007 LA HB 313 Extended Period for Indictments Bill Passed - House (79 - 25)
June 5, 2007 CT Sub SB 938 Reporting of Lost or Stolen Firearms Bill Passed - House (94 - 56)
June 4, 2007 CA SB 1019 Access to Police Misconduct Investigations Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11)
June 4, 2007 OR HB 2760 Annexation of Unincorporated Land Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 4)
June 2, 2007 CT Sub SB 167 Restricting Eminent Domain Concurrence Vote Passed - House (132 - 7)
May 31, 2007 CT Sub SB 167 Restricting Eminent Domain Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 3)
May 31, 2007 OH SJR 1 Eminent Domain Constitutional Amendment Ballot Bill Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/13 S 171 Eliminating the Death Penalty Bill Passed - House (44 - 36)
12/11 SB 176 Compensation for Discharged Police Officers Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 3)
12/11 SJR 5 Limiting Governor's Partial Veto Authority Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (33 - 0)
12/10 S 171 Eliminating the Death Penalty Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
11/08 PN 958 Michael B. Mukasey, Attorney General Nomination Confirmed - Senate (53 - 40)
10/30 SB 233 2007-2008 State Judiciary Budget Conference Report Adopted - House (102 - 7)
10/16 HR 2102 Reporter's Source Confidentiality Guidelines Bill Passed - House (398 - 21)
10/04 HR 2740 Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA) Expansion and Enforcement Act of 2007 Bill Passed - House (389 - 30)
6/27 SB 7 Eminent Domain Bill Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 3)
6/27 SB 7 Eminent Domain Bill Bill Passed - House (71 - 27)
6/27 SJR 1 Eminent Domain Constitutional Amendment Ballot Bill Bill Failed - House (56 - 42)
6/20 HB 2641 Maturity Requirement for Underage Abortions Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 6)
6/19 LCO # 2552/4 to H5300Aaa Repeal of Provision Requiring the Trying Seventeen Year-Olds as Adults in Criminal Cases Amendment Rejected - Senate (5 - 30)
6/19 H 5127 Mandatory Minimum Drug Possession Sentence Repeal Bill Passed - House (54 - 6)
6/15 Article 22 of H5300A Classifying Seventeen Year-Olds as Adults in Criminal Cases Amendment Adopted - House (48 - 19)
6/11 S J Res 14 Attorney General No Confidence Vote Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 38)
6/07 HB 143 Damages in Civil Actions Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 11)
6/07 HR 25 State Constitutional Convention Awareness Resolution Passed - House (48 - 47)
6/05 HB 313 Extended Period for Indictments Bill Passed - House (79 - 25)
6/05 Sub SB 938 Reporting of Lost or Stolen Firearms Bill Passed - House (94 - 56)
6/04 SB 1019 Access to Police Misconduct Investigations Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11)
6/04 HB 2760 Annexation of Unincorporated Land Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 4)
6/02 Sub SB 167 Restricting Eminent Domain Concurrence Vote Passed - House (132 - 7)
5/31 Sub SB 167 Restricting Eminent Domain Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 3)
5/31 SJR 1 Eminent Domain Constitutional Amendment Ballot Bill Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11)

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