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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Aug. 21, 2008 | CA | SB 28 | Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
Aug. 20, 2008 | CA | AB 2747 | Disclosing End-of-Life Care Options | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
Aug. 20, 2008 | CA | AB 2233 | Ban on Holding Pets While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
Aug. 7, 2008 | CA | AB 2654 | Expanding Anti-Discrimination Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
July 29, 2008 | MA | S 2807 | Election Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5) |
July 17, 2008 | NC | HB 2340 | Prohibiting Children from Riding in Pickup Truck Beds | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 20) |
July 9, 2008 | National | S Amdt 5064 | Striking Telecom Immunity from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Bill | Amendment Rejected - Senate (32 - 66) |
July 9, 2008 | National | HR 6304 | Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 28) |
July 2, 2008 | NC | SB 1988 | Outlaws Burning Crosses and Hanging Nooses | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 3) |
June 28, 2008 | WV | HB 219 | Nonbroadcast Political Advertisements | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 9) |
June 27, 2008 | AZ | SCR 1042 | Parameters of Marriage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 4) |
June 26, 2008 | AZ | HB 2713 | Student's Religious Liberties Act | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 10) |
June 25, 2008 | AZ | SCR 1042 | Parameters of Marriage | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (14 - 11) |
June 17, 2008 | LA | HB 852 | Banning Cell Phones While Driving | Bill Failed - Senate (6 - 27) |
June 17, 2008 | RI | S 2706 | Red Light Cameras | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 2) |
June 17, 2008 | NC | SB 1686 | Restrictions on Public Smoking | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 15) |
June 12, 2008 | NY | S 2375 | DNA Database Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 9) |
June 10, 2008 | PA | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 9) |
June 4, 2008 | PA | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (19 - 31) |
May 29, 2008 | CA | SB 1096 | Pharmacy Prescription Refill Mailings | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
May 29, 2008 | LA | S Amdt 3870 | Legislator Financial Disclosures | Amendment Rejected - Senate (5 - 29) |
May 28, 2008 | LA | SB 718 | State Board Member and Commissioner Financial Disclosures | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
May 27, 2008 | IL | HB 5288 | Expand Use of Red Light Cameras | Bill Failed - Senate (26 - 24) |
May 22, 2008 | MS | SB 2004 | Voter Identification Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
May 15, 2008 | CA | SB 1322 | Communist Party Membership | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
8/21 | SB 28 | Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
8/20 | AB 2747 | Disclosing End-of-Life Care Options | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
8/20 | AB 2233 | Ban on Holding Pets While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
8/07 | AB 2654 | Expanding Anti-Discrimination Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
7/29 | S 2807 | Election Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5) |
7/17 | HB 2340 | Prohibiting Children from Riding in Pickup Truck Beds | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 20) |
7/09 | S Amdt 5064 | Striking Telecom Immunity from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Bill | Amendment Rejected - Senate (32 - 66) |
7/09 | HR 6304 | Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 28) |
7/02 | SB 1988 | Outlaws Burning Crosses and Hanging Nooses | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 3) |
6/28 | HB 219 | Nonbroadcast Political Advertisements | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 9) |
6/27 | SCR 1042 | Parameters of Marriage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 4) |
6/26 | HB 2713 | Student's Religious Liberties Act | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 10) |
6/25 | SCR 1042 | Parameters of Marriage | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (14 - 11) |
6/17 | HB 852 | Banning Cell Phones While Driving | Bill Failed - Senate (6 - 27) |
6/17 | S 2706 | Red Light Cameras | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 2) |
6/17 | SB 1686 | Restrictions on Public Smoking | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 15) |
6/12 | S 2375 | DNA Database Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 9) |
6/10 | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 9) |
6/04 | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (19 - 31) |
5/29 | SB 1096 | Pharmacy Prescription Refill Mailings | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
5/29 | S Amdt 3870 | Legislator Financial Disclosures | Amendment Rejected - Senate (5 - 29) |
5/28 | SB 718 | State Board Member and Commissioner Financial Disclosures | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
5/27 | HB 5288 | Expand Use of Red Light Cameras | Bill Failed - Senate (26 - 24) |
5/22 | SB 2004 | Voter Identification Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
5/15 | SB 1322 | Communist Party Membership | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |