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
June 23, 2008 NJ A 339 Handgun Purchasing Limitations Bill Passed - House (47 - 28)
April 1, 2008 PA A 6178 to HB 1845 Reporting Missing Firearms Amendment Rejected - House (75 - 128)
May 29, 2008 CA AB 2062 Regulation Of Ammunition Sales Bill Passed - House (42 - 32)
Feb. 28, 2008 WI AB 581 Gun Possession During Emergencies Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 5)
March 3, 2008 UT AM 1 Mandating the Concealment of Firearms on Campus Amendment Adopted - House (41 - 29)
Feb. 26, 2008 WI AR 13 Supporting the Individual's Right to Bear Arms Resolution Passed - House (78 - 18)
March 31, 2008 MS HB 1089 Legalizing Deer Baiting Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 51)
March 19, 2008 MS HB 1089 Legalizing Deer Baiting Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 24)
Feb. 21, 2008 MS HB 1089 Legalizing Deer Baiting Bill Passed - House (74 - 47)
Feb. 4, 2008 SD HB 1261 Firearm Possession on College Campuses Bill Passed - House (63 - 3)
March 6, 2008 WY HB 137 Deadly Force in Self Defense Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 2)
March 5, 2008 WY HB 137 Deadly Force in Self Defense Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 1)
Feb. 25, 2008 WY HB 137 Deadly Force in Self Defense Bill Passed - House (54 - 4)
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)
May 19, 2008 AZ HB 2389 Involving Gun Owners' Rights Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 9)
March 11, 2008 AZ HB 2389 Involving Gun Owners' Rights Bill Passed - House (37 - 22)
April 2, 2008 GA HB 257 Limiting Concealed Weapon Restrictions Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17)
May 21, 2008 AZ HB 2629 Legalizing the Defensive Display of a Firearm Concurrence Vote Passed - House (34 - 26)
May 12, 2008 AZ HB 2629 Legalizing the Defensive Display of a Firearm Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 7)
March 4, 2008 AZ HB 2630 Illegally Concealed Weapon Penalty Reduction Bill Passed - House (36 - 24)
April 23, 2008 AZ HB 2630 Illegally Concealed Weapon Penalty Reduction Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 10)
March 27, 2008 AZ HB 2788 Relaxing Concealed Weapon Restrictions Bill Passed - House (51 - 5)
May 7, 2008 IL HB 4139 Peace Officer Firearms Bill Passed - House (91 - 18)
March 3, 2008 UT HB 473 Campus Gun Restrictions Bill Passed - House (60 - 11)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/23 A 339 Handgun Purchasing Limitations Bill Passed - House (47 - 28)
4/01 A 6178 to HB 1845 Reporting Missing Firearms Amendment Rejected - House (75 - 128)
5/29 AB 2062 Regulation Of Ammunition Sales Bill Passed - House (42 - 32)
2/28 AB 581 Gun Possession During Emergencies Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 5)
3/03 AM 1 Mandating the Concealment of Firearms on Campus Amendment Adopted - House (41 - 29)
2/26 AR 13 Supporting the Individual's Right to Bear Arms Resolution Passed - House (78 - 18)
3/31 HB 1089 Legalizing Deer Baiting Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 51)
3/19 HB 1089 Legalizing Deer Baiting Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 24)
2/21 HB 1089 Legalizing Deer Baiting Bill Passed - House (74 - 47)
2/04 HB 1261 Firearm Possession on College Campuses Bill Passed - House (63 - 3)
3/06 HB 137 Deadly Force in Self Defense Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 2)
3/05 HB 137 Deadly Force in Self Defense Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 1)
2/25 HB 137 Deadly Force in Self Defense Bill Passed - House (54 - 4)
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)
5/19 HB 2389 Involving Gun Owners' Rights Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 9)
3/11 HB 2389 Involving Gun Owners' Rights Bill Passed - House (37 - 22)
4/02 HB 257 Limiting Concealed Weapon Restrictions Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17)
5/21 HB 2629 Legalizing the Defensive Display of a Firearm Concurrence Vote Passed - House (34 - 26)
5/12 HB 2629 Legalizing the Defensive Display of a Firearm Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 7)
3/04 HB 2630 Illegally Concealed Weapon Penalty Reduction Bill Passed - House (36 - 24)
4/23 HB 2630 Illegally Concealed Weapon Penalty Reduction Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 10)
3/27 HB 2788 Relaxing Concealed Weapon Restrictions Bill Passed - House (51 - 5)
5/07 HB 4139 Peace Officer Firearms Bill Passed - House (91 - 18)
3/03 HB 473 Campus Gun Restrictions Bill Passed - House (60 - 11)

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