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. 10, 2008 OH HB 648 Increasing Restrictions on Access to Confidential Personal Information Bill Passed - House (69 - 26)
Dec. 4, 2008 MI HB 4405 Juvenile Parole Eligibility Reform Bill Passed - House (63 - 43)
Dec. 4, 2008 MI HB 4404 Prohibiting Life Without Parole Sentencing for Juveniles Bill Passed - House (59 - 47)
Aug. 12, 2008 CA AB 1946 Expanding Enforcement of Water Pollution Laws Concurrence Vote Passed - House (48 - 29)
Aug. 12, 2008 CA SB 1589 Uncorroborated Jailhouse Informant Testimony Ban Bill Passed - House (41 - 37)
July 29, 2008 MA SB 800 Repealing Out of State Marriage Restrictions Bill Passed - House (119 - 36)
June 27, 2008 AZ HCR 2024 Election of Superior Court Judges Resolution Failed - House (24 - 32)
June 21, 2008 LA HB 906 Anonymity of Ethics Board Complaints Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 21)
June 11, 2008 LA SB 144 Castration of Sex Offenders Bill Passed - House (69 - 15)
May 27, 2008 CA AB 2654 Expanding Anti-Discrimination Laws Bill Passed - House (48 - 30)
May 27, 2008 MI SB 776 Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Bill Passed - House (74 - 32)
May 21, 2008 SC H 3816 Bankruptcy Exemptions Veto Override Passed - House (78 - 26)
May 20, 2008 National HR 6074 Prohibiting Foreign States or Associations from Forming a Group to Control Oil Bill Passed - House (324 - 84)
May 15, 2008 MN SF 960 Modification of the Definition of Dependents for Local Government Benefits Bill Passed - House (83 - 50)
May 12, 2008 OK HB 2458 Professional Malpractice Lawsuits Veto Override Failed - House (55 - 42)
May 12, 2008 MN SF 2965 Surrogate Mother Regulations Bill Passed - House (86 - 46)
May 12, 2008 AZ SCR 1042 Parameters of Marriage Resolution Passed - House (33 - 25)
May 7, 2008 NY A 10083 Foreclosure Assistance Finance Bill Passed - House (104 - 33)
May 7, 2008 NY A 8972 Foreclosure and Lending Bill Passed - House (113 - 21)
May 7, 2008 NY A 9695 Foreclosure Relief Bill Passed - House (126 - 11)
May 7, 2008 NY A 10219 Mortgage Bill of Rights Bill Passed - House (122 - 15)
May 5, 2008 KS HB 2860 Eminent Domain and Water Rights Conference Report Adopted - House (64 - 57)
May 5, 2008 CO HB 1082 Sealing Criminal Records Concurrence Vote Passed - House (36 - 28)
May 5, 2008 CO HB 1208 Limitations on Direct File Juvenile Cases Concurrence Vote Passed - House (34 - 30)
May 1, 2008 HI SB 2423 Turtle Bay Acquisition Conference Report Adopted - House (37 - 10)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/10 HB 648 Increasing Restrictions on Access to Confidential Personal Information Bill Passed - House (69 - 26)
12/04 HB 4405 Juvenile Parole Eligibility Reform Bill Passed - House (63 - 43)
12/04 HB 4404 Prohibiting Life Without Parole Sentencing for Juveniles Bill Passed - House (59 - 47)
8/12 AB 1946 Expanding Enforcement of Water Pollution Laws Concurrence Vote Passed - House (48 - 29)
8/12 SB 1589 Uncorroborated Jailhouse Informant Testimony Ban Bill Passed - House (41 - 37)
7/29 SB 800 Repealing Out of State Marriage Restrictions Bill Passed - House (119 - 36)
6/27 HCR 2024 Election of Superior Court Judges Resolution Failed - House (24 - 32)
6/21 HB 906 Anonymity of Ethics Board Complaints Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 21)
6/11 SB 144 Castration of Sex Offenders Bill Passed - House (69 - 15)
5/27 AB 2654 Expanding Anti-Discrimination Laws Bill Passed - House (48 - 30)
5/27 SB 776 Late-Term/Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Bill Passed - House (74 - 32)
5/21 H 3816 Bankruptcy Exemptions Veto Override Passed - House (78 - 26)
5/20 HR 6074 Prohibiting Foreign States or Associations from Forming a Group to Control Oil Bill Passed - House (324 - 84)
5/15 SF 960 Modification of the Definition of Dependents for Local Government Benefits Bill Passed - House (83 - 50)
5/12 HB 2458 Professional Malpractice Lawsuits Veto Override Failed - House (55 - 42)
5/12 SF 2965 Surrogate Mother Regulations Bill Passed - House (86 - 46)
5/12 SCR 1042 Parameters of Marriage Resolution Passed - House (33 - 25)
5/07 A 10083 Foreclosure Assistance Finance Bill Passed - House (104 - 33)
5/07 A 8972 Foreclosure and Lending Bill Passed - House (113 - 21)
5/07 A 9695 Foreclosure Relief Bill Passed - House (126 - 11)
5/07 A 10219 Mortgage Bill of Rights Bill Passed - House (122 - 15)
5/05 HB 2860 Eminent Domain and Water Rights Conference Report Adopted - House (64 - 57)
5/05 HB 1082 Sealing Criminal Records Concurrence Vote Passed - House (36 - 28)
5/05 HB 1208 Limitations on Direct File Juvenile Cases Concurrence Vote Passed - House (34 - 30)
5/01 SB 2423 Turtle Bay Acquisition Conference Report Adopted - House (37 - 10)

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