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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Aug. 20, 2008 CA AB 2233 Ban on Holding Pets While Driving Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17)
July 7, 2008 CA AB 2949 Retrieving Abandoned Pets Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14)
June 16, 2008 AZ HB 2485 Public Sale of Animals Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 12)
May 5, 2008 CA AB 2233 Ban on Holding Pets While Driving Bill Passed - House (44 - 20)
March 31, 2008 MS HB 1089 Legalizing Deer Baiting Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 51)
March 26, 2008 AK HB 256 Relaxing Predator Control Standards Bill Passed - House (25 - 12)
March 20, 2008 KS HB 2936 Capital Improvements Funding Bill Passed - House (87 - 35)
March 19, 2008 MS HB 1089 Legalizing Deer Baiting Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 24)
March 5, 2008 WV SB 373 Reclassification of Streams Bill Passed - House (67 - 32)
March 4, 2008 WA HB 2438 Permitting Dogs in Cougar Hunting Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18)
March 4, 2008 UT SB 297 Increasing Penalties for Animal Cruelty Bill Passed - House (62 - 6)
Feb. 27, 2008 UT SB 297 Increasing Penalties for Animal Cruelty Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 6)
Feb. 21, 2008 MS HB 1089 Legalizing Deer Baiting Bill Passed - House (74 - 47)
Feb. 21, 2008 WY HB 46 Animal Abuse and Cruelty Bill Passed - House (56 - 2)
Feb. 19, 2008 WA HB 2438 Permitting Dogs in Cougar Hunting Bill Passed - House (66 - 29)
Feb. 14, 2008 UT SB 117 Increasing Penalties for Animal Cruelty Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 14)
Feb. 11, 2008 SD HB 1171 Hunting Mountain Lions Bill Failed - House (26 - 42)
Jan. 28, 2008 GA HB 301 Increasing Dogfighting Penalties Bill Passed - House (165 - 6)
Date No. Title Outcome
8/20 AB 2233 Ban on Holding Pets While Driving Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17)
7/07 AB 2949 Retrieving Abandoned Pets Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14)
6/16 HB 2485 Public Sale of Animals Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 12)
5/05 AB 2233 Ban on Holding Pets While Driving Bill Passed - House (44 - 20)
3/31 HB 1089 Legalizing Deer Baiting Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 51)
3/26 HB 256 Relaxing Predator Control Standards Bill Passed - House (25 - 12)
3/20 HB 2936 Capital Improvements Funding Bill Passed - House (87 - 35)
3/19 HB 1089 Legalizing Deer Baiting Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 24)
3/05 SB 373 Reclassification of Streams Bill Passed - House (67 - 32)
3/04 HB 2438 Permitting Dogs in Cougar Hunting Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18)
3/04 SB 297 Increasing Penalties for Animal Cruelty Bill Passed - House (62 - 6)
2/27 SB 297 Increasing Penalties for Animal Cruelty Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 6)
2/21 HB 1089 Legalizing Deer Baiting Bill Passed - House (74 - 47)
2/21 HB 46 Animal Abuse and Cruelty Bill Passed - House (56 - 2)
2/19 HB 2438 Permitting Dogs in Cougar Hunting Bill Passed - House (66 - 29)
2/14 SB 117 Increasing Penalties for Animal Cruelty Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 14)
2/11 HB 1171 Hunting Mountain Lions Bill Failed - House (26 - 42)
1/28 HB 301 Increasing Dogfighting Penalties Bill Passed - House (165 - 6)

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