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
March 17, 2008 SD HB 1233 Government Spending Database Veto Override Passed - House (61 - 8)
April 16, 2008 NH HR 24 Impeachment Petition Resolution Tabled - House (227 - 95)
March 7, 2008 CO HB 1025 Governor's Energy Office Concurrence Vote Passed - House (56 - 7)
June 21, 2008 LA HB 906 Anonymity of Ethics Board Complaints Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 21)
May 12, 2008 AZ HB 2017 Legislative Approval for Regulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions Concurrence Vote Passed - House (36 - 22)
June 20, 2008 LA SB 718 State Board Member and Commissioner Financial Disclosures Bill Passed - House (92 - 8)
June 27, 2008 MS HB 17 Medicaid Funds Bill Bill Passed - House (68 - 44)
April 4, 2008 KS SB 148 Electricity Generation and Conservation Bill Passed - House (83 - 41)
March 26, 2008 MS SB 2188 Attorney General-Private Attorney Contract Restrictions Bill Passed - House (95 - 25)
March 11, 2008 WI AB 862 Government Spending Database Bill Passed - House (81 - 16)
April 1, 2008 IL HB 4232 State Board of Education Selection Process Bill Passed - House (86 - 21)
April 8, 2008 IL HJRCA 28 Recall Elections Joint Resolution Passed - House (75 - 33)
April 9, 2008 SC H 4673 Cost-of-Living Pension Increases for Retired Legislators and State Workers Bill Passed - House (58 - 51)
Jan. 15, 2008 WI SJR 5 Limiting Governor's Partial Veto Authority Joint Resolution Passed - House (94 - 1)
Jan. 30, 2008 CO HB 1025 Governor's Energy Office Bill Passed - House (59 - 5)
Feb. 6, 2008 MA H 4488 Education Reorganization Bill Passed - House (135 - 19)
Feb. 13, 2008 SD HB 1233 Government Spending Database Bill Passed - House (47 - 22)
Feb. 15, 2008 UT HB 75 State Inventory of Government Activities Bill Passed - House (54 - 17)
Feb. 20, 2008 AZ HB 2043 State Government Hiring Freeze Bill Passed - House (40 - 15)
March 4, 2008 MD HB 362 Department of Information Technology Bill Passed - House (105 - 31)
March 5, 2008 SC H 4620 Expanding Governor's Appointment Power Joint Resolution Passed - House (83 - 24)
March 5, 2008 ID HCR 49 State Employee Pay Raise Resolution Passed - House (51 - 19)
June 23, 2008 NJ S 1962 State Worker Retirement and Health Benefits Bill Passed - House (52 - 13)
July 9, 2008 National HR 5811 Electronic Communications Preservation Act Bill Passed - House (286 - 137)
Dec. 10, 2008 OH HB 648 Increasing Restrictions on Access to Confidential Personal Information Bill Passed - House (69 - 26)
May 1, 2008 KS SB 148 Electricity Generation and Conservation Veto Override Failed - House (80 - 45)
April 14, 2008 MO HJR 49 Appellate Judicial Commissioners Joint Resolution Failed - House (69 - 83)
April 2, 2008 GA SB 174 Physical Fitness Standards for State Employees Bill Failed - House (55 - 107)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/17 HB 1233 Government Spending Database Veto Override Passed - House (61 - 8)
4/16 HR 24 Impeachment Petition Resolution Tabled - House (227 - 95)
3/07 HB 1025 Governor's Energy Office Concurrence Vote Passed - House (56 - 7)
6/21 HB 906 Anonymity of Ethics Board Complaints Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 21)
5/12 HB 2017 Legislative Approval for Regulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions Concurrence Vote Passed - House (36 - 22)
6/20 SB 718 State Board Member and Commissioner Financial Disclosures Bill Passed - House (92 - 8)
6/27 HB 17 Medicaid Funds Bill Bill Passed - House (68 - 44)
4/04 SB 148 Electricity Generation and Conservation Bill Passed - House (83 - 41)
3/26 SB 2188 Attorney General-Private Attorney Contract Restrictions Bill Passed - House (95 - 25)
3/11 AB 862 Government Spending Database Bill Passed - House (81 - 16)
4/01 HB 4232 State Board of Education Selection Process Bill Passed - House (86 - 21)
4/08 HJRCA 28 Recall Elections Joint Resolution Passed - House (75 - 33)
4/09 H 4673 Cost-of-Living Pension Increases for Retired Legislators and State Workers Bill Passed - House (58 - 51)
1/15 SJR 5 Limiting Governor's Partial Veto Authority Joint Resolution Passed - House (94 - 1)
1/30 HB 1025 Governor's Energy Office Bill Passed - House (59 - 5)
2/06 H 4488 Education Reorganization Bill Passed - House (135 - 19)
2/13 HB 1233 Government Spending Database Bill Passed - House (47 - 22)
2/15 HB 75 State Inventory of Government Activities Bill Passed - House (54 - 17)
2/20 HB 2043 State Government Hiring Freeze Bill Passed - House (40 - 15)
3/04 HB 362 Department of Information Technology Bill Passed - House (105 - 31)
3/05 H 4620 Expanding Governor's Appointment Power Joint Resolution Passed - House (83 - 24)
3/05 HCR 49 State Employee Pay Raise Resolution Passed - House (51 - 19)
6/23 S 1962 State Worker Retirement and Health Benefits Bill Passed - House (52 - 13)
7/09 HR 5811 Electronic Communications Preservation Act Bill Passed - House (286 - 137)
12/10 HB 648 Increasing Restrictions on Access to Confidential Personal Information Bill Passed - House (69 - 26)
5/01 SB 148 Electricity Generation and Conservation Veto Override Failed - House (80 - 45)
4/14 HJR 49 Appellate Judicial Commissioners Joint Resolution Failed - House (69 - 83)
4/02 SB 174 Physical Fitness Standards for State Employees Bill Failed - House (55 - 107)

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