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. 18, 2008 CA ABx1 12 Extending Tax Withholding Requirements to Payments to Independent Contractors Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 28)
Aug. 8, 2008 NY A 11258 Mandatory Cigarette Taxation Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 4)
July 17, 2008 NC HB 2690 Durham County Meals Tax Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 22)
July 16, 2008 National HR 415 Adding Parts of the Taunton River to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System Bill Passed - House (242 - 175)
July 8, 2008 NC HB 2690 Durham County Meals Tax Bill Passed - House (60 - 59)
June 25, 2008 PA A 7738 Real ID Biometric Data Bill Failed - House (92 - 108)
June 24, 2008 NY A 11258 Mandatory Cigarette Taxation Bill Passed - House (141 - 3)
June 23, 2008 CA SB 606 'No Child Left Behind' Implementation Bill Passed - House (54 - 24)
June 11, 2008 CT SB 1001 Real Estate Conveyance Tax Extension Bill Passed - House (82 - 51)
June 11, 2008 CT SB 1001 Real Estate Conveyance Tax Extension Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14)
June 10, 2008 PA SB 246 Smoking Ban Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 9)
June 10, 2008 LA SB 807 Cable Deregulation Bill Bill Passed - House (94 - 9)
June 9, 2008 CA SB 606 'No Child Left Behind' Implementation Bill Failed - House (49 - 26)
June 4, 2008 PA SB 246 Smoking Ban Conference Report Adopted - House (163 - 38)
June 4, 2008 PA SB 246 Smoking Ban Conference Report Rejected - Senate (19 - 31)
May 29, 2008 CA SB 1764 Certification of Local Fire Agencies Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 14)
May 28, 2008 MI Anderson Amendment: Increase Revenue Sharing Grants Amendment Rejected - Senate (19 - 18)
May 28, 2008 CA AB 1991 Development on Half Moon Bay Bill Passed - House (46 - 18)
May 22, 2008 IL HB 2310 Truancy, Information Sharing, and Fines Bill Passed - House (85 - 25)
May 16, 2008 MO HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 Undocumented Immigrants Conference Report Adopted - House (136 - 12)
May 16, 2008 MO HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 Undocumented Immigrants Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 7)
May 15, 2008 MN SF 960 Modification of the Definition of Dependents for Local Government Benefits Bill Passed - House (83 - 50)
May 14, 2008 AZ HB 2557 Fine Arts and Physical Education in School Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 9)
May 13, 2008 AZ HB 2807 Local Enforcement of Immigration Laws Veto Override Failed - House (30 - 25)
May 13, 2008 MN HF 3807 Real ID Prohibition Concurrence Vote Passed - House (103 - 30)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/18 ABx1 12 Extending Tax Withholding Requirements to Payments to Independent Contractors Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 28)
8/08 A 11258 Mandatory Cigarette Taxation Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 4)
7/17 HB 2690 Durham County Meals Tax Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 22)
7/16 HR 415 Adding Parts of the Taunton River to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System Bill Passed - House (242 - 175)
7/08 HB 2690 Durham County Meals Tax Bill Passed - House (60 - 59)
6/25 A 7738 Real ID Biometric Data Bill Failed - House (92 - 108)
6/24 A 11258 Mandatory Cigarette Taxation Bill Passed - House (141 - 3)
6/23 SB 606 'No Child Left Behind' Implementation Bill Passed - House (54 - 24)
6/11 SB 1001 Real Estate Conveyance Tax Extension Bill Passed - House (82 - 51)
6/11 SB 1001 Real Estate Conveyance Tax Extension Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14)
6/10 SB 246 Smoking Ban Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 9)
6/10 SB 807 Cable Deregulation Bill Bill Passed - House (94 - 9)
6/09 SB 606 'No Child Left Behind' Implementation Bill Failed - House (49 - 26)
6/04 SB 246 Smoking Ban Conference Report Adopted - House (163 - 38)
6/04 SB 246 Smoking Ban Conference Report Rejected - Senate (19 - 31)
5/29 SB 1764 Certification of Local Fire Agencies Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 14)
5/28 Anderson Amendment: Increase Revenue Sharing Grants Amendment Rejected - Senate (19 - 18)
5/28 AB 1991 Development on Half Moon Bay Bill Passed - House (46 - 18)
5/22 HB 2310 Truancy, Information Sharing, and Fines Bill Passed - House (85 - 25)
5/16 HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 Undocumented Immigrants Conference Report Adopted - House (136 - 12)
5/16 HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 Undocumented Immigrants Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 7)
5/15 SF 960 Modification of the Definition of Dependents for Local Government Benefits Bill Passed - House (83 - 50)
5/14 HB 2557 Fine Arts and Physical Education in School Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 9)
5/13 HB 2807 Local Enforcement of Immigration Laws Veto Override Failed - House (30 - 25)
5/13 HF 3807 Real ID Prohibition Concurrence Vote Passed - House (103 - 30)

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