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:
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.
Date | State | Bill No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|---|
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) |
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 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 16, 2008 | MO | HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 | Undocumented Immigrants | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 7) |
May 13, 2008 | MN | HF 3807 | Real ID Prohibition | Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 16) |
May 6, 2008 | AZ | HB 2677 | Real ID | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 7) |
May 1, 2008 | RI | H 7204 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
April 29, 2008 | AZ | HB 2557 | Fine Arts and Physical Education in School | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 4) |
April 29, 2008 | TN | SB 3042 | Open Container Law | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 7) |
April 23, 2008 | AZ | HB 2711 | State Control of Mismanaged Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 3) |
April 23, 2008 | AZ | HB 2359 | County Sheriff and Border Patrol Collaboration | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10) |
April 22, 2008 | IA | S 5408 | Changes to School Infrastructure Sales Tax | Amendment Rejected - Senate (20 - 30) |
April 22, 2008 | IA | HF 2663 | Statewide Sales Tax Increase for School Infrastructure Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 11) |
April 21, 2008 | MN | HF 1351 | Transportation Policy Reform | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 11) |
April 7, 2008 | NE | LB 1157 | Uniform School Testing | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 15) |
April 4, 2008 | GA | SR 845 | Regional Transportation Sales Tax | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (35 - 18) |
April 3, 2008 | MN | SF 960 | Modification of the Definition of Dependents for Local Government Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 22) |
April 1, 2008 | GA | HB 1281 | Restricting Local Outdoor Water Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 13) |
March 31, 2008 | CO | HB 1270 | Prohibiting Restrictions on Energy Efficiency Measures | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
March 26, 2008 | KS | Journey Amnd. 1 | Journey Amendment 1 | Amendment Rejected - Senate (14 - 24) |
March 12, 2008 | MI | SB 120 | Issuing Food Stamps Twice Monthly | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2) |
March 6, 2008 | WI | SB 523 | Great Lakes Water Resources Compact | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 6) |
Feb. 27, 2008 | WV | SB 248 | Non-Participation in the Real ID Act | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 3) |
Feb. 27, 2008 | CO | SB 128 | Eliminating Sales and Use Tax Cap | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
Feb. 25, 2008 | IN | Amnd. 17 | Elimination of Township Assessors | Amendment Rejected - Senate (23 - 23) |
Feb. 25, 2008 | IN | Amnd. 19 | Referendum on Township Assessors | Amendment Rejected - Senate (24 - 20) |
Feb. 20, 2008 | GA | SR 845 | Regional Transportation Sales Tax | Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 4) |
Feb. 15, 2008 | LA | Amnd. 423 to SB 1 | Persons Restricted from Doing Business with the State | Amendment Adopted - Senate (21 - 16) |
Feb. 14, 2008 | NE | AM 1736 | Eliminating Opt-Out Provision of Smoking Ban | Amendment Adopted - Senate (33 - 13) |
Feb. 12, 2008 | GA | SR 822 | Reassessing Georgia's Northern Border | Resolution Passed - Senate (52 - 0) |
Feb. 7, 2008 | MA | H 4488 | Education Reorganization | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5) |
Feb. 7, 2008 | GA | SB 340 | Prohibiting Sanctuary Policies | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 8) |
Feb. 5, 2008 | VA | SB 202 | Local Regulation of Smoking in Restaurants | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9) |
Jan. 29, 2008 | IN | SB 16 | Change in Township Assessment | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
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) |
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) |
6/04 | 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) | |
5/16 | HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 | Undocumented Immigrants | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 7) |
5/13 | HF 3807 | Real ID Prohibition | Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 16) |
5/06 | HB 2677 | Real ID | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 7) |
5/01 | H 7204 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
4/29 | HB 2557 | Fine Arts and Physical Education in School | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 4) |
4/29 | SB 3042 | Open Container Law | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 7) |
4/23 | HB 2711 | State Control of Mismanaged Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 3) |
4/23 | HB 2359 | County Sheriff and Border Patrol Collaboration | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10) |
4/22 | S 5408 | Changes to School Infrastructure Sales Tax | Amendment Rejected - Senate (20 - 30) |
4/22 | HF 2663 | Statewide Sales Tax Increase for School Infrastructure Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 11) |
4/21 | HF 1351 | Transportation Policy Reform | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 11) |
4/07 | LB 1157 | Uniform School Testing | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 15) |
4/04 | SR 845 | Regional Transportation Sales Tax | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (35 - 18) |
4/03 | SF 960 | Modification of the Definition of Dependents for Local Government Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 22) |
4/01 | HB 1281 | Restricting Local Outdoor Water Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 13) |
3/31 | HB 1270 | Prohibiting Restrictions on Energy Efficiency Measures | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
3/26 | Journey Amnd. 1 | Journey Amendment 1 | Amendment Rejected - Senate (14 - 24) |
3/12 | SB 120 | Issuing Food Stamps Twice Monthly | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2) |
3/06 | SB 523 | Great Lakes Water Resources Compact | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 6) |
2/27 | SB 248 | Non-Participation in the Real ID Act | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 3) |
2/27 | SB 128 | Eliminating Sales and Use Tax Cap | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
2/25 | Amnd. 17 | Elimination of Township Assessors | Amendment Rejected - Senate (23 - 23) |
2/25 | Amnd. 19 | Referendum on Township Assessors | Amendment Rejected - Senate (24 - 20) |
2/20 | SR 845 | Regional Transportation Sales Tax | Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 4) |
2/15 | Amnd. 423 to SB 1 | Persons Restricted from Doing Business with the State | Amendment Adopted - Senate (21 - 16) |
2/14 | AM 1736 | Eliminating Opt-Out Provision of Smoking Ban | Amendment Adopted - Senate (33 - 13) |
2/12 | SR 822 | Reassessing Georgia's Northern Border | Resolution Passed - Senate (52 - 0) |
2/07 | H 4488 | Education Reorganization | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5) |
2/07 | SB 340 | Prohibiting Sanctuary Policies | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 8) |
2/05 | SB 202 | Local Regulation of Smoking in Restaurants | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9) |
1/29 | SB 16 | Change in Township Assessment | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |