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. 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)

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