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)
June 25, 2008 National HR 2176 Bay Mills Indian Community Land Claim Bill Bill Failed - House (121 - 298)
June 24, 2008 NY A 11258 Mandatory Cigarette Taxation Bill Passed - House (141 - 3)
May 8, 2008 MN SF 3001 Modifying State Education Policies Conference Report Adopted - House (82 - 49)
May 7, 2008 MN SF 3001 Modifying State Education Policies Conference Report Adopted - Senate (45 - 20)
April 15, 2008 ME LD 701 Slot Machine Authorization Veto Override Failed - House (94 - 49)
April 10, 2008 ME LD 701 Slot Machine Authorization Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
April 4, 2008 ME LD 701 Slot Machine Authorization Bill Passed - House (98 - 32)
March 31, 2008 ME LD 2289 2008-2009 Budget Concurrence Vote Passed - House (84 - 55)
March 31, 2008 ME LD 2289 2008-2009 Budget Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17)
March 10, 2008 WA HB 2476 Tribal Police Jurisdiction Concurrence Vote Passed - House (62 - 32)
March 7, 2008 WA HB 2476 Tribal Police Jurisdiction Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 15)
Feb. 26, 2008 National S Amdt 3896 Prohibiting the Funds in S 1200 from Being Used for Abortions Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 42)
Feb. 26, 2008 National S 1200 Indian Health Care Improvement Act Amendments of 2008 Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 10)
Feb. 25, 2008 National S Amdt 4070 Prohibiting Funds in the Bill S 1200 from Being Used to Decrease Gun Ownership Amendment Adopted - Senate (78 - 11)
Feb. 18, 2008 WA HB 2476 Tribal Police Jurisdiction Bill Passed - House (58 - 37)
Feb. 11, 2008 TN SA 883 Commission of Indian Affairs Extension Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (20 - 10)
Date No. Title Outcome
8/08 A 11258 Mandatory Cigarette Taxation Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 4)
6/25 HR 2176 Bay Mills Indian Community Land Claim Bill Bill Failed - House (121 - 298)
6/24 A 11258 Mandatory Cigarette Taxation Bill Passed - House (141 - 3)
5/08 SF 3001 Modifying State Education Policies Conference Report Adopted - House (82 - 49)
5/07 SF 3001 Modifying State Education Policies Conference Report Adopted - Senate (45 - 20)
4/15 LD 701 Slot Machine Authorization Veto Override Failed - House (94 - 49)
4/10 LD 701 Slot Machine Authorization Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
4/04 LD 701 Slot Machine Authorization Bill Passed - House (98 - 32)
3/31 LD 2289 2008-2009 Budget Concurrence Vote Passed - House (84 - 55)
3/31 LD 2289 2008-2009 Budget Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17)
3/10 HB 2476 Tribal Police Jurisdiction Concurrence Vote Passed - House (62 - 32)
3/07 HB 2476 Tribal Police Jurisdiction Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 15)
2/26 S Amdt 3896 Prohibiting the Funds in S 1200 from Being Used for Abortions Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 42)
2/26 S 1200 Indian Health Care Improvement Act Amendments of 2008 Bill Passed - Senate (83 - 10)
2/25 S Amdt 4070 Prohibiting Funds in the Bill S 1200 from Being Used to Decrease Gun Ownership Amendment Adopted - Senate (78 - 11)
2/18 HB 2476 Tribal Police Jurisdiction Bill Passed - House (58 - 37)
2/11 SA 883 Commission of Indian Affairs Extension Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (20 - 10)

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