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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 18, 2008 | CA | ABx1 4 | Reducing Education Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8) |
| Dec. 18, 2008 | CA | ABx1 8 | Amending Sentencing, Parole, and Property Crime Statutes | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| Aug. 31, 2008 | CA | SB 1407 | Financing Courthouse Construction | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
| Aug. 31, 2008 | CA | SB 840 | California Universal Healthcare Agency | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| Aug. 31, 2008 | CA | SB 1420 | Nutritional Information Disclosure in Chain Restaurants | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
| Aug. 31, 2008 | CA | SB 60 | Expanding Driver's License Eligibility | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| Aug. 31, 2008 | CA | AB 1945 | Health Insurance Cancellation Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| Aug. 30, 2008 | CA | SB 375 | Global Warming and Land Use Policy | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| Aug. 25, 2008 | CA | AB 1879 | Regulating Chemicals in Consumer Products | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
| Aug. 22, 2008 | CA | AB 2765 | Aerial Spraying Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| Aug. 20, 2008 | CA | AB 2747 | Disclosing End-of-Life Care Options | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| Aug. 20, 2008 | CA | AB 2279 | Prohibiting Employment Discrimination Against Medical Marijuana Patients | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| Aug. 14, 2008 | CA | AB 1894 | Health Insurance Coverage of HIV Testing | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| Aug. 11, 2008 | CA | AB 86 | Cyber-Bullying Enforcement | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| Aug. 5, 2008 | CA | AB 2001 | Whistleblower Hotline | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
| Aug. 5, 2008 | CA | AB 2567 | Creation of "Harvey Milk Day" | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| Aug. 5, 2008 | CA | AB 2567 | Creation of "Harvey Milk Day" | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| July 7, 2008 | CA | AB 2949 | Retrieving Abandoned Pets | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| July 2, 2008 | CA | AB 97 | Trans Fats Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | CA SB 1665 | Prison Health Care Facility Bonds | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | SB 1407 | Financing Courthouse Construction | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 8) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | SB 1096 | Pharmacy Prescription Refill Mailings | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | CA SB 1665 | Prison Health Care Facility Bonds | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| May 27, 2008 | CA | SB 1440 | Capping Administrative Spending for Health Insurers | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| May 15, 2008 | CA | SB 1322 | Communist Party Membership | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| May 15, 2008 | CA | SB 1589 | Uncorroborated Jailhouse Informant Testimony Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| May 15, 2008 | CA | SB 1713 | Bisphenol A (BPA) Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| May 15, 2008 | CA | SB 1322 | Communist Party Membership | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| May 12, 2008 | CA | SB 1313 | Perfluorochemical (PFC) Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| May 12, 2008 | CA | SB 1301 | Extending Student Financial Aid Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| May 12, 2008 | CA | SB 1301 | Extending Student Financial Aid Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| April 28, 2008 | CA | SB 1137 | Residential Property Foreclosures | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| Jan. 30, 2008 | CA | SB 908 | Global Warming Education in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| Jan. 30, 2008 | CA | SB 926 | Mortgage Lender Requirements | Bill Failed - Senate (26 - 14) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/18 | ABx1 4 | Reducing Education Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8) |
| 12/18 | ABx1 8 | Amending Sentencing, Parole, and Property Crime Statutes | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 8/31 | SB 1407 | Financing Courthouse Construction | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
| 8/31 | SB 840 | California Universal Healthcare Agency | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| 8/31 | SB 1420 | Nutritional Information Disclosure in Chain Restaurants | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
| 8/31 | SB 60 | Expanding Driver's License Eligibility | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 8/31 | AB 1945 | Health Insurance Cancellation Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| 8/30 | SB 375 | Global Warming and Land Use Policy | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| 8/25 | AB 1879 | Regulating Chemicals in Consumer Products | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
| 8/22 | AB 2765 | Aerial Spraying Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| 8/20 | AB 2747 | Disclosing End-of-Life Care Options | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| 8/20 | AB 2279 | Prohibiting Employment Discrimination Against Medical Marijuana Patients | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| 8/14 | AB 1894 | Health Insurance Coverage of HIV Testing | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| 8/11 | AB 86 | Cyber-Bullying Enforcement | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| 8/05 | AB 2001 | Whistleblower Hotline | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
| 8/05 | AB 2567 | Creation of "Harvey Milk Day" | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| 8/05 | AB 2567 | Creation of "Harvey Milk Day" | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| 7/07 | AB 2949 | Retrieving Abandoned Pets | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| 7/02 | AB 97 | Trans Fats Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| 5/29 | CA SB 1665 | Prison Health Care Facility Bonds | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| 5/29 | SB 1407 | Financing Courthouse Construction | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 8) |
| 5/29 | SB 1096 | Pharmacy Prescription Refill Mailings | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| 5/29 | CA SB 1665 | Prison Health Care Facility Bonds | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| 5/27 | SB 1440 | Capping Administrative Spending for Health Insurers | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| 5/15 | SB 1322 | Communist Party Membership | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| 5/15 | SB 1589 | Uncorroborated Jailhouse Informant Testimony Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| 5/15 | SB 1713 | Bisphenol A (BPA) Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| 5/15 | SB 1322 | Communist Party Membership | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| 5/12 | SB 1313 | Perfluorochemical (PFC) Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| 5/12 | SB 1301 | Extending Student Financial Aid Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| 5/12 | SB 1301 | Extending Student Financial Aid Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| 4/28 | SB 1137 | Residential Property Foreclosures | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| 1/30 | SB 908 | Global Warming Education in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| 1/30 | SB 926 | Mortgage Lender Requirements | Bill Failed - Senate (26 - 14) |