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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 15, 2008 | MN | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 22) |
| May 13, 2008 | MN | HF 6 | 2008 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (55 - 10) |
| May 13, 2008 | MN | HF 6 | 2008 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (97 - 35) |
| May 13, 2008 | MN | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Conference Report Adopted - House (96 - 36) |
| May 13, 2008 | MN | HF 3807 | Real ID Prohibition | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (103 - 30) |
| May 13, 2008 | MN | SF 2965 | Surrogate Mother Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 22) |
| May 13, 2008 | MN | HF 3807 | Real ID Prohibition | Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 16) |
| May 12, 2008 | MN | HF 3391 | Health Care Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 13) |
| May 12, 2008 | MN | HF 3391 | Health Care Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (83 - 50) |
| May 12, 2008 | MN | SF 2965 | Surrogate Mother Regulations | Bill Passed - House (86 - 46) |
| May 8, 2008 | MN | SF 3001 | Modifying State Education Policies | Conference Report Adopted - House (82 - 49) |
| 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) |
| May 7, 2008 | MN | SF 3001 | Modifying State Education Policies | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (45 - 20) |
| May 5, 2008 | MN | Howes Amendment: Gas Tax Holiday | Amendment Rejected - House (28 - 102) | |
| May 5, 2008 | MN | HF 3149 | Homeowner and Property Tax Bill | Bill Passed - House (80 - 52) |
| May 1, 2008 | MN | SF 2369 | Background Checks for Coaches | Conference Report Adopted - House (112 - 15) |
| April 30, 2008 | MN | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 21) |
| April 28, 2008 | MN | Walker Amdt to SF 3001 | Sex Education in Schools | Amendment Adopted - House (79 - 53) |
| April 23, 2008 | MN | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Bill Passed - House (91 - 38) |
| April 21, 2008 | MN | HF 1351 | Transportation Policy Reform | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 11) |
| April 14, 2008 | MN | HF 1351 | Transportation Policy Reform | Conference Report Adopted - House (88 - 44) |
| April 10, 2008 | MN | HF 3569 | Workers' Lung Health Study | Bill Passed - House (88 - 45) |
| April 10, 2008 | MN | HF 3569 | Workers' Lung Health Study | Bill Passed - House (88 - 45) |
| April 2, 2008 | MN | Marty Amnd. | Removing Funding for Stadium Study | Amendment Adopted - Senate (41 - 22) |
| April 1, 2008 | MN | SF 2369 | Background Checks for Coaches | Bill Passed - House (118 - 11) |
| March 31, 2008 | MN | SF 3099 | Health Improvement Program | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 23) |
| March 27, 2008 | MN | Marty Amnd. | Health Improvement Program Amendments | Amendment Rejected - Senate (32 - 33) |
| March 6, 2008 | MN | HF 380 | Capital Improvements Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (57 - 9) |
| March 6, 2008 | MN | HF 380 | Capital Improvements Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (57 - 9) |
| March 6, 2008 | MN | HF 380 | Capital Improvements Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (57 - 9) |
| March 6, 2008 | MN | HF 380 | Capital Improvements Budget | Bill Passed - House (99 - 34) |
| March 6, 2008 | MN | HF 380 | Capital Improvements Budget | Bill Passed - House (99 - 34) |
| March 6, 2008 | MN | HF 380 | Capital Improvements Budget | Bill Passed - House (99 - 34) |
| March 3, 2008 | MN | HF 3201 | Omnibus Tax Bill | Bill Passed - House (81 - 51) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | MN | GN Molnau | Confirmation of Carol Molnau as Department of Transportation Commissioner | Nomination Rejected - Senate (22 - 44) |
| Feb. 25, 2008 | MN | HF 2800 | 2009-2010 Transportation Budget | Veto Override Passed - Senate (47 - 20) |
| Feb. 25, 2008 | MN | HF 2800 | 2009-2010 Transportation Budget | Veto Override Passed - House (91 - 41) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | MN | HF 2800 | 2009-2010 Transportation Budget | Bill Passed - House (89 - 44) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | MN | HF 2800 | 2009-2010 Transportation Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 20) |
| Feb. 14, 2008 | MN | HF 2285 | Funding for Natural Resources and Cultural Heritage | Conference Report Adopted - House (85 - 46) |
| Feb. 14, 2008 | MN | HF 2285 | Funding for Natural Resources and Cultural Heritage | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (46 - 17) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/15 | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 22) |
| 5/13 | HF 6 | 2008 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (55 - 10) |
| 5/13 | HF 6 | 2008 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (97 - 35) |
| 5/13 | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Conference Report Adopted - House (96 - 36) |
| 5/13 | HF 3807 | Real ID Prohibition | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (103 - 30) |
| 5/13 | SF 2965 | Surrogate Mother Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 22) |
| 5/13 | HF 3807 | Real ID Prohibition | Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 16) |
| 5/12 | HF 3391 | Health Care Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 13) |
| 5/12 | HF 3391 | Health Care Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (83 - 50) |
| 5/12 | SF 2965 | Surrogate Mother Regulations | Bill Passed - House (86 - 46) |
| 5/08 | SF 3001 | Modifying State Education Policies | Conference Report Adopted - House (82 - 49) |
| 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) |
| 5/07 | SF 3001 | Modifying State Education Policies | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (45 - 20) |
| 5/05 | Howes Amendment: Gas Tax Holiday | Amendment Rejected - House (28 - 102) | |
| 5/05 | HF 3149 | Homeowner and Property Tax Bill | Bill Passed - House (80 - 52) |
| 5/01 | SF 2369 | Background Checks for Coaches | Conference Report Adopted - House (112 - 15) |
| 4/30 | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 21) |
| 4/28 | Walker Amdt to SF 3001 | Sex Education in Schools | Amendment Adopted - House (79 - 53) |
| 4/23 | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Bill Passed - House (91 - 38) |
| 4/21 | HF 1351 | Transportation Policy Reform | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (51 - 11) |
| 4/14 | HF 1351 | Transportation Policy Reform | Conference Report Adopted - House (88 - 44) |
| 4/10 | HF 3569 | Workers' Lung Health Study | Bill Passed - House (88 - 45) |
| 4/10 | HF 3569 | Workers' Lung Health Study | Bill Passed - House (88 - 45) |
| 4/02 | Marty Amnd. | Removing Funding for Stadium Study | Amendment Adopted - Senate (41 - 22) |
| 4/01 | SF 2369 | Background Checks for Coaches | Bill Passed - House (118 - 11) |
| 3/31 | SF 3099 | Health Improvement Program | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 23) |
| 3/27 | Marty Amnd. | Health Improvement Program Amendments | Amendment Rejected - Senate (32 - 33) |
| 3/06 | HF 380 | Capital Improvements Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (57 - 9) |
| 3/06 | HF 380 | Capital Improvements Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (57 - 9) |
| 3/06 | HF 380 | Capital Improvements Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (57 - 9) |
| 3/06 | HF 380 | Capital Improvements Budget | Bill Passed - House (99 - 34) |
| 3/06 | HF 380 | Capital Improvements Budget | Bill Passed - House (99 - 34) |
| 3/06 | HF 380 | Capital Improvements Budget | Bill Passed - House (99 - 34) |
| 3/03 | HF 3201 | Omnibus Tax Bill | Bill Passed - House (81 - 51) |
| 2/28 | GN Molnau | Confirmation of Carol Molnau as Department of Transportation Commissioner | Nomination Rejected - Senate (22 - 44) |
| 2/25 | HF 2800 | 2009-2010 Transportation Budget | Veto Override Passed - Senate (47 - 20) |
| 2/25 | HF 2800 | 2009-2010 Transportation Budget | Veto Override Passed - House (91 - 41) |
| 2/21 | HF 2800 | 2009-2010 Transportation Budget | Bill Passed - House (89 - 44) |
| 2/21 | HF 2800 | 2009-2010 Transportation Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 20) |
| 2/14 | HF 2285 | Funding for Natural Resources and Cultural Heritage | Conference Report Adopted - House (85 - 46) |
| 2/14 | HF 2285 | Funding for Natural Resources and Cultural Heritage | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (46 - 17) |