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. 31, 2016 | CA | SB 859 | Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emission Levels | Bill Passed - House (51 - 20) |
| Aug. 26, 2016 | CA | SB 839 | Prohibits Orca Captivity and Breeding | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| Aug. 25, 2016 | CA | AB 1889 | Appropriates Funds for High-Speed Rail Project | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| June 27, 2016 | NJ | A 12 | Restructures Certain State Taxes | Bill Passed - House (53 - 23) |
| June 23, 2016 | National | HR 2577 | Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017 | Conference Report Adopted - House (239 - 171) |
| June 19, 2016 | LA | HB 38 | Limits Individual Income Tax Deductions | Bill Failed - House (46 - 55) |
| June 18, 2016 | RI | H 7454 | Establishes State Budget for 2017 | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 3) |
| June 16, 2016 | CA | SB 839 | Prohibits Orca Captivity and Breeding | Bill Passed - House (48 - 28) |
| June 16, 2016 | LA | SB 10 | Prohibits Certain Businesses from Receiving 2 Different Tax Credits | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| June 16, 2016 | LA | SB 6 | Amends Tax Credit Standards | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
| June 15, 2016 | CA | SB 826 | Approves Spending Plan for 2016-2017 Fiscal Year | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 11) |
| June 15, 2016 | CA | SB 826 | Approves Spending Plan for 2016-2017 Fiscal Year | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 27) |
| June 15, 2016 | RI | H 7454 | Establishes State Budget for 2017 | Bill Passed - House (59 - 13) |
| June 9, 2016 | MI | HB 5384 | Appropriates Funds for New Detroit School District | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 54) |
| June 8, 2016 | MI | HB 5384 | Appropriates Funds for New Detroit School District | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 18) |
| June 6, 2016 | AK | HB 247 | Amends Oil and Gas Tax Credit System | Conference Report Adopted - House (21 - 19) |
| June 6, 2016 | AK | HB 247 | Amends Oil and Gas Tax Credit System | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (13 - 6) |
| June 6, 2016 | AK | SB 128 | Amends Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend Policy | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 5) |
| June 3, 2016 | NC | HB 1030 | Establishes State Budget for 2016-2017 | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| May 31, 2016 | IL | SB 2048 | Appropriates Funds for Higher Education | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (17 - 31) |
| May 31, 2016 | IL | SB 2048 | Appropriates Funds for Higher Education | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (17 - 31) |
| May 31, 2016 | SC | S 1258 | Amends Structure and Funding of Department of Transportation | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 10) |
| May 26, 2016 | IL | SB 2048 | Appropriates Funds for Higher Education | Bill Passed - House (60 - 53) |
| May 19, 2016 | IL | HB 4167 | Appropriates Funds for Monetary Award Program Grants | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 15) |
| May 17, 2016 | IL | HB 4167 | Appropriates Funds for Monetary Award Program Grants | Bill Passed - House (68 - 45) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/31 | SB 859 | Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emission Levels | Bill Passed - House (51 - 20) |
| 8/26 | SB 839 | Prohibits Orca Captivity and Breeding | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| 8/25 | AB 1889 | Appropriates Funds for High-Speed Rail Project | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| 6/27 | A 12 | Restructures Certain State Taxes | Bill Passed - House (53 - 23) |
| 6/23 | HR 2577 | Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017 | Conference Report Adopted - House (239 - 171) |
| 6/19 | HB 38 | Limits Individual Income Tax Deductions | Bill Failed - House (46 - 55) |
| 6/18 | H 7454 | Establishes State Budget for 2017 | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 3) |
| 6/16 | SB 839 | Prohibits Orca Captivity and Breeding | Bill Passed - House (48 - 28) |
| 6/16 | SB 10 | Prohibits Certain Businesses from Receiving 2 Different Tax Credits | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| 6/16 | SB 6 | Amends Tax Credit Standards | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
| 6/15 | SB 826 | Approves Spending Plan for 2016-2017 Fiscal Year | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 11) |
| 6/15 | SB 826 | Approves Spending Plan for 2016-2017 Fiscal Year | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 27) |
| 6/15 | H 7454 | Establishes State Budget for 2017 | Bill Passed - House (59 - 13) |
| 6/09 | HB 5384 | Appropriates Funds for New Detroit School District | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 54) |
| 6/08 | HB 5384 | Appropriates Funds for New Detroit School District | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 18) |
| 6/06 | HB 247 | Amends Oil and Gas Tax Credit System | Conference Report Adopted - House (21 - 19) |
| 6/06 | HB 247 | Amends Oil and Gas Tax Credit System | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (13 - 6) |
| 6/06 | SB 128 | Amends Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend Policy | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 5) |
| 6/03 | HB 1030 | Establishes State Budget for 2016-2017 | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| 5/31 | SB 2048 | Appropriates Funds for Higher Education | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (17 - 31) |
| 5/31 | SB 2048 | Appropriates Funds for Higher Education | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (17 - 31) |
| 5/31 | S 1258 | Amends Structure and Funding of Department of Transportation | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 10) |
| 5/26 | SB 2048 | Appropriates Funds for Higher Education | Bill Passed - House (60 - 53) |
| 5/19 | HB 4167 | Appropriates Funds for Monetary Award Program Grants | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 15) |
| 5/17 | HB 4167 | Appropriates Funds for Monetary Award Program Grants | Bill Passed - House (68 - 45) |