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
March 30, 2017 TX SB 2 Appropriates Funds for Private School Scholarships Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
March 30, 2017 TX SB 2 Appropriates Funds for Private School Scholarships Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
March 29, 2017 OH HB 26 Establishes Budget for Fiscal Year 2017-2018 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 5)
March 24, 2017 MD SB 1081 Establishes Funds to Support Family Planning Services Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 15)
March 23, 2017 WA SB 5048 Establishes 2017-2019 Fiscal Biennium Operating Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 24)
March 23, 2017 WA SB 5048 Establishes 2017-2019 Fiscal Biennium Operating Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 24)
March 23, 2017 WA SB 5048 Establishes 2017-2019 Fiscal Biennium Operating Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 24)
March 22, 2017 ID H 67 Repeals Grocery Sales Tax Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10)
March 13, 2017 OK SB 170 Repeals Automatic Income Tax Cut Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 6)
March 13, 2017 NJ S 3048 Requires Presidential Candidates to Disclose Tax Returns Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11)
Feb. 6, 2017 AR SB 140 Requires Internet Retailers to Collect State Sales Tax Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9)
Feb. 2, 2017 KS SB 30 Establishes Tax Provisions Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 0)
Jan. 17, 2017 NY S 362 Prohibits Tax on Merchandise Bags Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 18)
Jan. 12, 2017 National S Con Res 3 A Concurrent Resolution Setting Forth the Congressional Budget for the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2017 and Setting Forth the Appropriate Budgetary Levels for Fiscal Years 2018 Through 2026 Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 48)
Oct. 7, 2016 NJ A 12 Restructures Certain State Taxes Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14)
Sept. 28, 2016 National HR 5325 Continuing Appropriations and Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017, and Zika Response and Preparedness Act Bill Passed - Senate (72 - 26)
Sept. 14, 2016 MO SB 641 Establishes Income Tax Deduction for Agricultural Disaster Aid Payments Veto Override Passed - Senate (24 - 6)
Aug. 31, 2016 CA SB 859 Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emission Levels Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 11)
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 18, 2016 RI H 7454 Establishes State Budget for 2017 Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 3)
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 8, 2016 MI HB 5384 Appropriates Funds for New Detroit School District Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 18)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/30 SB 2 Appropriates Funds for Private School Scholarships Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
3/30 SB 2 Appropriates Funds for Private School Scholarships Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
3/29 HB 26 Establishes Budget for Fiscal Year 2017-2018 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 5)
3/24 SB 1081 Establishes Funds to Support Family Planning Services Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 15)
3/23 SB 5048 Establishes 2017-2019 Fiscal Biennium Operating Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 24)
3/23 SB 5048 Establishes 2017-2019 Fiscal Biennium Operating Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 24)
3/23 SB 5048 Establishes 2017-2019 Fiscal Biennium Operating Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 24)
3/22 H 67 Repeals Grocery Sales Tax Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10)
3/13 SB 170 Repeals Automatic Income Tax Cut Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 6)
3/13 S 3048 Requires Presidential Candidates to Disclose Tax Returns Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11)
2/06 SB 140 Requires Internet Retailers to Collect State Sales Tax Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9)
2/02 SB 30 Establishes Tax Provisions Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 0)
1/17 S 362 Prohibits Tax on Merchandise Bags Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 18)
1/12 S Con Res 3 A Concurrent Resolution Setting Forth the Congressional Budget for the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2017 and Setting Forth the Appropriate Budgetary Levels for Fiscal Years 2018 Through 2026 Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 48)
10/07 A 12 Restructures Certain State Taxes Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14)
9/28 HR 5325 Continuing Appropriations and Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017, and Zika Response and Preparedness Act Bill Passed - Senate (72 - 26)
9/14 SB 641 Establishes Income Tax Deduction for Agricultural Disaster Aid Payments Veto Override Passed - Senate (24 - 6)
8/31 SB 859 Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emission Levels Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 11)
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)
6/18 H 7454 Establishes State Budget for 2017 Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 3)
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)
6/08 HB 5384 Appropriates Funds for New Detroit School District Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 18)

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