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
Feb. 4, 2015 MO HB 150 Limits Duration of Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - House (112 - 47)
Feb. 3, 2015 VA SB 785 Prohibits Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 19)
Jan. 27, 2015 CO SB 52 Expands Legislative Oversight of the Colorado Health Benefit Exchange Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11)
Jan. 20, 2015 VA SB 722 Prohibits In-State Tuition for Students with Certain Temporary Visas Bill Failed - Senate (19 - 20)
Jan. 14, 2015 National HR 240 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2015 Bill Passed - House (236 - 191)
Dec. 16, 2014 MI HB 6074 Prohibits Student Athletes from Collective Bargaining Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11)
Dec. 10, 2014 MI HB 4118 Requires Drug Testing For Certain Welfare Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 10)
Dec. 10, 2014 MI HB 4118 Requires Drug Testing For Certain Welfare Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 10)
Dec. 10, 2014 MI SB 275 Requires Drug Testing of Welfare Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 10)
Dec. 10, 2014 MI SB 275 Requires Drug Testing of Welfare Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 10)
Dec. 9, 2014 MI HB 6074 Prohibits Student Athletes from Collective Bargaining Bill Passed - House (59 - 50)
Dec. 4, 2014 OH HB 661 Increases Salaries of Elected Officials Bill Passed - House (56 - 26)
Dec. 4, 2014 National HR 5759 Preventing Executive Overreach on Immigration Act of 2014 Bill Passed - House (219 - 197)
Dec. 4, 2014 National HR 5759 Preventing Executive Overreach on Immigration Act of 2014 Bill Passed - House (219 - 197)
Dec. 3, 2014 MI HB 4118 Requires Drug Testing For Certain Welfare Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - House (74 - 35)
Dec. 3, 2014 MI HB 4118 Requires Drug Testing For Certain Welfare Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - House (74 - 35)
Dec. 3, 2014 MI SB 275 Requires Drug Testing of Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - House (75 - 34)
Dec. 3, 2014 MI SB 275 Requires Drug Testing of Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - House (75 - 34)
Oct. 23, 2014 NJ SCR 125 Specifies that Proposed Regulations Concerning Greenhouse Gas Cap and Trade Programs are Inconsistent with Legislative Intent Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
Oct. 23, 2014 NJ SCR 125 Specifies that Proposed Regulations Concerning Greenhouse Gas Cap and Trade Programs are Inconsistent with Legislative Intent Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
Sept. 9, 2014 National H Res 644 Condemning and Disapproving of the Failure of the Obama Administration to Comply with the Lawful Statutory Requirement to Notify Congress before Transferring Individuals Detained at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Expressing Concern About the National Security Risks Over the Transfer of Five Taliban Leaders and the Repercussions of Negotiating with Terrorists Resolution Passed - House (249 - 163)
Aug. 29, 2014 CA AB 1014 Authorizes Gun Violence Restraining Orders Concurrence Vote Passed - House (48 - 28)
Aug. 29, 2014 CA SB 1159 Authorizes Undocumented Immigrants to Receive Professional Licenses Bill Passed - House (55 - 22)
Aug. 27, 2014 CA AB 1014 Authorizes Gun Violence Restraining Orders Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 8)
Aug. 11, 2014 FL SB 2-A Congressional Redistricting Bill Passed - House (71 - 38)
Date No. Title Outcome
2/04 HB 150 Limits Duration of Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - House (112 - 47)
2/03 SB 785 Prohibits Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 19)
1/27 SB 52 Expands Legislative Oversight of the Colorado Health Benefit Exchange Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11)
1/20 SB 722 Prohibits In-State Tuition for Students with Certain Temporary Visas Bill Failed - Senate (19 - 20)
1/14 HR 240 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2015 Bill Passed - House (236 - 191)
12/16 HB 6074 Prohibits Student Athletes from Collective Bargaining Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11)
12/10 HB 4118 Requires Drug Testing For Certain Welfare Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 10)
12/10 HB 4118 Requires Drug Testing For Certain Welfare Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 10)
12/10 SB 275 Requires Drug Testing of Welfare Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 10)
12/10 SB 275 Requires Drug Testing of Welfare Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 10)
12/09 HB 6074 Prohibits Student Athletes from Collective Bargaining Bill Passed - House (59 - 50)
12/04 HB 661 Increases Salaries of Elected Officials Bill Passed - House (56 - 26)
12/04 HR 5759 Preventing Executive Overreach on Immigration Act of 2014 Bill Passed - House (219 - 197)
12/04 HR 5759 Preventing Executive Overreach on Immigration Act of 2014 Bill Passed - House (219 - 197)
12/03 HB 4118 Requires Drug Testing For Certain Welfare Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - House (74 - 35)
12/03 HB 4118 Requires Drug Testing For Certain Welfare Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - House (74 - 35)
12/03 SB 275 Requires Drug Testing of Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - House (75 - 34)
12/03 SB 275 Requires Drug Testing of Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - House (75 - 34)
10/23 SCR 125 Specifies that Proposed Regulations Concerning Greenhouse Gas Cap and Trade Programs are Inconsistent with Legislative Intent Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
10/23 SCR 125 Specifies that Proposed Regulations Concerning Greenhouse Gas Cap and Trade Programs are Inconsistent with Legislative Intent Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
9/09 H Res 644 Condemning and Disapproving of the Failure of the Obama Administration to Comply with the Lawful Statutory Requirement to Notify Congress before Transferring Individuals Detained at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Expressing Concern About the National Security Risks Over the Transfer of Five Taliban Leaders and the Repercussions of Negotiating with Terrorists Resolution Passed - House (249 - 163)
8/29 AB 1014 Authorizes Gun Violence Restraining Orders Concurrence Vote Passed - House (48 - 28)
8/29 SB 1159 Authorizes Undocumented Immigrants to Receive Professional Licenses Bill Passed - House (55 - 22)
8/27 AB 1014 Authorizes Gun Violence Restraining Orders Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 8)
8/11 SB 2-A Congressional Redistricting Bill Passed - House (71 - 38)

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