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 25, 2006 | SC | S 229 | Cockfighting And Hog Dog Fighting | Bill Passed - House (78 - 15) |
| May 25, 2006 | SC | S 1084 | Penalties For Harming An Unborn Child/Fetus | Bill Passed - House (81 - 18) |
| May 24, 2006 | OK | SB 1713 | Trafficking Illegal Drugs | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (23 - 24) |
| May 24, 2006 | OK | SB 1800 | Death Penalty for Second Offender Sex Offenders | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (39 - 8) |
| May 24, 2006 | OK | SB 1807 | Prohibiting Death Sentence For Mentally Retarded Defendant | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 10) |
| May 24, 2006 | NH | HB 656 | "Do Not Resuscitate" Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (168 - 165) |
| May 24, 2006 | OK | SB 1807 | Prohibiting Death Sentence For Mentally Retarded Defendant | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 10) |
| May 24, 2006 | OK | SB 1713 | Trafficking Illegal Drugs | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (23 - 24) |
| May 24, 2006 | MI | Sub for HB 5192 | Hunting License Program and Firearms Age Restriction | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9) |
| May 23, 2006 | LA | SB 652 | Cockfighting Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 4) |
| May 23, 2006 | LA | SB 347 | Sexual Orientation Discrimination in State Government | Bill Failed - Senate (10 - 24) |
| May 18, 2006 | MI | Amend | Welfare Restrictions for Drug Felonies | Amendment Adopted - House (86 - 16) |
| May 18, 2006 | MI | Amend | Welfare Restrictions for Drug Felonies | Amendment Adopted - House (86 - 16) |
| May 18, 2006 | MI | Amend | Probation and Parole Violator Welfare Restriction | Amendment Adopted - House (83 - 16) |
| May 18, 2006 | OK | SB 1742 | Abortion Information Requirements and Changes to the Definition of Homicide | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 8) |
| May 18, 2006 | LA | HB 1142 | Parole Eligibility | Bill Failed - House (37 - 48) |
| May 17, 2006 | LA | HB 853 | Prohibits Discrimination and Harassment in State Government | Bill Failed - House (38 - 58) |
| May 16, 2006 | WI | SJR 5 | Advisory Referendum on the Death Penalty | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| May 16, 2006 | AZ | HB 2577 | Immigration Law; Employment; Enforcement | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 7) |
| May 12, 2006 | MO | SS2 SCS HCS HB 1456 | Unemployment Compensation Changes | Bill Passed - House (90 - 65) |
| May 11, 2006 | TN | SB 1678 | Establishing Voting Rights Guidelines for Convicted Felons | Bill Passed - House (57 - 40) |
| May 11, 2006 | TN | SB 1678 | Establishing Voting Rights Guidelines for Convicted Felons | Bill Passed - House (57 - 40) |
| May 10, 2006 | KS | HB 2118 | Conceal and Carry | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 9) |
| May 10, 2006 | KS | HB 2118 | Conceal and Carry | Conference Report Adopted - House (93 - 24) |
| May 10, 2006 | KS | HB 2118 | Conceal and Carry | Conference Report Adopted - House (93 - 24) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/25 | S 229 | Cockfighting And Hog Dog Fighting | Bill Passed - House (78 - 15) |
| 5/25 | S 1084 | Penalties For Harming An Unborn Child/Fetus | Bill Passed - House (81 - 18) |
| 5/24 | SB 1713 | Trafficking Illegal Drugs | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (23 - 24) |
| 5/24 | SB 1800 | Death Penalty for Second Offender Sex Offenders | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (39 - 8) |
| 5/24 | SB 1807 | Prohibiting Death Sentence For Mentally Retarded Defendant | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 10) |
| 5/24 | HB 656 | "Do Not Resuscitate" Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (168 - 165) |
| 5/24 | SB 1807 | Prohibiting Death Sentence For Mentally Retarded Defendant | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 10) |
| 5/24 | SB 1713 | Trafficking Illegal Drugs | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (23 - 24) |
| 5/24 | Sub for HB 5192 | Hunting License Program and Firearms Age Restriction | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9) |
| 5/23 | SB 652 | Cockfighting Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 4) |
| 5/23 | SB 347 | Sexual Orientation Discrimination in State Government | Bill Failed - Senate (10 - 24) |
| 5/18 | Amend | Welfare Restrictions for Drug Felonies | Amendment Adopted - House (86 - 16) |
| 5/18 | Amend | Welfare Restrictions for Drug Felonies | Amendment Adopted - House (86 - 16) |
| 5/18 | Amend | Probation and Parole Violator Welfare Restriction | Amendment Adopted - House (83 - 16) |
| 5/18 | SB 1742 | Abortion Information Requirements and Changes to the Definition of Homicide | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 8) |
| 5/18 | HB 1142 | Parole Eligibility | Bill Failed - House (37 - 48) |
| 5/17 | HB 853 | Prohibits Discrimination and Harassment in State Government | Bill Failed - House (38 - 58) |
| 5/16 | SJR 5 | Advisory Referendum on the Death Penalty | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| 5/16 | HB 2577 | Immigration Law; Employment; Enforcement | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 7) |
| 5/12 | SS2 SCS HCS HB 1456 | Unemployment Compensation Changes | Bill Passed - House (90 - 65) |
| 5/11 | SB 1678 | Establishing Voting Rights Guidelines for Convicted Felons | Bill Passed - House (57 - 40) |
| 5/11 | SB 1678 | Establishing Voting Rights Guidelines for Convicted Felons | Bill Passed - House (57 - 40) |
| 5/10 | HB 2118 | Conceal and Carry | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 9) |
| 5/10 | HB 2118 | Conceal and Carry | Conference Report Adopted - House (93 - 24) |
| 5/10 | HB 2118 | Conceal and Carry | Conference Report Adopted - House (93 - 24) |