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
April 16, 2019 OR SB 1008 Amends Juvenile Offender Sentencing Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10)
April 15, 2019 IA SF 615 Prohibits the Attorney General From Joining Out-Of-State Lawsuits Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18)
April 12, 2019 CO SB 19-1025 Prohibits Employers from Asking About Employee Criminal History Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12)
April 11, 2019 AZ HB 2693 Repeals Requirement that Firearms be Unloaded on School Grounds Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 14)
April 11, 2019 NH HB 455 Repeals the Death Penalty Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 6)
April 10, 2019 NY A 6188 Prohibits Harassment of Rent Regulated Tenants Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 17)
April 10, 2019 IL SB 2090 Expands Access to Voting in Jails Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17)
April 10, 2019 IL SB 2090 Expands Access to Voting in Jails Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17)
April 10, 2019 NC SB 250 Amends Voting Rolls to Correlate with Jury Selection Excusals Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19)
April 9, 2019 DE SB 34 Establishes a Per-Pill Tax on Prescription Opioid Painkillers Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 4)
April 8, 2019 AR HJR 1008 Establishes Stricter Requirements for Ballot Initiatives Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10)
April 8, 2019 MD SB 737 Amends Long Gun License Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 14)
April 3, 2019 TX SB 17 Authorizes Protections for Lawyers that Deny Clients Based on Religious Exemptions Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12)
April 3, 2019 TX SB 406 Amends Conceal Carry Regulations for Local School Marshals Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 3)
April 2, 2019 IN SB 198 Amends Criminal Sentencing Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 14)
March 31, 2019 MD HB 994 Prohibits Employment Discrimination Based On an Applicants Criminal History Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 14)
March 31, 2019 NY S 1505 Amends Criminal Justice Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 22)
March 29, 2019 GA HB 345 Establishes Rights for Pregnant Inmates Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 1)
March 29, 2019 GA HB 345 Establishes Rights for Pregnant Inmates Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 1)
March 29, 2019 ND HB 1381 Prohibits Government Funded Gun Buyback Programs Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 12)
March 29, 2019 ND HB 1332 Authorizes Schools to Develop a Plan for an Armed First Responder Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 14)
March 28, 2019 CO HB 19-1177 Establishes Extreme Risk Protection Orders Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17)
March 28, 2019 MT SB 65 Amends DUI Laws Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 10)
March 28, 2019 IL SB 1786 Prohibits License Suspension for Unpaid Parking Tickets Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 10)
March 27, 2019 WA HB 1074 Increases the Smoking and Vaping Age to 21 Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 12)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/16 SB 1008 Amends Juvenile Offender Sentencing Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10)
4/15 SF 615 Prohibits the Attorney General From Joining Out-Of-State Lawsuits Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18)
4/12 SB 19-1025 Prohibits Employers from Asking About Employee Criminal History Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12)
4/11 HB 2693 Repeals Requirement that Firearms be Unloaded on School Grounds Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 14)
4/11 HB 455 Repeals the Death Penalty Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 6)
4/10 A 6188 Prohibits Harassment of Rent Regulated Tenants Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 17)
4/10 SB 2090 Expands Access to Voting in Jails Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17)
4/10 SB 2090 Expands Access to Voting in Jails Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17)
4/10 SB 250 Amends Voting Rolls to Correlate with Jury Selection Excusals Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19)
4/09 SB 34 Establishes a Per-Pill Tax on Prescription Opioid Painkillers Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 4)
4/08 HJR 1008 Establishes Stricter Requirements for Ballot Initiatives Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10)
4/08 SB 737 Amends Long Gun License Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 14)
4/03 SB 17 Authorizes Protections for Lawyers that Deny Clients Based on Religious Exemptions Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12)
4/03 SB 406 Amends Conceal Carry Regulations for Local School Marshals Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 3)
4/02 SB 198 Amends Criminal Sentencing Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 14)
3/31 HB 994 Prohibits Employment Discrimination Based On an Applicants Criminal History Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 14)
3/31 S 1505 Amends Criminal Justice Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 22)
3/29 HB 345 Establishes Rights for Pregnant Inmates Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 1)
3/29 HB 345 Establishes Rights for Pregnant Inmates Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 1)
3/29 HB 1381 Prohibits Government Funded Gun Buyback Programs Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 12)
3/29 HB 1332 Authorizes Schools to Develop a Plan for an Armed First Responder Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 14)
3/28 HB 19-1177 Establishes Extreme Risk Protection Orders Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17)
3/28 SB 65 Amends DUI Laws Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 10)
3/28 SB 1786 Prohibits License Suspension for Unpaid Parking Tickets Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 10)
3/27 HB 1074 Increases the Smoking and Vaping Age to 21 Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 12)

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