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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 7, 2006 | MA | H 4176 | Sale of Hypodermic Needles and Syringes | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| June 6, 2006 | MI | HB 5143 | "Self-Defense Act" | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| June 6, 2006 | MI | HB 5143 | "Self-Defense Act" | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| June 6, 2006 | MI | HB 5143 | "Self-Defense Act" | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| May 26, 2006 | National | PN 1552 | Michael Hayden, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (78 - 15) |
| May 25, 2006 | AZ | HB 2577 | Immigration Law; Employment; Enforcement | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 9) |
| May 25, 2006 | National | S 2611 | Immigration Reform Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 36) |
| May 24, 2006 | OK | SB 1800 | Death Penalty for Second Offender Sex Offenders | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (39 - 8) |
| May 24, 2006 | OK | SB 1713 | Trafficking Illegal Drugs | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (23 - 24) |
| May 24, 2006 | OK | SB 1713 | Trafficking Illegal Drugs | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (23 - 24) |
| May 24, 2006 | OK | SB 1807 | Prohibiting Death Sentence For Mentally Retarded Defendant | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 10) |
| May 24, 2006 | OK | SB 1807 | Prohibiting Death Sentence For Mentally Retarded Defendant | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 10) |
| 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 | OK | SB 1742 | Abortion Information Requirements and Changes to the Definition of Homicide | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 8) |
| 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 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 - Senate (30 - 9) |
| May 8, 2006 | CO | HB 1314 | Prohibiting Forced Exposure to Employers Religious or Political Speech | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (18 - 16) |
| May 7, 2006 | AK | HCS CS SB 20 | Offenses Against a Fetus/Unborn Child | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (14 - 6) |
| May 4, 2006 | National | HR 4939 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 21) |
| May 4, 2006 | CO | HB 1344 | Same-Sex Partnership Benefits Act | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
| May 3, 2006 | CO | HB 1090 | Sexual Abuse Prosecution Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (18 - 17) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/07 | H 4176 | Sale of Hypodermic Needles and Syringes | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| 6/06 | HB 5143 | "Self-Defense Act" | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| 6/06 | HB 5143 | "Self-Defense Act" | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| 6/06 | HB 5143 | "Self-Defense Act" | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| 5/26 | PN 1552 | Michael Hayden, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (78 - 15) |
| 5/25 | HB 2577 | Immigration Law; Employment; Enforcement | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 9) |
| 5/25 | S 2611 | Immigration Reform Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 36) |
| 5/24 | SB 1800 | Death Penalty for Second Offender Sex Offenders | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (39 - 8) |
| 5/24 | SB 1713 | Trafficking Illegal Drugs | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (23 - 24) |
| 5/24 | SB 1713 | Trafficking Illegal Drugs | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (23 - 24) |
| 5/24 | SB 1807 | Prohibiting Death Sentence For Mentally Retarded Defendant | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 10) |
| 5/24 | SB 1807 | Prohibiting Death Sentence For Mentally Retarded Defendant | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 10) |
| 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 | SB 1742 | Abortion Information Requirements and Changes to the Definition of Homicide | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 8) |
| 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) |
| 5/10 | HB 2118 | Conceal and Carry | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 9) |
| 5/10 | HB 2118 | Conceal and Carry | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 9) |
| 5/08 | HB 1314 | Prohibiting Forced Exposure to Employers Religious or Political Speech | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (18 - 16) |
| 5/07 | HCS CS SB 20 | Offenses Against a Fetus/Unborn Child | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (14 - 6) |
| 5/04 | HR 4939 | Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 21) |
| 5/04 | HB 1344 | Same-Sex Partnership Benefits Act | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
| 5/03 | HB 1090 | Sexual Abuse Prosecution Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (18 - 17) |