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
June 20, 2019 NJ S 101 Requires Firearm Retailers to Sell Personalized Handguns Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
June 20, 2019 NJ A 4135 Establishes Procedures for Digital Parking Meters and a Fund for Encouraging Designated Drivers Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
June 20, 2019 NJ A 314 Amends Solitary Confinement Procedures Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4)
June 20, 2019 DE SB 45 Establishes Marijuana Usage by a Juvenile as a Civil Violation Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 6)
June 20, 2019 NJ A 3696 Amends Firearms Storage Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 18)
June 19, 2019 NY S 3909 Establishes a Hate Crimes Training Program for Law Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 0)
June 19, 2019 NY S 3909 Establishes a Hate Crimes Training Program for Law Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 0)
June 18, 2019 ME LD 1312 Establishes Extreme Risk Protection Orders "Ought Not to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 15)
June 18, 2019 ME LD 1312 Establishes Extreme Risk Protection Orders "Ought Not to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 15)
June 17, 2019 NY S 6209 Expands the Definition of Race and Prohibits Racial Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 16)
June 14, 2019 NY S 5864 Establishes the Television Diversity Tax Credit Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 18)
June 11, 2019 PA SB 621 Authorizes Schools to Arm Security Guards Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17)
June 10, 2019 ME LD 777 Establishes a Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial and Ethnic Populations "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 14)
June 10, 2019 ME LD 1529 Prohibits Employers from Requiring Employees Sign Nondisclosure Agreements Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11)
June 10, 2019 ME LD 1529 Prohibits Employers from Requiring Employees Sign Nondisclosure Agreements Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11)
June 5, 2019 LA HB 518 Exempts Certain Non-Violent Crimes From Habitual Offender Law Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 6)
June 5, 2019 ME LD 795 Amends State Constitution to Include a Right to Food Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
June 4, 2019 ME LD 665 Prohibits Restrictions of Free Speech on College Campuses Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14)
June 3, 2019 OR HB 3216 Prohibits Discriminatory 911 Calls Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 1)
June 3, 2019 OR HB 3216 Prohibits Discriminatory 911 Calls Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 1)
May 31, 2019 NV AB 291 Establishes Various Provisions to Increase Gun Safety Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 8)
May 30, 2019 AL HB 225 Prohibits Pay Discrimination Based on Sex and Race Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 0)
May 30, 2019 IL SB 1609 Authorizes Incarcerated Persons on Bailable Offenses to Receive a Credit Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 19)
May 30, 2019 IL SB 1609 Authorizes Incarcerated Persons on Bailable Offenses to Receive a Credit Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 19)
May 30, 2019 NH HB 608 Expands Definition of Gender Discrimination "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 8)
May 30, 2019 NH HB 637 Establishes Online Criminal Record Database "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Adopted - Senate (15 - 9)
May 30, 2019 IL HB 3394 Requires Women and African Americans on Corporate Boards Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 16)
May 30, 2019 NH HB 105 Repeals State Photo Identification Voter ID Laws Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 10)
May 29, 2019 IL HB 3534 Establishes a Non-Binary Gender Option on IDs Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 16)
May 29, 2019 CA SB 144 Repeals Various Administrative Fees Within the Criminal Justice System Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8)
May 26, 2019 TX HB 3557 Increases Penalties for Pipeline Protesting Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 12)
May 24, 2019 IL HB 94 Establishes Specific Rehabilitation Classes as a Means of Reducing Prison Sentences Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17)
May 23, 2019 OK HB 1269 Amends Criminal Sentencing Laws Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 11)
May 23, 2019 National HR 2157 Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2019 Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 8)
May 23, 2019 CT HB 7218 Amends Firearm Storage Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 2)
May 23, 2019 CT HB 7219 Establishes Regulations on Manufacturing Guns Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7)
May 23, 2019 IL HB 246 Requires Public Schools to Teach about Prominent LGBTQ Figures Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17)
May 23, 2019 CT HB 7223 Prohibits Unlocked Vehicle Storage of Firearms Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
May 23, 2019 CA SB 55 Expands List of Persons Prohibited from Owning Firearms Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 10)
May 23, 2019 CA SB 329 Prohibits Discrimination Against Section 8 Housing Renters Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11)
May 23, 2019 CA SB 132 Authorizes Inmate Housing According to Gender Identity Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8)
May 23, 2019 ME LD 264 Authorizes Certain EMS Personnel to Draw Blood at the Scene of Fatal Accidents Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)
May 22, 2019 TX HB 2536 Establishes Drug-Pricing Transparency Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4)
May 22, 2019 OR HB 2303 Repeals Pseudoephedrine and Ephedrine as Class 3 Controlled Substances Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10)
May 22, 2019 IL HB 834 Requires Equal Pay Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 14)
May 22, 2019 NV AB 431 Expands Voting Rights for Convicted Individuals Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 8)
May 22, 2019 NV AB 431 Expands Voting Rights for Convicted Individuals Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 8)
May 22, 2019 CA SB 61 Prohibits Purchasing More than One Gun per Month Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10)
May 22, 2019 CA SB 172 Amends Firearm Storage Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9)
May 21, 2019 IL HB 2670 Expands Definition of "Mitigating Factors" Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 18)
May 21, 2019 TX HB 1143 Authorizes Storage and Transportation of Firearms in School Parking Areas Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 6)
May 21, 2019 IL HB 1613 Requires Police Keep Racial Profiling Records Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18)
May 21, 2019 IL HB 1613 Requires Police Keep Racial Profiling Records Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18)
May 21, 2019 ME LD 1025 Prohibits the Practice of Conversion Therapy Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 9)
May 21, 2019 CA SB 159 Authorizes Use of HIV Prevention Drugs Without Prescription Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 1)
May 21, 2019 OR SB 1013 Redefines the Crime of Aggravated Murder Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 9)
May 21, 2019 OR SB 1013 Redefines the Crime of Aggravated Murder Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 9)
May 17, 2019 OK SB 252 Amends the State Cash Bail System Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 12)
May 16, 2019 National PN 526 Nomination of Jeffrey Rosen to be Deputy Attorney General for the Department of Justice (52 - 45)
May 16, 2019 IL HB 2040 Prohibits Private Prisons and Civil Detention Centers Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14)
May 15, 2019 NV SB 312 Requires Employers Provide Paid Sick Leave Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 0)
May 15, 2019 NY S 1414 Prohibits 3D Printed Firearms Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 5)
May 14, 2019 AK HB 49 Amends Criminal Justice Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 0)
May 14, 2019 CT SB 992 Limits Cooperation Between Local Law Enforcement and Federal Immigration Agencies Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
May 8, 2019 NY S 4572 Establishes Parameters for Exemptions to Presidential Pardons Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 23)
May 3, 2019 CO HB 19-1263 Amends Criminal Classification of Certain Drug Possessions Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
May 3, 2019 CO HB 19-1263 Amends Criminal Classification of Certain Drug Possessions Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
May 3, 2019 CO HB 19-1124 Prohibits Local Law Enforcement from Helping to Enforce Federal Civil Immigration Laws Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16)
May 2, 2019 FL SB 7066 Requires Felons Pay Outstanding Court Fees Prior to Voting Rights Restoration Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17)
May 2, 2019 FL SB 7066 Requires Felons Pay Outstanding Court Fees Prior to Voting Rights Restoration Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17)
May 2, 2019 CO HB 19-1289 Increases State Consumer Protection Laws Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
May 1, 2019 OH SB 33 Increases Penalties for Infrastructure Protesting Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8)
May 1, 2019 TX SB 535 Authorizes Handguns on the Premises of Places of Worship Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 6)
April 30, 2019 CO SB 19-085 Establishes the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
April 30, 2019 TN HB 1151 Prohibits Indecent Exposure to Include Restrooms, Locker Rooms, Dressing Rooms, and Showers Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 5)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/20 S 101 Requires Firearm Retailers to Sell Personalized Handguns Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
6/20 A 4135 Establishes Procedures for Digital Parking Meters and a Fund for Encouraging Designated Drivers Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
6/20 A 314 Amends Solitary Confinement Procedures Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4)
6/20 SB 45 Establishes Marijuana Usage by a Juvenile as a Civil Violation Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 6)
6/20 A 3696 Amends Firearms Storage Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 18)
6/19 S 3909 Establishes a Hate Crimes Training Program for Law Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 0)
6/19 S 3909 Establishes a Hate Crimes Training Program for Law Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 0)
6/18 LD 1312 Establishes Extreme Risk Protection Orders "Ought Not to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 15)
6/18 LD 1312 Establishes Extreme Risk Protection Orders "Ought Not to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 15)
6/17 S 6209 Expands the Definition of Race and Prohibits Racial Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 16)
6/14 S 5864 Establishes the Television Diversity Tax Credit Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 18)
6/11 SB 621 Authorizes Schools to Arm Security Guards Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17)
6/10 LD 777 Establishes a Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial and Ethnic Populations "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 14)
6/10 LD 1529 Prohibits Employers from Requiring Employees Sign Nondisclosure Agreements Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11)
6/10 LD 1529 Prohibits Employers from Requiring Employees Sign Nondisclosure Agreements Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11)
6/05 HB 518 Exempts Certain Non-Violent Crimes From Habitual Offender Law Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 6)
6/05 LD 795 Amends State Constitution to Include a Right to Food Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
6/04 LD 665 Prohibits Restrictions of Free Speech on College Campuses Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14)
6/03 HB 3216 Prohibits Discriminatory 911 Calls Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 1)
6/03 HB 3216 Prohibits Discriminatory 911 Calls Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 1)
5/31 AB 291 Establishes Various Provisions to Increase Gun Safety Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 8)
5/30 HB 225 Prohibits Pay Discrimination Based on Sex and Race Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 0)
5/30 SB 1609 Authorizes Incarcerated Persons on Bailable Offenses to Receive a Credit Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 19)
5/30 SB 1609 Authorizes Incarcerated Persons on Bailable Offenses to Receive a Credit Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 19)
5/30 HB 608 Expands Definition of Gender Discrimination "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 8)
5/30 HB 637 Establishes Online Criminal Record Database "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Adopted - Senate (15 - 9)
5/30 HB 3394 Requires Women and African Americans on Corporate Boards Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 16)
5/30 HB 105 Repeals State Photo Identification Voter ID Laws Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 10)
5/29 HB 3534 Establishes a Non-Binary Gender Option on IDs Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 16)
5/29 SB 144 Repeals Various Administrative Fees Within the Criminal Justice System Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8)
5/26 HB 3557 Increases Penalties for Pipeline Protesting Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 12)
5/24 HB 94 Establishes Specific Rehabilitation Classes as a Means of Reducing Prison Sentences Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17)
5/23 HB 1269 Amends Criminal Sentencing Laws Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 11)
5/23 HR 2157 Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2019 Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 8)
5/23 HB 7218 Amends Firearm Storage Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 2)
5/23 HB 7219 Establishes Regulations on Manufacturing Guns Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7)
5/23 HB 246 Requires Public Schools to Teach about Prominent LGBTQ Figures Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17)
5/23 HB 7223 Prohibits Unlocked Vehicle Storage of Firearms Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
5/23 SB 55 Expands List of Persons Prohibited from Owning Firearms Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 10)
5/23 SB 329 Prohibits Discrimination Against Section 8 Housing Renters Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11)
5/23 SB 132 Authorizes Inmate Housing According to Gender Identity Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8)
5/23 LD 264 Authorizes Certain EMS Personnel to Draw Blood at the Scene of Fatal Accidents Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)
5/22 HB 2536 Establishes Drug-Pricing Transparency Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4)
5/22 HB 2303 Repeals Pseudoephedrine and Ephedrine as Class 3 Controlled Substances Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10)
5/22 HB 834 Requires Equal Pay Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 14)
5/22 AB 431 Expands Voting Rights for Convicted Individuals Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 8)
5/22 AB 431 Expands Voting Rights for Convicted Individuals Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 8)
5/22 SB 61 Prohibits Purchasing More than One Gun per Month Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10)
5/22 SB 172 Amends Firearm Storage Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9)
5/21 HB 2670 Expands Definition of "Mitigating Factors" Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 18)
5/21 HB 1143 Authorizes Storage and Transportation of Firearms in School Parking Areas Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 6)
5/21 HB 1613 Requires Police Keep Racial Profiling Records Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18)
5/21 HB 1613 Requires Police Keep Racial Profiling Records Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18)
5/21 LD 1025 Prohibits the Practice of Conversion Therapy Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 9)
5/21 SB 159 Authorizes Use of HIV Prevention Drugs Without Prescription Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 1)
5/21 SB 1013 Redefines the Crime of Aggravated Murder Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 9)
5/21 SB 1013 Redefines the Crime of Aggravated Murder Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 9)
5/17 SB 252 Amends the State Cash Bail System Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 12)
5/16 PN 526 Nomination of Jeffrey Rosen to be Deputy Attorney General for the Department of Justice (52 - 45)
5/16 HB 2040 Prohibits Private Prisons and Civil Detention Centers Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14)
5/15 SB 312 Requires Employers Provide Paid Sick Leave Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 0)
5/15 S 1414 Prohibits 3D Printed Firearms Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 5)
5/14 HB 49 Amends Criminal Justice Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 0)
5/14 SB 992 Limits Cooperation Between Local Law Enforcement and Federal Immigration Agencies Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
5/08 S 4572 Establishes Parameters for Exemptions to Presidential Pardons Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 23)
5/03 HB 19-1263 Amends Criminal Classification of Certain Drug Possessions Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
5/03 HB 19-1263 Amends Criminal Classification of Certain Drug Possessions Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
5/03 HB 19-1124 Prohibits Local Law Enforcement from Helping to Enforce Federal Civil Immigration Laws Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16)
5/02 SB 7066 Requires Felons Pay Outstanding Court Fees Prior to Voting Rights Restoration Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17)
5/02 SB 7066 Requires Felons Pay Outstanding Court Fees Prior to Voting Rights Restoration Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17)
5/02 HB 19-1289 Increases State Consumer Protection Laws Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
5/01 SB 33 Increases Penalties for Infrastructure Protesting Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8)
5/01 SB 535 Authorizes Handguns on the Premises of Places of Worship Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 6)
4/30 SB 19-085 Establishes the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
4/30 HB 1151 Prohibits Indecent Exposure to Include Restrooms, Locker Rooms, Dressing Rooms, and Showers Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 5)

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