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
July 27, 2011 National H Amdt 735 Repeals Laws that Limited Funding for the Endangered Species Act Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 202)
July 13, 2011 National HR 2018 Amending Clean Water Laws Bill Passed - House (239 - 184)
June 29, 2011 NJ S 2576 Prohibits Hydraulic Fracturing Bill Passed - House (58 - 11)
June 28, 2011 AK SB 45 Extending the Coastal Management Program Bill Failed - House (18 - 18)
June 28, 2011 OH HB 231 Withdrawal Permit for Water Usage at Lake Erie Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8)
June 27, 2011 AK SB 45 Extending the Coastal Management Program Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 7)
June 22, 2011 National HR 2021 Impact of Drilling on Air Quality Bill Passed - House (253 - 166)
June 22, 2011 OH HB 231 Withdrawal Permit for Water Usage at Lake Erie Bill Passed - House (60 - 39)
June 2, 2011 CA SB 568 Recycling Polystyrene Food Containers Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15)
May 11, 2011 MN SF 86 Repeals Carbon Dioxide Emissions Prohibition Bill Passed - House (76 - 54)
April 7, 2011 National HR 910 Energy Tax Prevention Act Bill Passed - House (255 - 172)
March 30, 2011 NH HB 519 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Bill Passed - House (251 - 108)
March 29, 2011 WA SB 5251 Electric Vehicle Registration Fees Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 16)
March 5, 2011 WA SB 5769 Coal-Fired Power Plants Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 13)
March 3, 2011 NJ A 2215 Loans for Development of Green Buildings Veto Override Failed - House (44 - 32)
March 1, 2011 AZ SB 1394 Regulation of Greenhouse Substances and Freedom to Breathe Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8)
Feb. 28, 2011 MN HF 1 Environmental Review Requirements Concurrence Vote Passed - House (89 - 42)
Feb. 28, 2011 WA HB 1489 Anti-Phosphorus Fertilizer Bill Bill Passed - House (58 - 39)
Feb. 24, 2011 MN HF 1 Environmental Review Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 16)
Feb. 23, 2011 MT HB 550 Prohibits Enforcement of Federal Greenhouse Gas Regulatory Program Bill Passed - House (68 - 31)
Feb. 17, 2011 MN SF 4 Repealing the Ban on Construction of New Nuclear Power Plants Bill Passed - House (81 - 50)
Feb. 10, 2011 MT HB 309 Prohibits Recreational Access to Ditches Bill Passed - House (57 - 43)
Feb. 2, 2011 WI SB 10 Wetland Regulations Bill Passed - House (56 - 35)
Feb. 2, 2011 MN SF 4 Repealing the Ban on Construction of New Nuclear Power Plants Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 14)
Feb. 2, 2011 WI SB 10 Wetland Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11)
Jan. 24, 2011 MN SF 86 Repeals Carbon Dioxide Emissions Prohibition
Sept. 23, 2010 National HR 5110 Expanding Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Bill Failed - House (244 - 174)
Sept. 23, 2010 National HR 4823 Establishing Sedona-Red Rock National Scenic Area Bill Failed - House (258 - 160)
Aug. 31, 2010 CA AB 1998 Ban of Single-Use Carryout Bags in Certain Stores Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 21)
Aug. 30, 2010 CA AB 234 Marine Oil Shipping Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - House (45 - 28)
Aug. 23, 2010 CA AB 234 Marine Oil Shipping Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
July 30, 2010 National HR 3534 Offshore Drilling Regulations and Other Energy Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (209 - 193)
July 2, 2010 PA HB 2601 Environmentally Beneficial and Energy Efficient Technologies Bill Passed - House (125 - 71)
June 21, 2010 LA SB 65 Coastal Zone Expansion Conference Report Adopted - House (70 - 17)
June 21, 2010 NY A 9709 Omnibus Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29)
June 18, 2010 NY A 9709 Omnibus Appropriations Bill Passed - House (79 - 52)
June 16, 2010 MI SR 158 Oil Spill Prevention Plans for Dairy Farmers Resolution Passed - Senate (24 - 10)
June 15, 2010 PA HB 708 Recycling Program for Electronic Materials Bill Passed - House (169 - 30)
June 10, 2010 National S J Res 26 Statement of Opposition to EPA Greenhouse Gas Rule Motion Rejected - Senate (47 - 53)
June 2, 2010 CA AB 1998 Ban of Single-Use Carryout Bags in Certain Stores Bill Passed - House (42 - 27)
May 28, 2010 NY A 11308 Emergency State Parks Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 27)
May 28, 2010 NY A 11308 Emergency State Parks Appropriations Bill Passed - House (86 - 47)
May 12, 2010 VT H 485 Property Tax and Land Use Law Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 9)
May 11, 2010 CO HB 1358 Authorizing Home Buyers to Purchase Water Efficiency Devices Up Front Concurrence Vote Passed - House (38 - 27)
May 11, 2010 DE SB 234 Universal Recycling and Beverage Containers Bill Passed - House (26 - 12)
May 7, 2010 CO HB 1358 Authorizing Home Buyers to Purchase Water Efficiency Devices Up Front Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
May 4, 2010 LA HCR 144 Response to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig Motion Agreed - House (60 - 32)
April 28, 2010 CO HB 1348 Regulations on Radioactive Material Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9)
April 15, 2010 CA SB 4 Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
March 22, 2010 CA SB 4 Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches Bill Passed - House (42 - 27)
Date No. Title Outcome
7/27 H Amdt 735 Repeals Laws that Limited Funding for the Endangered Species Act Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 202)
7/13 HR 2018 Amending Clean Water Laws Bill Passed - House (239 - 184)
6/29 S 2576 Prohibits Hydraulic Fracturing Bill Passed - House (58 - 11)
6/28 SB 45 Extending the Coastal Management Program Bill Failed - House (18 - 18)
6/28 HB 231 Withdrawal Permit for Water Usage at Lake Erie Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8)
6/27 SB 45 Extending the Coastal Management Program Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 7)
6/22 HR 2021 Impact of Drilling on Air Quality Bill Passed - House (253 - 166)
6/22 HB 231 Withdrawal Permit for Water Usage at Lake Erie Bill Passed - House (60 - 39)
6/02 SB 568 Recycling Polystyrene Food Containers Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15)
5/11 SF 86 Repeals Carbon Dioxide Emissions Prohibition Bill Passed - House (76 - 54)
4/07 HR 910 Energy Tax Prevention Act Bill Passed - House (255 - 172)
3/30 HB 519 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Bill Passed - House (251 - 108)
3/29 SB 5251 Electric Vehicle Registration Fees Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 16)
3/05 SB 5769 Coal-Fired Power Plants Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 13)
3/03 A 2215 Loans for Development of Green Buildings Veto Override Failed - House (44 - 32)
3/01 SB 1394 Regulation of Greenhouse Substances and Freedom to Breathe Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8)
2/28 HF 1 Environmental Review Requirements Concurrence Vote Passed - House (89 - 42)
2/28 HB 1489 Anti-Phosphorus Fertilizer Bill Bill Passed - House (58 - 39)
2/24 HF 1 Environmental Review Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 16)
2/23 HB 550 Prohibits Enforcement of Federal Greenhouse Gas Regulatory Program Bill Passed - House (68 - 31)
2/17 SF 4 Repealing the Ban on Construction of New Nuclear Power Plants Bill Passed - House (81 - 50)
2/10 HB 309 Prohibits Recreational Access to Ditches Bill Passed - House (57 - 43)
2/02 SB 10 Wetland Regulations Bill Passed - House (56 - 35)
2/02 SF 4 Repealing the Ban on Construction of New Nuclear Power Plants Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 14)
2/02 SB 10 Wetland Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11)
1/24 SF 86 Repeals Carbon Dioxide Emissions Prohibition
9/23 HR 5110 Expanding Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Bill Failed - House (244 - 174)
9/23 HR 4823 Establishing Sedona-Red Rock National Scenic Area Bill Failed - House (258 - 160)
8/31 AB 1998 Ban of Single-Use Carryout Bags in Certain Stores Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 21)
8/30 AB 234 Marine Oil Shipping Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - House (45 - 28)
8/23 AB 234 Marine Oil Shipping Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
7/30 HR 3534 Offshore Drilling Regulations and Other Energy Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (209 - 193)
7/02 HB 2601 Environmentally Beneficial and Energy Efficient Technologies Bill Passed - House (125 - 71)
6/21 SB 65 Coastal Zone Expansion Conference Report Adopted - House (70 - 17)
6/21 A 9709 Omnibus Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29)
6/18 A 9709 Omnibus Appropriations Bill Passed - House (79 - 52)
6/16 SR 158 Oil Spill Prevention Plans for Dairy Farmers Resolution Passed - Senate (24 - 10)
6/15 HB 708 Recycling Program for Electronic Materials Bill Passed - House (169 - 30)
6/10 S J Res 26 Statement of Opposition to EPA Greenhouse Gas Rule Motion Rejected - Senate (47 - 53)
6/02 AB 1998 Ban of Single-Use Carryout Bags in Certain Stores Bill Passed - House (42 - 27)
5/28 A 11308 Emergency State Parks Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 27)
5/28 A 11308 Emergency State Parks Appropriations Bill Passed - House (86 - 47)
5/12 H 485 Property Tax and Land Use Law Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 9)
5/11 HB 1358 Authorizing Home Buyers to Purchase Water Efficiency Devices Up Front Concurrence Vote Passed - House (38 - 27)
5/11 SB 234 Universal Recycling and Beverage Containers Bill Passed - House (26 - 12)
5/07 HB 1358 Authorizing Home Buyers to Purchase Water Efficiency Devices Up Front Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
5/04 HCR 144 Response to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig Motion Agreed - House (60 - 32)
4/28 HB 1348 Regulations on Radioactive Material Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9)
4/15 SB 4 Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
3/22 SB 4 Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches Bill Passed - House (42 - 27)

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