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 2, 2025 AR SB 536 Repeals and Transfers The Arkansas State Library And The State Library Board Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 7)
April 2, 2025 PA SB 475 Establishes Reforms Intended to Modernize and Strengthen Pennsylvania's Problem Solving Courts Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 0)
April 1, 2025 TX SB 8 Requires Local Law Enforcement Assist the Federal Government in Deportation Efforts Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 5)
April 1, 2025 TX SB 16 Requires Proof of Citizenship to Register to Vote Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11)
March 31, 2025 SD HB 1169 Amends Requirements for Petition Signatures to get a Constitutional Amendment on the Ballot Veto Override Failed - Senate (16 - 16)
March 31, 2025 SD HB 1169 Amends Requirements for Petition Signatures to get a Constitutional Amendment on the Ballot Veto Override Failed - Senate (16 - 16)
March 31, 2025 AR HB 1574 Amends Current Arkansas Laws Regarding Paid Canvassers Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8)
March 31, 2025 TX SB 379 Limits SNAP Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 6)
March 31, 2025 CO SB 25-001 Establishes Protections for Voters in a Protected Class and Authorizes the Filing of Civil Suits for Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12)
March 28, 2025 GA HB 86 Establishes New Structure for State Judge Salaries (46 - 2)
March 28, 2025 ND HB 1300 Specifies Timeline for When Term Limits Passed by Voters in 2022 Officially Take Effect Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 6)
March 28, 2025 ND HB 1231 Authorizes Low-Risk Sex Offenders to Ask the Court to Remove Them from the State Registry Early Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 3)
March 28, 2025 ND HB 1300 Specifies Timeline for When Term Limits Passed by Voters in 2022 Officially Take Effect Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 6)
March 28, 2025 GA HB 85 Establishes Guidelines for Local Supplements for State Superior Court Judges Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 2)
March 27, 2025 KY SB 84 Prohibits Courts from Deferring to a State Agency's Interpretation When Dealing With Ambiguity in Statute Veto Override Passed - Senate (32 - 6)
March 27, 2025 KY SB 25 Establishes a Medicaid Oversight Board Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 6)
March 27, 2025 KY SB 207 Establishes a Waiver Process for Public School Districts to Request Exemptions from Certain State Laws or Regulations Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 7)
March 27, 2025 KY HB 399 Establishes Criminal Penalties for Interfering with a Legislative Proceeding Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 7)
March 27, 2025 KS HB 2056 Requires Specific Intent as an Element of the Crime of False Representation of an Election Official Conference Report Adopted - Senate (34 - 6)
March 27, 2025 KS HB 2062 Require Child Support Payments to be Calculated from the Point of Conception Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 9)
March 27, 2025 KS HB 2054 Increases the Amount Individuals and Organizations Can Donate to Political Candidates Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 14)
March 27, 2025 National PN 13-9 Nomination of Paul Lawrence to be Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs Nomination Confirmed - Senate (51 - 45)
March 27, 2025 NH SB 287 Requires that Individuals Applying for Absentee Ballots Include a Copy of Their Identification and Signature from a Licensed Notary in Order to Obtain the Ballot by Mail "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 8)
March 27, 2025 NH SB 287 Requires that Individuals Applying for Absentee Ballots Include a Copy of Their Identification and Signature from a Licensed Notary in Order to Obtain the Ballot by Mail "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 8)
March 27, 2025 National PN 13-9 Nomination of Paul Lawrence to be Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs Cloture Invoked - Senate (53 - 47)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/02 SB 536 Repeals and Transfers The Arkansas State Library And The State Library Board Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 7)
4/02 SB 475 Establishes Reforms Intended to Modernize and Strengthen Pennsylvania's Problem Solving Courts Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 0)
4/01 SB 8 Requires Local Law Enforcement Assist the Federal Government in Deportation Efforts Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 5)
4/01 SB 16 Requires Proof of Citizenship to Register to Vote Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11)
3/31 HB 1169 Amends Requirements for Petition Signatures to get a Constitutional Amendment on the Ballot Veto Override Failed - Senate (16 - 16)
3/31 HB 1169 Amends Requirements for Petition Signatures to get a Constitutional Amendment on the Ballot Veto Override Failed - Senate (16 - 16)
3/31 HB 1574 Amends Current Arkansas Laws Regarding Paid Canvassers Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8)
3/31 SB 379 Limits SNAP Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 6)
3/31 SB 25-001 Establishes Protections for Voters in a Protected Class and Authorizes the Filing of Civil Suits for Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12)
3/28 HB 86 Establishes New Structure for State Judge Salaries (46 - 2)
3/28 HB 1300 Specifies Timeline for When Term Limits Passed by Voters in 2022 Officially Take Effect Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 6)
3/28 HB 1231 Authorizes Low-Risk Sex Offenders to Ask the Court to Remove Them from the State Registry Early Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 3)
3/28 HB 1300 Specifies Timeline for When Term Limits Passed by Voters in 2022 Officially Take Effect Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 6)
3/28 HB 85 Establishes Guidelines for Local Supplements for State Superior Court Judges Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 2)
3/27 SB 84 Prohibits Courts from Deferring to a State Agency's Interpretation When Dealing With Ambiguity in Statute Veto Override Passed - Senate (32 - 6)
3/27 SB 25 Establishes a Medicaid Oversight Board Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 6)
3/27 SB 207 Establishes a Waiver Process for Public School Districts to Request Exemptions from Certain State Laws or Regulations Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 7)
3/27 HB 399 Establishes Criminal Penalties for Interfering with a Legislative Proceeding Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 7)
3/27 HB 2056 Requires Specific Intent as an Element of the Crime of False Representation of an Election Official Conference Report Adopted - Senate (34 - 6)
3/27 HB 2062 Require Child Support Payments to be Calculated from the Point of Conception Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 9)
3/27 HB 2054 Increases the Amount Individuals and Organizations Can Donate to Political Candidates Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 14)
3/27 PN 13-9 Nomination of Paul Lawrence to be Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs Nomination Confirmed - Senate (51 - 45)
3/27 SB 287 Requires that Individuals Applying for Absentee Ballots Include a Copy of Their Identification and Signature from a Licensed Notary in Order to Obtain the Ballot by Mail "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 8)
3/27 SB 287 Requires that Individuals Applying for Absentee Ballots Include a Copy of Their Identification and Signature from a Licensed Notary in Order to Obtain the Ballot by Mail "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 8)
3/27 PN 13-9 Nomination of Paul Lawrence to be Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs Cloture Invoked - Senate (53 - 47)

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