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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 8, 2006 | AK | SB 85 | Off-Road Vehicle Use Near Dalton Highway | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 9) |
| Feb. 7, 2006 | MS | SB 2511 | Parole Eligibility for First-Time Nonviolent Offenders Under Twenty-Five | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18) |
| Feb. 2, 2006 | National | S Amdt 2730 | Medicare Part D Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (52 - 45) |
| Jan. 31, 2006 | NM | SB 258 | Medical Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 6) |
| Jan. 31, 2006 | NM | SB 258 | Medical Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 6) |
| Jan. 31, 2006 | SD | SB 175 | Emergency Contraceptives for Rape Victims | Bill Failed - Senate (9 - 26) |
| Jan. 30, 2006 | IN | SB 354 | Forestry Classifications | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20) |
| Jan. 23, 2006 | SD | SB 1 | Mandatory Bodily Substance Samples in Drunk Driving Arrests | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| Jan. 20, 2006 | UT | SB 19 | Additions to Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12) |
| Jan. 19, 2006 | IN | SB 111 | Student Nutrition and Physical Activity | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| Jan. 12, 2006 | MD | SB 790 | Health Care for Large Companies | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| Jan. 5, 2006 | NJ | S 2907 | Reimbursement for Contaminated Sites | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| Jan. 3, 2006 | RI | H 6052 Sub. A | Medical Marijuana Bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 5) |
| Jan. 3, 2006 | RI | H 6052 Sub. A | Medical Marijuana Bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 5) |
| Dec. 21, 2005 | National | HR 2863 | Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 44) |
| Dec. 21, 2005 | National | HR 2863 | Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 0) |
| Dec. 21, 2005 | National | S Con Res 74 | Removal of ANWR Provision from HR 2863 | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (48 - 45) |
| Nov. 17, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2601 | Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 47) |
| Nov. 16, 2005 | National | HR 2862 | Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill, FY 2006 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (94 - 5) |
| Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2357 | Medicare Premiums Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 50) |
| Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2356 | Hurricane Health Care for Survivors Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2409 | Targeted Case Management Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 52) |
| Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2358 | ANWR Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2400 | Alaska Judicial Review of Oil Revenue Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| Nov. 3, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2348 | Medicaid Generic Drug Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 50) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/08 | SB 85 | Off-Road Vehicle Use Near Dalton Highway | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 9) |
| 2/07 | SB 2511 | Parole Eligibility for First-Time Nonviolent Offenders Under Twenty-Five | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18) |
| 2/02 | S Amdt 2730 | Medicare Part D Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (52 - 45) |
| 1/31 | SB 258 | Medical Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 6) |
| 1/31 | SB 258 | Medical Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 6) |
| 1/31 | SB 175 | Emergency Contraceptives for Rape Victims | Bill Failed - Senate (9 - 26) |
| 1/30 | SB 354 | Forestry Classifications | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20) |
| 1/23 | SB 1 | Mandatory Bodily Substance Samples in Drunk Driving Arrests | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| 1/20 | SB 19 | Additions to Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12) |
| 1/19 | SB 111 | Student Nutrition and Physical Activity | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| 1/12 | SB 790 | Health Care for Large Companies | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| 1/05 | S 2907 | Reimbursement for Contaminated Sites | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| 1/03 | H 6052 Sub. A | Medical Marijuana Bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 5) |
| 1/03 | H 6052 Sub. A | Medical Marijuana Bill | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 5) |
| 12/21 | HR 2863 | Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 44) |
| 12/21 | HR 2863 | Defense Department FY2006 Appropriations Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (93 - 0) |
| 12/21 | S Con Res 74 | Removal of ANWR Provision from HR 2863 | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (48 - 45) |
| 11/17 | S Amdt 2601 | Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 47) |
| 11/16 | HR 2862 | Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Bill, FY 2006 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (94 - 5) |
| 11/03 | S Amdt 2357 | Medicare Premiums Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 50) |
| 11/03 | S Amdt 2356 | Hurricane Health Care for Survivors Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| 11/03 | S Amdt 2409 | Targeted Case Management Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 52) |
| 11/03 | S Amdt 2358 | ANWR Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| 11/03 | S Amdt 2400 | Alaska Judicial Review of Oil Revenue Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| 11/03 | S Amdt 2348 | Medicaid Generic Drug Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (49 - 50) |