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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 19, 2015 | NY | S 3709 | Limits Property Tax Increases for New York City | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 15) |
| March 16, 2015 | ID | S 1044 | Prohibits the Use of Eminent Domain for Trails | Bill Passed - House (54 - 15) |
| March 16, 2015 | NJ | S 1593 | Establishes Interest-Free Housing Loans for Public Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| March 14, 2015 | WV | HB 2688 | Authorizes Petroleum Drilling Without Consent of all Property Owners | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (49 - 49) |
| March 14, 2015 | WV | HB 2688 | Authorizes Petroleum Drilling Without Consent of all Property Owners | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| March 10, 2015 | NM | HB 366 | Authorizes State Regulation of Oil and Gas Production | Bill Passed - House (37 - 28) |
| March 7, 2015 | NM | HB 235 | Requires Consent to Use Waterways that Flow Through Private Property | Bill Passed - House (34 - 28) |
| March 4, 2015 | WY | SF 56 | Appropriates Funds for Study of Public Lands | Bill Passed - House (42 - 17) |
| March 4, 2015 | WV | HB 2688 | Authorizes Petroleum Drilling Without Consent of all Property Owners | Bill Passed - House (60 - 40) |
| Feb. 26, 2015 | MT | SB 262 | Establishes Water Rights Compact | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| Feb. 24, 2015 | CO | SB 93 | Requires Compensation for Mineral Rights Owners | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| Feb. 20, 2015 | NV | AB 125 | Amends Provisions Relating to Constructional Defects | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 8) |
| Feb. 17, 2015 | NV | AB 125 | Amends Provisions Relating to Constructional Defects | Bill Passed - House (25 - 17) |
| Feb. 9, 2015 | WY | SF 14 | Amends Property Forfeiture Laws | Bill Passed - House (54 - 6) |
| Feb. 5, 2015 | AZ | HB 2128 | Exempts Religious Organizations from Certain Property Taxes | Bill Passed - House (33 - 25) |
| Jan. 30, 2015 | WY | SF 56 | Appropriates Funds for Study of Public Lands | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 4) |
| Jan. 23, 2015 | WY | SF 14 | Amends Property Forfeiture Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 3) |
| Oct. 15, 2014 | PA | HB 1565 | Amends Buffer Zone Requirements around Certain Streams | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (118 - 79) |
| Oct. 14, 2014 | PA | HB 1565 | Amends Buffer Zone Requirements around Certain Streams | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| Aug. 29, 2014 | CA | AB 1739 | Amends Groundwater Laws | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 28) |
| Aug. 29, 2014 | CA | SB 1319 | Authorizes Groundwater Sustainability Plan for Certain Water Basins | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| Aug. 29, 2014 | CA | SB 1168 | Requires Sustainability Plans for Groundwater Usage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
| Aug. 29, 2014 | CA | SB 1168 | Requires Sustainability Plans for Groundwater Usage | Bill Passed - House (47 - 27) |
| Aug. 29, 2014 | CA | SB 1319 | Authorizes Groundwater Sustainability Plan for Certain Water Basins | Bill Passed - House (48 - 26) |
| Aug. 27, 2014 | CA | AB 1739 | Amends Groundwater Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11) |