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
Feb. 28, 2013 KS Holland Amendment to SB 63 Prohibits the Secretary of State from Operating a PAC Amendment Adopted - Senate (23 - 17)
Feb. 28, 2013 KS SB 142 Prohibits Civil Action Lawsuits Concerning Abortion Consultation Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 5)
Feb. 22, 2013 ND HB 1373 Limits the Use of Unmanned Aircrafts Bill Passed - House (60 - 31)
Feb. 21, 2013 KY HB 89 Requires Police to Collect DNA From Individuals Arrested on Felony Charges Bill Passed - House (68 - 27)
Feb. 20, 2013 WV HB 2434 Increases Compensation for Court Magistrates Bill Passed - House (53 - 45)
Feb. 13, 2013 KY SB 9 Establishes Review Panels to Assess Nursing Home Lawsuits Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
Feb. 12, 2013 National S 47 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 22)
Jan. 31, 2013 SD SB 70 Establishes Alternative Court Programs for Nonviolent Offenders Bill Passed - House (63 - 7)
Jan. 31, 2013 SD SB 70 Establishes Alternative Court Programs for Nonviolent Offenders Bill Passed - House (63 - 7)
Jan. 30, 2013 KS SCR 1601 Authorizes the Governor to Nominate Judges Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 12)
Aug. 29, 2012 CA AB 2346 Authorizes Farm Workers to Sue Employers for Health or Safety Violations Concurrence Vote Passed - House (42 - 33)
Aug. 29, 2012 CA SB 1476 Authorizes Courts to Designate More than 2 Individuals as Parents of a Child Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
Aug. 27, 2012 CA AB 472 Authorizes Immunity for Reporting Drug Overdoses Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 24)
Aug. 27, 2012 CA AB 2346 Authorizes Farm Workers to Sue Employers for Health or Safety Violations Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12)
Aug. 27, 2012 CA SB 1476 Authorizes Courts to Designate More than 2 Individuals as Parents of a Child Bill Passed - House (52 - 27)
Aug. 24, 2012 CA AB 1081 Prohibits Excessive Detention of Undocumented Immigrants Concurrence Vote Passed - House (48 - 26)
Aug. 22, 2012 CA AB 472 Authorizes Immunity for Reporting Drug Overdoses Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
Aug. 20, 2012 CA SB 9 Sentence Reconsideration for Juvenile Offenders Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 17)
Aug. 16, 2012 CA SB 9 Sentence Reconsideration for Juvenile Offenders Bill Passed - House (41 - 34)
July 31, 2012 MA S 2400 Establishes Accountable Care Organizations Conference Report Adopted - House (133 - 20)
July 5, 2012 CA AB 1081 Prohibits Excessive Detention of Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
June 27, 2012 NH SB 406 Authorizes Early Offer Alternative to Medical Injury Claims Veto Override Passed - House (247 - 111)
June 25, 2012 NJ A 763 Increases Fees to Fund the E-Court Information System Concurrence Vote Passed - House (48 - 30)
June 25, 2012 NJ A 763 Increases Fees to Fund the E-Court Information System Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11)
June 21, 2012 NJ S 1599 Amends Surrogacy Laws Bill Passed - House (41 - 33)
Date No. Title Outcome
2/28 Holland Amendment to SB 63 Prohibits the Secretary of State from Operating a PAC Amendment Adopted - Senate (23 - 17)
2/28 SB 142 Prohibits Civil Action Lawsuits Concerning Abortion Consultation Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 5)
2/22 HB 1373 Limits the Use of Unmanned Aircrafts Bill Passed - House (60 - 31)
2/21 HB 89 Requires Police to Collect DNA From Individuals Arrested on Felony Charges Bill Passed - House (68 - 27)
2/20 HB 2434 Increases Compensation for Court Magistrates Bill Passed - House (53 - 45)
2/13 SB 9 Establishes Review Panels to Assess Nursing Home Lawsuits Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
2/12 S 47 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 22)
1/31 SB 70 Establishes Alternative Court Programs for Nonviolent Offenders Bill Passed - House (63 - 7)
1/31 SB 70 Establishes Alternative Court Programs for Nonviolent Offenders Bill Passed - House (63 - 7)
1/30 SCR 1601 Authorizes the Governor to Nominate Judges Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 12)
8/29 AB 2346 Authorizes Farm Workers to Sue Employers for Health or Safety Violations Concurrence Vote Passed - House (42 - 33)
8/29 SB 1476 Authorizes Courts to Designate More than 2 Individuals as Parents of a Child Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
8/27 AB 472 Authorizes Immunity for Reporting Drug Overdoses Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 24)
8/27 AB 2346 Authorizes Farm Workers to Sue Employers for Health or Safety Violations Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12)
8/27 SB 1476 Authorizes Courts to Designate More than 2 Individuals as Parents of a Child Bill Passed - House (52 - 27)
8/24 AB 1081 Prohibits Excessive Detention of Undocumented Immigrants Concurrence Vote Passed - House (48 - 26)
8/22 AB 472 Authorizes Immunity for Reporting Drug Overdoses Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
8/20 SB 9 Sentence Reconsideration for Juvenile Offenders Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 17)
8/16 SB 9 Sentence Reconsideration for Juvenile Offenders Bill Passed - House (41 - 34)
7/31 S 2400 Establishes Accountable Care Organizations Conference Report Adopted - House (133 - 20)
7/05 AB 1081 Prohibits Excessive Detention of Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
6/27 SB 406 Authorizes Early Offer Alternative to Medical Injury Claims Veto Override Passed - House (247 - 111)
6/25 A 763 Increases Fees to Fund the E-Court Information System Concurrence Vote Passed - House (48 - 30)
6/25 A 763 Increases Fees to Fund the E-Court Information System Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11)
6/21 S 1599 Amends Surrogacy Laws Bill Passed - House (41 - 33)

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