Key Votes

Chamber

Keyword Search

Search string must be longer than 3 characters.

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. 2, 2009 SD HB 1004 Legalizing the Killing of Threatening Mountain Lions Bill Passed - House (37 - 32)
Jan. 20, 2009 MT HB 62 Mandatory Trapper Education Course Bill Passed - House (51 - 48)
May 5, 2008 CA AB 2233 Ban on Holding Pets While Driving Bill Passed - House (44 - 20)
March 31, 2008 MS HB 1089 Legalizing Deer Baiting Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 51)
March 26, 2008 AK HB 256 Relaxing Predator Control Standards Bill Passed - House (25 - 12)
March 20, 2008 KS HB 2936 Capital Improvements Funding Bill Passed - House (87 - 35)
March 5, 2008 WV SB 373 Reclassification of Streams Bill Passed - House (67 - 32)
March 4, 2008 UT SB 297 Increasing Penalties for Animal Cruelty Bill Passed - House (62 - 6)
Feb. 21, 2008 WY HB 46 Animal Abuse and Cruelty Bill Passed - House (56 - 2)
Feb. 21, 2008 MS HB 1089 Legalizing Deer Baiting Bill Passed - House (74 - 47)
Feb. 19, 2008 WA HB 2438 Permitting Dogs in Cougar Hunting Bill Passed - House (66 - 29)
Feb. 11, 2008 SD HB 1171 Hunting Mountain Lions Bill Failed - House (26 - 42)
Jan. 28, 2008 GA HB 301 Increasing Dogfighting Penalties Bill Passed - House (165 - 6)
June 28, 2007 PA HB 1631 Funding for Local County Projects Bill Passed - House (121 - 77)
June 6, 2007 CA AB 1634 California Healthy Pets Act Bill Passed - House (41 - 38)
May 24, 2007 AL HB 112 Gill Net Fishing Ban Bill Passed - House (74 - 21)
May 23, 2007 ME LD 1635 Recreational Bear Trapping Ban "Ought Not to Pass" Report Adopted - House (82 - 60)
March 29, 2007 MT HB 343 Removal of Wolves from the Endangered Species List Bill Passed - House (63 - 37)
March 27, 2007 NH HB 923 Dog Racing Prohibition "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (198 - 138)
Feb. 7, 2007 WY HB 213 Gray Wolf Population Control Bill Passed - House (52 - 8)
Sept. 7, 2006 National HR 503 Horse Slaughter Prohibition Bill Bill Passed - House (263 - 146)
Aug. 31, 2006 CA SB 1578 Dog Restraint Regulations Bill Passed - House (46 - 32)
July 8, 2006 NJ A 4714 Fur Clothing Tax Bill Passed - House (44 - 32)
June 28, 2006 DE HB 537 Crop Damage Levels Bill Passed - House (21 - 18)
May 25, 2006 SC S 229 Cockfighting And Hog Dog Fighting Bill Passed - House (78 - 15)
Date No. Title Outcome
2/02 HB 1004 Legalizing the Killing of Threatening Mountain Lions Bill Passed - House (37 - 32)
1/20 HB 62 Mandatory Trapper Education Course Bill Passed - House (51 - 48)
5/05 AB 2233 Ban on Holding Pets While Driving Bill Passed - House (44 - 20)
3/31 HB 1089 Legalizing Deer Baiting Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 51)
3/26 HB 256 Relaxing Predator Control Standards Bill Passed - House (25 - 12)
3/20 HB 2936 Capital Improvements Funding Bill Passed - House (87 - 35)
3/05 SB 373 Reclassification of Streams Bill Passed - House (67 - 32)
3/04 SB 297 Increasing Penalties for Animal Cruelty Bill Passed - House (62 - 6)
2/21 HB 46 Animal Abuse and Cruelty Bill Passed - House (56 - 2)
2/21 HB 1089 Legalizing Deer Baiting Bill Passed - House (74 - 47)
2/19 HB 2438 Permitting Dogs in Cougar Hunting Bill Passed - House (66 - 29)
2/11 HB 1171 Hunting Mountain Lions Bill Failed - House (26 - 42)
1/28 HB 301 Increasing Dogfighting Penalties Bill Passed - House (165 - 6)
6/28 HB 1631 Funding for Local County Projects Bill Passed - House (121 - 77)
6/06 AB 1634 California Healthy Pets Act Bill Passed - House (41 - 38)
5/24 HB 112 Gill Net Fishing Ban Bill Passed - House (74 - 21)
5/23 LD 1635 Recreational Bear Trapping Ban "Ought Not to Pass" Report Adopted - House (82 - 60)
3/29 HB 343 Removal of Wolves from the Endangered Species List Bill Passed - House (63 - 37)
3/27 HB 923 Dog Racing Prohibition "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (198 - 138)
2/07 HB 213 Gray Wolf Population Control Bill Passed - House (52 - 8)
9/07 HR 503 Horse Slaughter Prohibition Bill Bill Passed - House (263 - 146)
8/31 SB 1578 Dog Restraint Regulations Bill Passed - House (46 - 32)
7/08 A 4714 Fur Clothing Tax Bill Passed - House (44 - 32)
6/28 HB 537 Crop Damage Levels Bill Passed - House (21 - 18)
5/25 S 229 Cockfighting And Hog Dog Fighting Bill Passed - House (78 - 15)

arrow_upward