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
Sept. 6, 2011 CA SB 299 Pregnancy or Childbirth Leave for Employees Bill Passed - House (52 - 26)
Sept. 2, 2011 CA AB 887 Prohibits Discrimination Against Transgendered Individuals Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 25)
Aug. 22, 2011 CA AB 433 Birth Certificates for Transgendered Individuals Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 26)
July 27, 2011 National H Amdt 735 Repeals Laws that Limited Funding for the Endangered Species Act Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 202)
July 14, 2011 CA SB 249 Prohibits Firearms with Detachable Magazines Bill Passed - House (48 - 21)
July 5, 2011 CA SB 48 Requires Teaching Gay History Bill Passed - House (50 - 26)
July 5, 2011 CA SB 48 Requires Teaching Gay History Bill Passed - House (50 - 26)
July 1, 2011 DE SB 65 Expansion of Criminal Nuisance Definition Bill Passed - House (26 - 15)
June 30, 2011 PA HB 960 Public Assistance Program Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (130 - 66)
June 30, 2011 RI S 400 Voter Identification Requirements Bill Passed - House (51 - 22)
June 23, 2011 PA HB 934 Amends Voter Identification Laws Bill Passed - House (108 - 88)
June 22, 2011 NH HB 329 Revising Abortion Procedures for Unemancipated Minors Veto Override Passed - House (266 - 102)
June 21, 2011 WI SB 93 Weapons Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (68 - 27)
June 15, 2011 OH SB 17 Authorizes Concealed Handguns at Alcohol Vendors Bill Passed - House (56 - 39)
June 15, 2011 NY A 8354 Marriage Equality Enactment Bill Passed - House (80 - 63)
June 9, 2011 ME LD 1376 Repeals Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (72 - 65)
June 7, 2011 ME LD 1463 Penalties for Violent Offenses Against Fetuses "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Not Adopted - House (66 - 81)
June 7, 2011 CT SB 1014 Penalties For Certain Nonviolent Drug Offenses Bill Passed - House (90 - 57)
June 7, 2011 CT SB 1014 Penalties For Certain Nonviolent Drug Offenses Bill Passed - House (90 - 57)
June 7, 2011 ME LD 1046 Transgender Discrimination Law Amendments "Ought to Pass" Report Not Adopted - House (61 - 81)
June 7, 2011 LA HB 138 Parole Eligibility for Elderly Inmates Bill Passed - House (65 - 25)
June 6, 2011 OR SB 347 Exemptions from Disclosure of Public Records Bill Passed - House (46 - 12)
June 2, 2011 AL HB 56 Immigration Enforcement Conference Report Adopted - House (67 - 29)
June 1, 2011 CA AB 131 In-State College Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - House (50 - 27)
May 31, 2011 IL HB 1490 Regulates Full-Contact Martial Arts Events Concurrence Vote Passed - House (69 - 45)
Date No. Title Outcome
9/06 SB 299 Pregnancy or Childbirth Leave for Employees Bill Passed - House (52 - 26)
9/02 AB 887 Prohibits Discrimination Against Transgendered Individuals Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 25)
8/22 AB 433 Birth Certificates for Transgendered Individuals Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 26)
7/27 H Amdt 735 Repeals Laws that Limited Funding for the Endangered Species Act Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 202)
7/14 SB 249 Prohibits Firearms with Detachable Magazines Bill Passed - House (48 - 21)
7/05 SB 48 Requires Teaching Gay History Bill Passed - House (50 - 26)
7/05 SB 48 Requires Teaching Gay History Bill Passed - House (50 - 26)
7/01 SB 65 Expansion of Criminal Nuisance Definition Bill Passed - House (26 - 15)
6/30 HB 960 Public Assistance Program Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (130 - 66)
6/30 S 400 Voter Identification Requirements Bill Passed - House (51 - 22)
6/23 HB 934 Amends Voter Identification Laws Bill Passed - House (108 - 88)
6/22 HB 329 Revising Abortion Procedures for Unemancipated Minors Veto Override Passed - House (266 - 102)
6/21 SB 93 Weapons Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (68 - 27)
6/15 SB 17 Authorizes Concealed Handguns at Alcohol Vendors Bill Passed - House (56 - 39)
6/15 A 8354 Marriage Equality Enactment Bill Passed - House (80 - 63)
6/09 LD 1376 Repeals Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (72 - 65)
6/07 LD 1463 Penalties for Violent Offenses Against Fetuses "Ought to Pass as Amended" Report Not Adopted - House (66 - 81)
6/07 SB 1014 Penalties For Certain Nonviolent Drug Offenses Bill Passed - House (90 - 57)
6/07 SB 1014 Penalties For Certain Nonviolent Drug Offenses Bill Passed - House (90 - 57)
6/07 LD 1046 Transgender Discrimination Law Amendments "Ought to Pass" Report Not Adopted - House (61 - 81)
6/07 HB 138 Parole Eligibility for Elderly Inmates Bill Passed - House (65 - 25)
6/06 SB 347 Exemptions from Disclosure of Public Records Bill Passed - House (46 - 12)
6/02 HB 56 Immigration Enforcement Conference Report Adopted - House (67 - 29)
6/01 AB 131 In-State College Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - House (50 - 27)
5/31 HB 1490 Regulates Full-Contact Martial Arts Events Concurrence Vote Passed - House (69 - 45)

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