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
April 10, 2010 MD SB 627 Establishes Medical Marijuana Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 12)
April 8, 2010 NE LB 842 Repealing Special Prosecutor Requirement for In-Custody Deaths Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 4)
April 5, 2010 ME LD 1611 State Prison Solitary Confinement Review Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15)
April 5, 2010 ME LD 1611 State Prison Solitary Confinement Review Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15)
March 30, 2010 GA SB 67 English Only Requirement for Driver's License Examinations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (39 - 11)
March 30, 2010 KS HB 2115 Late-Term/Partial Birth Abortion Reporting Requirements Conference Report Adopted - Senate (24 - 15)
March 30, 2010 NE LB 1102 Legalizing "Horse Racing Machines" Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (30 - 13)
March 30, 2010 AL SB 380 Authorization, Regulation, and Taxation of Bingo Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
March 29, 2010 IA SF 2379 Requiring County Sheriffs to Issue Concealed Weapons Permits to Qualified Applicants Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 4)
March 29, 2010 ID H 729 Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 4)
March 29, 2010 AZ HB 2307 Federal Arms Regulation Exemption Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 8)
March 29, 2010 CO HB 1180 Performance-Based Incentive for Film Production Activities Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8)
March 27, 2010 MS SB 2293 Allowing "Under-Performing" Schools to Become Charter Schools Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 11)
March 27, 2010 IA Amdt 5371 Authorizing Qualified Individuals to Conceal Weapons Without a Permit Amendment Rejected - Senate (20 - 28)
March 26, 2010 KY HB 368 Telephone and Online Gambling Tax Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17)
March 26, 2010 GA SB 529 Abortion Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14)
March 25, 2010 MI HB 4394 Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10)
March 25, 2010 IL SB 2494 Funding for School Vouchers Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 20)
March 24, 2010 ID H 496 Requiring Photo Identification to Vote Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6)
March 24, 2010 NH SB 489 Gambling Expansion Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 10)
March 24, 2010 MD SB 1035 Authorizes Card Games at a Specific Facility Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 13)
March 24, 2010 MD SB 321 Prohibiting Hand-Held Cell Phone Use While Driving Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 23)
March 24, 2010 OH SB 150 County Sheriff Assistance with Federal Immigration Law Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10)
March 24, 2010 OH SB 35 State Enforcement of Federal Immigration Law Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11)
March 23, 2010 IA HF 2456 Texting While Driving Ban Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 12)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/10 SB 627 Establishes Medical Marijuana Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 12)
4/08 LB 842 Repealing Special Prosecutor Requirement for In-Custody Deaths Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 4)
4/05 LD 1611 State Prison Solitary Confinement Review Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15)
4/05 LD 1611 State Prison Solitary Confinement Review Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15)
3/30 SB 67 English Only Requirement for Driver's License Examinations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (39 - 11)
3/30 HB 2115 Late-Term/Partial Birth Abortion Reporting Requirements Conference Report Adopted - Senate (24 - 15)
3/30 LB 1102 Legalizing "Horse Racing Machines" Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (30 - 13)
3/30 SB 380 Authorization, Regulation, and Taxation of Bingo Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
3/29 SF 2379 Requiring County Sheriffs to Issue Concealed Weapons Permits to Qualified Applicants Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 4)
3/29 H 729 Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 4)
3/29 HB 2307 Federal Arms Regulation Exemption Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 8)
3/29 HB 1180 Performance-Based Incentive for Film Production Activities Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8)
3/27 SB 2293 Allowing "Under-Performing" Schools to Become Charter Schools Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 11)
3/27 Amdt 5371 Authorizing Qualified Individuals to Conceal Weapons Without a Permit Amendment Rejected - Senate (20 - 28)
3/26 HB 368 Telephone and Online Gambling Tax Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17)
3/26 SB 529 Abortion Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14)
3/25 HB 4394 Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10)
3/25 SB 2494 Funding for School Vouchers Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 20)
3/24 H 496 Requiring Photo Identification to Vote Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6)
3/24 SB 489 Gambling Expansion Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 10)
3/24 SB 1035 Authorizes Card Games at a Specific Facility Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 13)
3/24 SB 321 Prohibiting Hand-Held Cell Phone Use While Driving Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 23)
3/24 SB 150 County Sheriff Assistance with Federal Immigration Law Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10)
3/24 SB 35 State Enforcement of Federal Immigration Law Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11)
3/23 HF 2456 Texting While Driving Ban Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 12)

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