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
Oct. 22, 2009 National HR 2647 2009-2010 Defense Appropriations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (68 - 29)
Oct. 6, 2009 PA HB 1531 Tax Law Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 14)
Sept. 30, 2009 MI HB 4437 2009-2010 Department of Corrections Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 14)
Sept. 11, 2009 CA SBx3 18 Correctional Law Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
Sept. 9, 2009 CA SB 54 Recognizing Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
Sept. 9, 2009 CA SB 54 Recognizing Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
Sept. 9, 2009 CA AB 98 Required Maternity Services Coverage Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
Sept. 8, 2009 CA SB 572 Harvey Milk Day Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
Sept. 8, 2009 CA SB 572 Harvey Milk Day Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
Sept. 8, 2009 CA AB 524 Privacy Law Expansion Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15)
Sept. 4, 2009 CA AB 793 Clarifying Statute of Limitations for Wage Discrimination Lawsuits Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16)
Sept. 2, 2009 CA AB 1422 Medi-Cal and Healthy Families Program Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8)
Aug. 20, 2009 CA ABx3 14 Correctional Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19)
Aug. 12, 2009 AZ HB 2010 Budget Reconciliation (Criminal Justice) Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 8)
Aug. 12, 2009 AZ HB 2013 Budget Reconciliation (Health and Welfare) Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8)
Aug. 7, 2009 NC SB 943 Expanding Production Company Tax Credit Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 18)
Aug. 5, 2009 NC SB 461 Racial Discrimination in Capital Sentences Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 18)
July 24, 2009 CA ABX4 19 Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Revisions: In-Home Supportive Services Fraud Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15)
July 22, 2009 National S Amdt 1618 Authorizing Concealed Firearms Across State Lines Amendment Rejected - Senate (58 - 39)
July 20, 2009 NC HB 1289 Lottery Sales Ban at Check Cashing Sites Motion Rejected - Senate (20 - 23)
July 13, 2009 OH HB 1 2009-2011 Biennium Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 15)
July 13, 2009 CA SB 670 Ban on Suction and Dredge Mining Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 7)
July 8, 2009 National S Amdt 1399 Requiring Completion of Reinforced Border Fencing Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 44)
July 1, 2009 AZ SB 1175 Prohibiting Non-Physicians from Performing Abortions Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 11)
June 30, 2009 RI S 286 Relating to Video Lottery Terminals Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 11)
Date No. Title Outcome
10/22 HR 2647 2009-2010 Defense Appropriations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (68 - 29)
10/06 HB 1531 Tax Law Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 14)
9/30 HB 4437 2009-2010 Department of Corrections Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 14)
9/11 SBx3 18 Correctional Law Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
9/09 SB 54 Recognizing Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
9/09 SB 54 Recognizing Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
9/09 AB 98 Required Maternity Services Coverage Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
9/08 SB 572 Harvey Milk Day Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
9/08 SB 572 Harvey Milk Day Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
9/08 AB 524 Privacy Law Expansion Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15)
9/04 AB 793 Clarifying Statute of Limitations for Wage Discrimination Lawsuits Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16)
9/02 AB 1422 Medi-Cal and Healthy Families Program Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8)
8/20 ABx3 14 Correctional Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19)
8/12 HB 2010 Budget Reconciliation (Criminal Justice) Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 8)
8/12 HB 2013 Budget Reconciliation (Health and Welfare) Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8)
8/07 SB 943 Expanding Production Company Tax Credit Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 18)
8/05 SB 461 Racial Discrimination in Capital Sentences Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 18)
7/24 ABX4 19 Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Revisions: In-Home Supportive Services Fraud Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15)
7/22 S Amdt 1618 Authorizing Concealed Firearms Across State Lines Amendment Rejected - Senate (58 - 39)
7/20 HB 1289 Lottery Sales Ban at Check Cashing Sites Motion Rejected - Senate (20 - 23)
7/13 HB 1 2009-2011 Biennium Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 15)
7/13 SB 670 Ban on Suction and Dredge Mining Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 7)
7/08 S Amdt 1399 Requiring Completion of Reinforced Border Fencing Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 44)
7/01 SB 1175 Prohibiting Non-Physicians from Performing Abortions Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 11)
6/30 S 286 Relating to Video Lottery Terminals Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 11)

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