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:
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.
| Date | State | Bill No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 2006 | MI | Sub for HB 5192 | Hunting License Program and Firearms Age Restriction | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9) |
| May 23, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4087 | Orange Card Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (37 - 61) |
| May 23, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4177 | Employer Verification Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (59 - 39) |
| May 23, 2006 | LA | SB 347 | Sexual Orientation Discrimination in State Government | Bill Failed - Senate (10 - 24) |
| May 23, 2006 | LA | SB 347 | Sexual Orientation Discrimination in State Government | Bill Failed - Senate (10 - 24) |
| May 23, 2006 | LA | SB 652 | Cockfighting Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 4) |
| May 23, 2006 | LA | SB 652 | Cockfighting Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 4) |
| May 18, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4064 | English As National Language Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (62 - 35) |
| May 18, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4072 | "State Criminal Alien Assistance Program" Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 52) |
| May 18, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4073 | English as Unifying Language Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 39) |
| May 18, 2006 | OK | SB 1742 | Abortion Information Requirements and Changes to the Definition of Homicide | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 8) |
| May 17, 2006 | National | S Amdt 3965 | Employment-based Immigrant Visa Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (50 - 48) |
| May 16, 2006 | WI | SJR 5 | Advisory Referendum on the Death Penalty | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| May 16, 2006 | AZ | HB 2577 | Immigration Law; Employment; Enforcement | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 7) |
| May 16, 2006 | AZ | HB 2577 | Immigration Law; Employment; Enforcement | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 7) |
| May 11, 2006 | National | HR 4297 | Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (54 - 44) |
| May 11, 2006 | CA | SB 1437 | Sexual Diversity Content in Public School Curriculums | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| May 11, 2006 | CA | SB 1437 | Sexual Diversity Content in Public School Curriculums | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| May 10, 2006 | KS | HB 2118 | Conceal and Carry | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 9) |
| May 10, 2006 | KS | HB 2118 | Conceal and Carry | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 9) |
| May 8, 2006 | CO | HB 1314 | Prohibiting Forced Exposure to Employers Religious or Political Speech | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (18 - 16) |
| May 7, 2006 | AK | HCS CS SB 20 | Offenses Against a Fetus/Unborn Child | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (14 - 6) |
| May 4, 2006 | CO | HB 1344 | Same-Sex Partnership Benefits Act | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
| May 4, 2006 | CO | HB 1344 | Same-Sex Partnership Benefits Act | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
| May 4, 2006 | CO | HB 1344 | Same-Sex Partnership Benefits Act | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/24 | Sub for HB 5192 | Hunting License Program and Firearms Age Restriction | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9) |
| 5/23 | S Amdt 4087 | Orange Card Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (37 - 61) |
| 5/23 | S Amdt 4177 | Employer Verification Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (59 - 39) |
| 5/23 | SB 347 | Sexual Orientation Discrimination in State Government | Bill Failed - Senate (10 - 24) |
| 5/23 | SB 347 | Sexual Orientation Discrimination in State Government | Bill Failed - Senate (10 - 24) |
| 5/23 | SB 652 | Cockfighting Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 4) |
| 5/23 | SB 652 | Cockfighting Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 4) |
| 5/18 | S Amdt 4064 | English As National Language Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (62 - 35) |
| 5/18 | S Amdt 4072 | "State Criminal Alien Assistance Program" Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 52) |
| 5/18 | S Amdt 4073 | English as Unifying Language Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 39) |
| 5/18 | SB 1742 | Abortion Information Requirements and Changes to the Definition of Homicide | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 8) |
| 5/17 | S Amdt 3965 | Employment-based Immigrant Visa Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (50 - 48) |
| 5/16 | SJR 5 | Advisory Referendum on the Death Penalty | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| 5/16 | HB 2577 | Immigration Law; Employment; Enforcement | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 7) |
| 5/16 | HB 2577 | Immigration Law; Employment; Enforcement | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 7) |
| 5/11 | HR 4297 | Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (54 - 44) |
| 5/11 | SB 1437 | Sexual Diversity Content in Public School Curriculums | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| 5/11 | SB 1437 | Sexual Diversity Content in Public School Curriculums | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| 5/10 | HB 2118 | Conceal and Carry | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 9) |
| 5/10 | HB 2118 | Conceal and Carry | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 9) |
| 5/08 | HB 1314 | Prohibiting Forced Exposure to Employers Religious or Political Speech | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (18 - 16) |
| 5/07 | HCS CS SB 20 | Offenses Against a Fetus/Unborn Child | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (14 - 6) |
| 5/04 | HB 1344 | Same-Sex Partnership Benefits Act | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
| 5/04 | HB 1344 | Same-Sex Partnership Benefits Act | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
| 5/04 | HB 1344 | Same-Sex Partnership Benefits Act | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |