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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 7, 2017 | WI | AB 455 | Authorizes Children of Any Age to Hunt with Adult Supervision | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| April 7, 2017 | KS | SB 70 | Amends Ride Inspection Laws for Amusement Parks | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 2) |
| March 29, 2017 | KY | HB 128 | Establishes Regulations for Elective Courses on Religious Literature | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 4) |
| March 27, 2017 | TN | SJR 141 | Authorizes Relocation of President James K. Polk's Body | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 6) |
| March 23, 2017 | VT | S 96 | Establishes Protections For Journalists | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 0) |
| March 23, 2017 | FL | SB 436 | Prohibits Discrimination Against Religious Expression in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| Aug. 15, 2016 | CA | AB 1687 | Requires Entertainment Database Websites to Remove Actor's Age Upon Request | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| April 11, 2016 | ME | LD 1600 | Requires Legislative Approval for National Monument Designations | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| March 17, 2016 | MD | SB 49 | Amends the State Song | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 8) |
| March 3, 2016 | AL | SB 13 | Prohibits Removal of Momuments on Public Property | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 9) |
| Feb. 29, 2016 | VA | HB 587 | Prohibits Removal of War Monuments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| Feb. 29, 2016 | KY | SB 200 | Reduces Number of Horse Park Commission Members | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
| Jan. 21, 2016 | MD | SB 190 | Amends Taxable Price for Sale or Use of Accommodations | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 16) |
| July 15, 2015 | WI | SB 209 | Appropriates Funds for New Sports and Entertainment Arena | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10) |
| May 10, 2015 | MN | HF 2958 | Authorizes New Viking Stadium | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 30) |
| March 24, 2015 | NY | S 2159 | Authorizes Mixed Martial Arts | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 14) |
| March 24, 2015 | MD | SB 190 | Amends Taxable Price for Sale or Use of Accommodations | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 15) |
| Dec. 16, 2014 | MI | HB 6074 | Prohibits Student Athletes from Collective Bargaining | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| June 25, 2014 | DE | SB 220 | Appropriates Funds for State Casino Relief | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 5) |
| June 12, 2014 | MA | H 4111 | Appropriates Funds for the Expansion of the Boston Convention Center | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6) |
| April 7, 2014 | LA | S Amdt 2081 | Authorizes "Chicken Boxing" under Certain Conditions | Amendment Rejected - Senate (8 - 29) |
| April 5, 2014 | MD | SB 172 | Authorizes Eminent Domain Against Certain Film Production Entitites | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 6) |
| March 27, 2014 | OK | HB 2580 | Extends Film Industry Tax Credit Program | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 11) |
| Feb. 17, 2014 | GA | SB 318 | Authorizes Bars to Sell Alcohol on Certain Holiday Weekends | Bill Failed - Senate (28 - 20) |
| Jan. 30, 2014 | IN | SB 339 | Authorizes the Sale of Alcohol at the Indiana State Fair | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 13) |