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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.

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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Feb. 15, 2011 MT SB 185 Abolish the Death Penalty Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24)
Jan. 11, 2011 IL SB 3539 Abolishing the Death Penalty Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 25)
March 25, 2010 NE LB 1105 Death Penalty Cost Study Motion Rejected - Senate (22 - 22)
Aug. 5, 2009 NC SB 461 Racial Discrimination in Capital Sentences Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 18)
May 28, 2009 NE LB 36 Requiring Lethal Injection Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 12)
May 14, 2009 NC SB 461 Racial Discrimination in Capital Sentences Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 10)
May 6, 2009 CO HB 1274 Repeals Death Penalty Conference Report Rejected - Senate (17 - 18)
April 29, 2009 NH HB 556 Abolishing the Death Penalty Bill Tabled - Senate (13 - 11)
March 13, 2009 NM HB 285 Abolishing the Death Penalty Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 18)
March 5, 2009 MD SB 279 Capital Punishment Restrictions Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 13)
March 2, 2009 UT SJR 14 Legislative Regulation of Death Row Appeals Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (23 - 6)
Feb. 17, 2009 MT SB 236 Abolition of Death Penalty Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23)
Jan. 27, 2009 VA SB 961 Expanding Death Penalty Eligibility to Accomplices Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16)
June 18, 2008 NY S 4632 Reinstate the Death Penalty Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 21)
March 25, 2008 NE LB 1063 Abolishing the Death Penalty Motion Rejected - Senate (20 - 28)
Feb. 25, 2008 VA HB 933 "Triggerman Rule" in Capital Murder Cases Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16)
Dec. 10, 2007 NJ S 171 Eliminating the Death Penalty Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
July 20, 2007 National HR 2669 Student Loan Lender Subsidy Cuts and Student Grants Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 18)
May 14, 2007 NY S 319 Death Penalty For Certain Murders Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 24)
April 4, 2007 VA HB 2347 Capital Murder of a Witness Veto Override Passed - Senate (29 - 10)
April 4, 2007 VA Sub HB 2348 Extension of "Triggerman Rule" Veto Override Failed - Senate (24 - 14)
March 20, 2007 NE LB 476 Elimination of the Death Penalty Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 25)
Feb. 24, 2007 MT SB 306 Eliminate Death Penalty Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22)
Feb. 14, 2007 SD HB 1160 Physician Presence at Executions Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 3)
Feb. 14, 2007 SD HB 1175 Lethal Injection Reform Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7)
Jan. 23, 2007 VA Sub SB 1116 Capital Murder of a Judge or Witness Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 10)
April 17, 1996 National S 735 Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 8)
June 7, 1995 National S 735 Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 8)
Nov. 17, 1993 National S Amdt 1204 Replacing the Death Penalty with Life Imprisonment Amendment Rejected - Senate (25 - 74)
Nov. 8, 1993 National S Amdt 1132 Prohibiting the Death Penalty for Minors Amendment Tabled - Senate (52 - 41)
Date No. Title Outcome
2/15 SB 185 Abolish the Death Penalty Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24)
1/11 SB 3539 Abolishing the Death Penalty Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 25)
3/25 LB 1105 Death Penalty Cost Study Motion Rejected - Senate (22 - 22)
8/05 SB 461 Racial Discrimination in Capital Sentences Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 18)
5/28 LB 36 Requiring Lethal Injection Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 12)
5/14 SB 461 Racial Discrimination in Capital Sentences Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 10)
5/06 HB 1274 Repeals Death Penalty Conference Report Rejected - Senate (17 - 18)
4/29 HB 556 Abolishing the Death Penalty Bill Tabled - Senate (13 - 11)
3/13 HB 285 Abolishing the Death Penalty Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 18)
3/05 SB 279 Capital Punishment Restrictions Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 13)
3/02 SJR 14 Legislative Regulation of Death Row Appeals Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (23 - 6)
2/17 SB 236 Abolition of Death Penalty Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23)
1/27 SB 961 Expanding Death Penalty Eligibility to Accomplices Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16)
6/18 S 4632 Reinstate the Death Penalty Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 21)
3/25 LB 1063 Abolishing the Death Penalty Motion Rejected - Senate (20 - 28)
2/25 HB 933 "Triggerman Rule" in Capital Murder Cases Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16)
12/10 S 171 Eliminating the Death Penalty Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
7/20 HR 2669 Student Loan Lender Subsidy Cuts and Student Grants Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 18)
5/14 S 319 Death Penalty For Certain Murders Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 24)
4/04 HB 2347 Capital Murder of a Witness Veto Override Passed - Senate (29 - 10)
4/04 Sub HB 2348 Extension of "Triggerman Rule" Veto Override Failed - Senate (24 - 14)
3/20 LB 476 Elimination of the Death Penalty Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 25)
2/24 SB 306 Eliminate Death Penalty Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22)
2/14 HB 1160 Physician Presence at Executions Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 3)
2/14 HB 1175 Lethal Injection Reform Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7)
1/23 Sub SB 1116 Capital Murder of a Judge or Witness Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 10)
4/17 S 735 Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act Conference Report Adopted - Senate (91 - 8)
6/07 S 735 Comprehensive Terrorism Prevention Act Bill Passed - Senate (91 - 8)
11/17 S Amdt 1204 Replacing the Death Penalty with Life Imprisonment Amendment Rejected - Senate (25 - 74)
11/08 S Amdt 1132 Prohibiting the Death Penalty for Minors Amendment Tabled - Senate (52 - 41)
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