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
June 15, 2009 LA HB 504 Jefferson Parish School Board Elections Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)
June 4, 2009 ME LD 977 Repealing School District Consolidation "Ought Not to Pass" Report Rejected - Senate (16 - 19)
June 3, 2009 NY A 8501 Government Consolidation Bill Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 16)
June 1, 2009 NV SB 52 New Standards for Drivers Licenses and Identification Cards Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9)
May 31, 2009 NV AB 543 Property Tax Reappropriation Veto Override Passed - Senate (15 - 6)
May 27, 2009 MI SB 587 Cobo Convention Center Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16)
May 27, 2009 MI SB 585 Cobo Convention Center Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16)
May 22, 2009 NV SB 311 Washoe County Fluoridation Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 9)
May 14, 2009 AL HB 175 Permitting Elections in Smaller Municipalities on Allowing Alcohol Veto Override Passed - Senate (18 - 11)
April 29, 2009 OK SB 834 Increased Local School Board Control Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 22)
April 21, 2009 AL HB 175 Permitting Elections in Smaller Municipalities on Allowing Alcohol Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 9)
April 15, 2009 IN HB 1604 Authorizing Local Tax Increases to Fund Sports and Convention Facilities Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17)
April 14, 2009 TX SB 855 Authorizing County Taxes and Fees to Fund Transportation Projects Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9)
April 14, 2009 HI HB 1744 Allowing a County Surcharge on the Transient Accommodations Tax Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 6)
April 14, 2009 HI HB 1605 Allowing Counties to Impose Retail Sales Tax Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 4)
April 8, 2009 OR SB 311 Changes in Liability Limits Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 5)
April 3, 2009 GA HB 2 Citizenship Status Verification of Government Assistance Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 16)
March 26, 2009 ID S 1148 Alcohol Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
March 16, 2009 NJ S 2091 Formalizing Palimony Agreements Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
March 16, 2009 NJ S 21 Local Government PERS/PFRS Contribution Deferral Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17)
March 12, 2009 TN SB 83 "Living" Wage Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
March 10, 2009 OK SB 834 Increased Local School Board Control Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 21)
March 9, 2009 UT SB 241 Instructional Spending Requirements for School Districts Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 17)
March 3, 2009 UT SB 29 Authorizing Corporate Water Systems to Refuse Fluoridation Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 11)
Feb. 27, 2009 VT S 34 Presidential Election by National Popular Vote Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 10)
Feb. 26, 2009 National S 160 Washington DC Voting Act Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37)
Feb. 24, 2009 IN SB 512 Eliminating Township Boards in Counties Without a Consolidated City Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 22)
Feb. 23, 2009 OR SB 311 Changes in Liability Limits Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5)
Feb. 18, 2009 SD HB 1171 Exemptions from School District Minimum Size Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12)
Feb. 12, 2009 OR HB 2157 Severing the Federal and State Income Tax Connection Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13)
Feb. 10, 2009 OH SB 35 State Enforcement of Federal Immigration Law (21 - 11)
Feb. 2, 2009 MT SJ 7 Statement of Opposition to Expansion of EPA Jurisdiction (H.R. 2421) Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (32 - 18)
Jan. 27, 2009 IA SF 44 Expediting Local-Option Tax Approval in Disaster Areas Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18)
Aug. 8, 2008 NY A 11258 Mandatory Cigarette Taxation Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 4)
July 17, 2008 NC HB 2690 Durham County Meals Tax Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 22)
June 11, 2008 CT SB 1001 Real Estate Conveyance Tax Extension Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14)
June 10, 2008 PA SB 246 Smoking Ban Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 9)
June 4, 2008 PA SB 246 Smoking Ban Conference Report Rejected - Senate (19 - 31)
May 29, 2008 CA SB 1764 Certification of Local Fire Agencies Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 14)
May 28, 2008 MI Anderson Amendment: Increase Revenue Sharing Grants Amendment Rejected - Senate (19 - 18)
May 16, 2008 MO HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 Undocumented Immigrants Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 7)
May 13, 2008 MN HF 3807 Real ID Prohibition Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 16)
May 6, 2008 AZ HB 2677 Real ID Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 7)
May 1, 2008 RI H 7204 2007-2008 Budget Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11)
April 29, 2008 AZ HB 2557 Fine Arts and Physical Education in School Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 4)
April 29, 2008 TN SB 3042 Open Container Law Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 7)
April 23, 2008 AZ HB 2711 State Control of Mismanaged Schools Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 3)
April 23, 2008 AZ HB 2359 County Sheriff and Border Patrol Collaboration Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10)
April 22, 2008 IA S 5408 Changes to School Infrastructure Sales Tax Amendment Rejected - Senate (20 - 30)
April 22, 2008 IA HF 2663 Statewide Sales Tax Increase for School Infrastructure Funding Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 11)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/15 HB 504 Jefferson Parish School Board Elections Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)
6/04 LD 977 Repealing School District Consolidation "Ought Not to Pass" Report Rejected - Senate (16 - 19)
6/03 A 8501 Government Consolidation Bill Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 16)
6/01 SB 52 New Standards for Drivers Licenses and Identification Cards Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9)
5/31 AB 543 Property Tax Reappropriation Veto Override Passed - Senate (15 - 6)
5/27 SB 587 Cobo Convention Center Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16)
5/27 SB 585 Cobo Convention Center Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16)
5/22 SB 311 Washoe County Fluoridation Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 9)
5/14 HB 175 Permitting Elections in Smaller Municipalities on Allowing Alcohol Veto Override Passed - Senate (18 - 11)
4/29 SB 834 Increased Local School Board Control Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 22)
4/21 HB 175 Permitting Elections in Smaller Municipalities on Allowing Alcohol Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 9)
4/15 HB 1604 Authorizing Local Tax Increases to Fund Sports and Convention Facilities Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17)
4/14 SB 855 Authorizing County Taxes and Fees to Fund Transportation Projects Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9)
4/14 HB 1744 Allowing a County Surcharge on the Transient Accommodations Tax Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 6)
4/14 HB 1605 Allowing Counties to Impose Retail Sales Tax Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 4)
4/08 SB 311 Changes in Liability Limits Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 5)
4/03 HB 2 Citizenship Status Verification of Government Assistance Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 16)
3/26 S 1148 Alcohol Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
3/16 S 2091 Formalizing Palimony Agreements Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
3/16 S 21 Local Government PERS/PFRS Contribution Deferral Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17)
3/12 SB 83 "Living" Wage Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
3/10 SB 834 Increased Local School Board Control Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 21)
3/09 SB 241 Instructional Spending Requirements for School Districts Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 17)
3/03 SB 29 Authorizing Corporate Water Systems to Refuse Fluoridation Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 11)
2/27 S 34 Presidential Election by National Popular Vote Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 10)
2/26 S 160 Washington DC Voting Act Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37)
2/24 SB 512 Eliminating Township Boards in Counties Without a Consolidated City Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 22)
2/23 SB 311 Changes in Liability Limits Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5)
2/18 HB 1171 Exemptions from School District Minimum Size Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12)
2/12 HB 2157 Severing the Federal and State Income Tax Connection Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13)
2/10 SB 35 State Enforcement of Federal Immigration Law (21 - 11)
2/02 SJ 7 Statement of Opposition to Expansion of EPA Jurisdiction (H.R. 2421) Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (32 - 18)
1/27 SF 44 Expediting Local-Option Tax Approval in Disaster Areas Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18)
8/08 A 11258 Mandatory Cigarette Taxation Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 4)
7/17 HB 2690 Durham County Meals Tax Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 22)
6/11 SB 1001 Real Estate Conveyance Tax Extension Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14)
6/10 SB 246 Smoking Ban Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 9)
6/04 SB 246 Smoking Ban Conference Report Rejected - Senate (19 - 31)
5/29 SB 1764 Certification of Local Fire Agencies Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 14)
5/28 Anderson Amendment: Increase Revenue Sharing Grants Amendment Rejected - Senate (19 - 18)
5/16 HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 Undocumented Immigrants Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 7)
5/13 HF 3807 Real ID Prohibition Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 16)
5/06 HB 2677 Real ID Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 7)
5/01 H 7204 2007-2008 Budget Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11)
4/29 HB 2557 Fine Arts and Physical Education in School Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 4)
4/29 SB 3042 Open Container Law Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 7)
4/23 HB 2711 State Control of Mismanaged Schools Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 3)
4/23 HB 2359 County Sheriff and Border Patrol Collaboration Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10)
4/22 S 5408 Changes to School Infrastructure Sales Tax Amendment Rejected - Senate (20 - 30)
4/22 HF 2663 Statewide Sales Tax Increase for School Infrastructure Funding Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 11)

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