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
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
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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