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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Feb. 28, 2006 CO HB 1175 Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
Feb. 23, 2006 UT 1SSB 97 Student Organizations Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 11)
Feb. 15, 2006 ID HJR 2 Marriage Amendment Ballot Question Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9)
Feb. 9, 2006 KS SB 418 Concealed Weapons Permits Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 11)
Jan. 27, 2006 MS HB 409 Seat Belt Law Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 4)
Jan. 27, 2006 WA Sub HB 2661 Expanding the Jurisdiction of the Human Rights Commission Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 23)
Jan. 25, 2006 VA SB 526 Defining Marriage Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 11)
Jan. 24, 2006 IN SB 88 Seat Belt Requirement Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 21)
Dec. 16, 2005 National HR 3199 PATRIOT Act Reauthorization Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47)
March 8, 2005 National S Amdt 47 Violent Protestor Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53)
July 14, 2004 National S J Res 40 Federal Marriage Amendment Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (48 - 50)
Oct. 16, 2002 National HR 3295 Help America Vote Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2)
April 11, 2002 National S 565 Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2001 Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 1)
Feb. 27, 2002 National S Amdt 2937 Allowing Signatures for Voter Registration by Mail Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (46 - 51)
Oct. 25, 2001 National HR 3162 USA Patriot Act of 2001 Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1)
June 20, 2000 National S Amdt 3473 Hate Crimes Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (57 - 42)
March 29, 2000 National S J Res 14 Flag Desecration amendment Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (63 - 37)
July 22, 1998 National S Amdt 3263 Phone Recording Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50)
June 6, 1996 National H J Res 1 Balanced Budget Proposed Constitutional Amendment Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (64 - 35)
April 23, 1996 National S J Res 21 Term Limits bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 42)
Dec. 12, 1995 National S J Res 31 Flag Desecration Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (63 - 36)
June 6, 1995 National S Amdt 1215 Anti-terrorism Wiretaps Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (77 - 19)
March 2, 1995 National H J Res 1 Balanced Budget Proposed Constitutional Amendment Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (65 - 35)
May 12, 1994 National S 636 Abortion Clinic Access bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 30)
March 1, 1994 National S J Res 41 Balanced Budget amendment Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (63 - 37)
May 11, 1993 National HR 2 Motor Voter Registration Conference Report Adopted - Senate (62 - 36)
March 17, 1993 National HR 2 Motor Voter Registration Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 37)
Date No. Title Outcome
2/28 HB 1175 Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
2/23 1SSB 97 Student Organizations Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 11)
2/15 HJR 2 Marriage Amendment Ballot Question Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9)
2/09 SB 418 Concealed Weapons Permits Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 11)
1/27 HB 409 Seat Belt Law Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 4)
1/27 Sub HB 2661 Expanding the Jurisdiction of the Human Rights Commission Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 23)
1/25 SB 526 Defining Marriage Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 11)
1/24 SB 88 Seat Belt Requirement Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 21)
12/16 HR 3199 PATRIOT Act Reauthorization Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47)
3/08 S Amdt 47 Violent Protestor Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53)
7/14 S J Res 40 Federal Marriage Amendment Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (48 - 50)
10/16 HR 3295 Help America Vote Act of 2002 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (92 - 2)
4/11 S 565 Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2001 Bill Passed - Senate (99 - 1)
2/27 S Amdt 2937 Allowing Signatures for Voter Registration by Mail Amendment Not Tabled - Senate (46 - 51)
10/25 HR 3162 USA Patriot Act of 2001 Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 1)
6/20 S Amdt 3473 Hate Crimes Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (57 - 42)
3/29 S J Res 14 Flag Desecration amendment Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (63 - 37)
7/22 S Amdt 3263 Phone Recording Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (50 - 50)
6/06 H J Res 1 Balanced Budget Proposed Constitutional Amendment Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (64 - 35)
4/23 S J Res 21 Term Limits bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 42)
12/12 S J Res 31 Flag Desecration Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (63 - 36)
6/06 S Amdt 1215 Anti-terrorism Wiretaps Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (77 - 19)
3/02 H J Res 1 Balanced Budget Proposed Constitutional Amendment Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (65 - 35)
5/12 S 636 Abortion Clinic Access bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (69 - 30)
3/01 S J Res 41 Balanced Budget amendment Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (63 - 37)
5/11 HR 2 Motor Voter Registration Conference Report Adopted - Senate (62 - 36)
3/17 HR 2 Motor Voter Registration Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 37)

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