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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 20, 2007 | GA | SB 174 | Physical Fitness Standards for State Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 1) |
| March 16, 2007 | MD | SB 533 | Removal of Remarriage Barriers | Bill Failed - Senate (22 - 22) |
| March 13, 2007 | AR | SB 959 | Adoption and Foster Care Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
| March 13, 2007 | ID | H 121 | Smoking Ban in Bowling Alleys | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 4) |
| March 8, 2007 | AZ | SB 1152 | REAL ID Implementation Prohibition | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 5) |
| March 8, 2007 | NM | HB 283 | Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
| March 6, 2007 | MD | SB 160 | Discrimination Against the Homeless | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 9) |
| Feb. 23, 2007 | MT | SB 300 | Seat Belt Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21) |
| Feb. 21, 2007 | WV | Com Sub for Com Sub SB 219 | Ban on Smoking in a Vehicle with a Minor | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9) |
| Feb. 7, 2007 | MS | SB 2617 | Voter Identification Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 15) |
| Feb. 6, 2007 | WY | SF 101 | Sex Offender Tracking | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12) |
| Jan. 31, 2007 | WY | SF 13 | Same Sex Marriages | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| Jan. 25, 2007 | VA | SJ 307 | Voting Rights of Nonviolent Felons | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
| Jan. 25, 2007 | MT | SB 15 | Funeral Picketing Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14) |
| Sept. 28, 2006 | National | S Amdt 5087 | Habeas Review Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| Sept. 28, 2006 | National | S Amdt 5095 | Oversight of CIA Interrogation and Detention Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| Sept. 28, 2006 | National | S 3930 | Military Commissions Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34) |
| July 13, 2006 | MA | H 126 | Unsigned Political Posters | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 6) |
| June 28, 2006 | NH | SB 318 | Use of Deadly Force | Veto Override Failed - Senate (11 - 11) |
| June 27, 2006 | National | S J Res 12 | Flag Desecration Constitutional Amendment | Resolution Failed - Senate (66 - 34) |
| June 21, 2006 | PA | HB 2381 | Marriage Definition Constitutional Amendment | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (38 - 12) |
| June 21, 2006 | NY | S 8446 | DNA Database Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 2) |
| June 7, 2006 | National | S J Res 1 | Same Sex Marriage Resolution | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (49 - 48) |
| June 6, 2006 | MI | HB 5143 | "Self-Defense Act" | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| May 24, 2006 | OK | SB 1807 | Prohibiting Death Sentence For Mentally Retarded Defendant | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 10) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/20 | SB 174 | Physical Fitness Standards for State Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 1) |
| 3/16 | SB 533 | Removal of Remarriage Barriers | Bill Failed - Senate (22 - 22) |
| 3/13 | SB 959 | Adoption and Foster Care Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
| 3/13 | H 121 | Smoking Ban in Bowling Alleys | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 4) |
| 3/08 | SB 1152 | REAL ID Implementation Prohibition | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 5) |
| 3/08 | HB 283 | Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
| 3/06 | SB 160 | Discrimination Against the Homeless | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 9) |
| 2/23 | SB 300 | Seat Belt Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21) |
| 2/21 | Com Sub for Com Sub SB 219 | Ban on Smoking in a Vehicle with a Minor | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9) |
| 2/07 | SB 2617 | Voter Identification Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 15) |
| 2/06 | SF 101 | Sex Offender Tracking | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12) |
| 1/31 | SF 13 | Same Sex Marriages | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| 1/25 | SJ 307 | Voting Rights of Nonviolent Felons | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
| 1/25 | SB 15 | Funeral Picketing Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14) |
| 9/28 | S Amdt 5087 | Habeas Review Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| 9/28 | S Amdt 5095 | Oversight of CIA Interrogation and Detention Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| 9/28 | S 3930 | Military Commissions Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 34) |
| 7/13 | H 126 | Unsigned Political Posters | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 6) |
| 6/28 | SB 318 | Use of Deadly Force | Veto Override Failed - Senate (11 - 11) |
| 6/27 | S J Res 12 | Flag Desecration Constitutional Amendment | Resolution Failed - Senate (66 - 34) |
| 6/21 | HB 2381 | Marriage Definition Constitutional Amendment | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (38 - 12) |
| 6/21 | S 8446 | DNA Database Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 2) |
| 6/07 | S J Res 1 | Same Sex Marriage Resolution | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (49 - 48) |
| 6/06 | HB 5143 | "Self-Defense Act" | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| 5/24 | SB 1807 | Prohibiting Death Sentence For Mentally Retarded Defendant | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 10) |