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
April 18, 2015 MT SB 405 Expands Health Care Coverage Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 21)
April 16, 2015 ND SB 2151 Appropriates Funds for Early Childhood Education Grants Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 14)
April 15, 2015 MO HB 150 Limits Duration of Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8)
April 14, 2015 MO SB 24 Reduces the Lifetime Limit for Certain Government Benefits Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 9)
April 13, 2015 MD HB 70 2015-2016 Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (33 - 13)
April 13, 2015 MD SB 183 Amends Funding for the Geographic Cost of Education Index Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 15)
April 11, 2015 MT HB 2 2015-2017 Biennium Budget Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 17)
April 2, 2015 KS HB 2258 Amends Social Service Programs Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 10)
March 31, 2015 NY S 2006B Establishes Annual Teacher Evaluation Program Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 26)
March 30, 2015 MT SB 405 Expands Health Care Coverage Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 21)
March 27, 2015 National S Con Res 11 An Original Concurrent Resolution Setting Forth the Congressional Budget for the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2016 and Setting Forth the Appropriate Budgetary Levels for Fiscal Years 2017 Through 2025 Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (52 - 46)
March 27, 2015 National S Con Res 11 An Original Concurrent Resolution Setting Forth the Congressional Budget for the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2016 and Setting Forth the Appropriate Budgetary Levels for Fiscal Years 2017 Through 2025 Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (52 - 46)
March 26, 2015 IL HB 317 2015-2016 Budget Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 26)
March 26, 2015 IL HB 318 2015-2016 Budget Reconciliation Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 26)
March 25, 2015 KS HB 2135 Appropriates Funds to Public and Private Universities Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13)
March 16, 2015 NJ S 2791 Environmental Protection Budget Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
March 12, 2015 AR HB 1489 Reduces Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 7)
March 6, 2015 WY SF 145 Appropriates Funds for Uncompensated Charity Care Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 7)
Feb. 25, 2015 UT SB 164 Establishes Medicaid Expansion Pilot Program Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 11)
Feb. 25, 2015 ND SB 2151 Appropriates Funds for Early Childhood Education Grants Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14)
Feb. 25, 2015 ND SB 2254 Amends School District Funding Calculations to Include Early Childhood Education Programs Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 31)
Feb. 24, 2015 SD SB 189 Establishes Tax Credit Scholarship Program Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
Feb. 23, 2015 AZ SB 1092 Requires Waivers for Certain Health Insurance Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12)
Feb. 23, 2015 MO SB 24 Reduces the Lifetime Limit for Certain Government Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8)
Feb. 17, 2015 SD HJR 1001 Requests a Constitutional Convention Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (19 - 13)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/18 SB 405 Expands Health Care Coverage Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 21)
4/16 SB 2151 Appropriates Funds for Early Childhood Education Grants Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 14)
4/15 HB 150 Limits Duration of Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8)
4/14 SB 24 Reduces the Lifetime Limit for Certain Government Benefits Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 9)
4/13 HB 70 2015-2016 Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (33 - 13)
4/13 SB 183 Amends Funding for the Geographic Cost of Education Index Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 15)
4/11 HB 2 2015-2017 Biennium Budget Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 17)
4/02 HB 2258 Amends Social Service Programs Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 10)
3/31 S 2006B Establishes Annual Teacher Evaluation Program Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 26)
3/30 SB 405 Expands Health Care Coverage Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 21)
3/27 S Con Res 11 An Original Concurrent Resolution Setting Forth the Congressional Budget for the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2016 and Setting Forth the Appropriate Budgetary Levels for Fiscal Years 2017 Through 2025 Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (52 - 46)
3/27 S Con Res 11 An Original Concurrent Resolution Setting Forth the Congressional Budget for the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2016 and Setting Forth the Appropriate Budgetary Levels for Fiscal Years 2017 Through 2025 Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (52 - 46)
3/26 HB 317 2015-2016 Budget Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 26)
3/26 HB 318 2015-2016 Budget Reconciliation Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 26)
3/25 HB 2135 Appropriates Funds to Public and Private Universities Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13)
3/16 S 2791 Environmental Protection Budget Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
3/12 HB 1489 Reduces Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 7)
3/06 SF 145 Appropriates Funds for Uncompensated Charity Care Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 7)
2/25 SB 164 Establishes Medicaid Expansion Pilot Program Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 11)
2/25 SB 2151 Appropriates Funds for Early Childhood Education Grants Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14)
2/25 SB 2254 Amends School District Funding Calculations to Include Early Childhood Education Programs Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 31)
2/24 SB 189 Establishes Tax Credit Scholarship Program Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
2/23 SB 1092 Requires Waivers for Certain Health Insurance Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12)
2/23 SB 24 Reduces the Lifetime Limit for Certain Government Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8)
2/17 HJR 1001 Requests a Constitutional Convention Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (19 - 13)

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