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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 2006 | MA | H 4479 | MassHealth Immigrant Eligibility Veto Override | Veto Override Passed - Senate (34 - 5) |
| May 24, 2006 | MA | H 4479 | MassHealth Immigrant Eligibility Veto Override | Veto Override Passed - Senate (34 - 5) |
| May 24, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4095 | H-2C Visa Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 49) |
| May 24, 2006 | ME | HCA A to LD 1845 | Dirigo Health Insurance Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (16 - 17) |
| May 24, 2006 | OK | SB 1807 | Prohibiting Death Sentence For Mentally Retarded Defendant | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 10) |
| May 24, 2006 | OH | Am Sub SB 185 | Mortgage Lending Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 3) |
| May 24, 2006 | OK | SB 1807 | Prohibiting Death Sentence For Mentally Retarded Defendant | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 10) |
| May 24, 2006 | OK | SB 1800 | Death Penalty for Second Offender Sex Offenders | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (39 - 8) |
| May 24, 2006 | OK | SB 1713 | Trafficking Illegal Drugs | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (23 - 24) |
| May 24, 2006 | OH | SCS HCS HB 115 | Educational Regional Service System | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 4) |
| May 23, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4087 | Orange Card Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (37 - 61) |
| May 23, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4177 | Employer Verification Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (59 - 39) |
| May 23, 2006 | LA | SB 652 | Cockfighting Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 4) |
| May 23, 2006 | MI | Sub for SB 861 | Michigan Merit Award Scholarship Act | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 11) |
| May 23, 2006 | LA | SB 347 | Sexual Orientation Discrimination in State Government | Bill Failed - Senate (10 - 24) |
| May 22, 2006 | ME | LD 1481 | Procedures for Citizen Proposed Initiatives | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| May 20, 2006 | MN | SF 2460 | University of Minnesota Football Stadium | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (43 - 24) |
| May 18, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4072 | "State Criminal Alien Assistance Program" Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 52) |
| May 18, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4073 | English as Unifying Language Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 39) |
| May 18, 2006 | National | S Amdt 4064 | English As National Language Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (62 - 35) |
| May 18, 2006 | OK | SB 1742 | Abortion Information Requirements and Changes to the Definition of Homicide | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 8) |
| May 18, 2006 | NJ | S 1471 | Cigarette Tax Securitization Proceeds Fund; Stem Cell and Biomedical Research Facilities | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
| May 17, 2006 | National | S Amdt 3965 | Employment-based Immigrant Visa Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (50 - 48) |
| May 17, 2006 | TN | SA 1505 | Medical Malpractice Limits Amendment | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 16) |
| May 16, 2006 | WI | SJR 5 | Advisory Referendum on the Death Penalty | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/24 | H 4479 | MassHealth Immigrant Eligibility Veto Override | Veto Override Passed - Senate (34 - 5) |
| 5/24 | H 4479 | MassHealth Immigrant Eligibility Veto Override | Veto Override Passed - Senate (34 - 5) |
| 5/24 | S Amdt 4095 | H-2C Visa Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 49) |
| 5/24 | HCA A to LD 1845 | Dirigo Health Insurance Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (16 - 17) |
| 5/24 | SB 1807 | Prohibiting Death Sentence For Mentally Retarded Defendant | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 10) |
| 5/24 | Am Sub SB 185 | Mortgage Lending Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 3) |
| 5/24 | SB 1807 | Prohibiting Death Sentence For Mentally Retarded Defendant | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 10) |
| 5/24 | SB 1800 | Death Penalty for Second Offender Sex Offenders | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (39 - 8) |
| 5/24 | SB 1713 | Trafficking Illegal Drugs | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (23 - 24) |
| 5/24 | SCS HCS HB 115 | Educational Regional Service System | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 4) |
| 5/23 | S Amdt 4087 | Orange Card Program Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (37 - 61) |
| 5/23 | S Amdt 4177 | Employer Verification Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (59 - 39) |
| 5/23 | SB 652 | Cockfighting Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 4) |
| 5/23 | Sub for SB 861 | Michigan Merit Award Scholarship Act | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 11) |
| 5/23 | SB 347 | Sexual Orientation Discrimination in State Government | Bill Failed - Senate (10 - 24) |
| 5/22 | LD 1481 | Procedures for Citizen Proposed Initiatives | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| 5/20 | SF 2460 | University of Minnesota Football Stadium | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (43 - 24) |
| 5/18 | S Amdt 4072 | "State Criminal Alien Assistance Program" Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 52) |
| 5/18 | S Amdt 4073 | English as Unifying Language Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (58 - 39) |
| 5/18 | S Amdt 4064 | English As National Language Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (62 - 35) |
| 5/18 | SB 1742 | Abortion Information Requirements and Changes to the Definition of Homicide | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 8) |
| 5/18 | S 1471 | Cigarette Tax Securitization Proceeds Fund; Stem Cell and Biomedical Research Facilities | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
| 5/17 | S Amdt 3965 | Employment-based Immigrant Visa Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (50 - 48) |
| 5/17 | SA 1505 | Medical Malpractice Limits Amendment | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 16) |
| 5/16 | SJR 5 | Advisory Referendum on the Death Penalty | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |