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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 15, 2006 | IL | SB 1275 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 21) |
| Sept. 29, 2006 | National | HR 6061 | Secure Fence Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (80 - 19) |
| Sept. 28, 2006 | National | S Amdt 5104 | Military Commissions Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 52) |
| Sept. 26, 2006 | National | HR 5631 | Department Defense Appropriations Act, FY 2007 | Conference Report Adopted - House (394 - 22) |
| Sept. 26, 2006 | National | N/A | Motion to Resolve Into Secret Session | Motion Rejected - House (171 - 217) |
| Sept. 21, 2006 | National | HR 6095 | Immigration Law Enforcement Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (277 - 140) |
| Sept. 21, 2006 | National | HR 6095 | Immigration Law Enforcement Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (277 - 140) |
| Sept. 21, 2006 | National | S 2832 | Appalachian Regional Development Act Amendments of 2006 | Bill Failed - House (215 - 204) |
| Sept. 14, 2006 | National | HR 6061 | Secure Fence Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (283 - 138) |
| Sept. 13, 2006 | National | HR 4893 | Restricting Indian Gaming to Homelands of Tribes Act | Bill Failed - House (247 - 171) |
| Aug. 31, 2006 | CA | SB 1414 | Health Care Requirements for Large Companies | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 17) |
| Aug. 30, 2006 | CA | SB 1414 | Health Care Requirements for Large Companies | Bill Passed - House (41 - 37) |
| Aug. 28, 2006 | CA | AB 2536 | Overtime Pay for Personal Attendants | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 31) |
| Aug. 28, 2006 | CA | AB 3029 | CalWorks and Food Stamp Program | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
| Aug. 28, 2006 | CA | AB 3029 | CalWorks and Food Stamp Program | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
| Aug. 24, 2006 | CA | AB 2108 | Child Booster and Seat Belt Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 28) |
| Aug. 24, 2006 | CA | AB 2205 | Food Stamp Eligibility for Medi-Cal Recipients | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| Aug. 24, 2006 | CA | AB 2205 | Food Stamp Eligibility for Medi-Cal Recipients | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| Aug. 23, 2006 | CA | AB 2536 | Overtime Pay for Personal Attendants | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| Aug. 22, 2006 | CA | AB 2108 | Child Booster and Seat Belt Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| Aug. 22, 2006 | CA | SB 1248 | Long-Term Health Care Facilities | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
| Aug. 21, 2006 | CA | SB 1437 | Prohibiting Discriminatory Content in Public School Curriculum | Bill Passed - House (47 - 31) |
| Aug. 17, 2006 | CA | SB 1248 | Long-Term Health Care Facilities | Bill Passed - House (49 - 28) |
| Aug. 17, 2006 | CA | AB 2555 | Wage Discrimination Penalties | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| Aug. 17, 2006 | CA | AB 2555 | Wage Discrimination Penalties | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11/15 | SB 1275 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 21) |
| 9/29 | HR 6061 | Secure Fence Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - Senate (80 - 19) |
| 9/28 | S Amdt 5104 | Military Commissions Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 52) |
| 9/26 | HR 5631 | Department Defense Appropriations Act, FY 2007 | Conference Report Adopted - House (394 - 22) |
| 9/26 | N/A | Motion to Resolve Into Secret Session | Motion Rejected - House (171 - 217) |
| 9/21 | HR 6095 | Immigration Law Enforcement Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (277 - 140) |
| 9/21 | HR 6095 | Immigration Law Enforcement Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (277 - 140) |
| 9/21 | S 2832 | Appalachian Regional Development Act Amendments of 2006 | Bill Failed - House (215 - 204) |
| 9/14 | HR 6061 | Secure Fence Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (283 - 138) |
| 9/13 | HR 4893 | Restricting Indian Gaming to Homelands of Tribes Act | Bill Failed - House (247 - 171) |
| 8/31 | SB 1414 | Health Care Requirements for Large Companies | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 17) |
| 8/30 | SB 1414 | Health Care Requirements for Large Companies | Bill Passed - House (41 - 37) |
| 8/28 | AB 2536 | Overtime Pay for Personal Attendants | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 31) |
| 8/28 | AB 3029 | CalWorks and Food Stamp Program | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
| 8/28 | AB 3029 | CalWorks and Food Stamp Program | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
| 8/24 | AB 2108 | Child Booster and Seat Belt Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 28) |
| 8/24 | AB 2205 | Food Stamp Eligibility for Medi-Cal Recipients | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| 8/24 | AB 2205 | Food Stamp Eligibility for Medi-Cal Recipients | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| 8/23 | AB 2536 | Overtime Pay for Personal Attendants | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| 8/22 | AB 2108 | Child Booster and Seat Belt Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 8/22 | SB 1248 | Long-Term Health Care Facilities | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
| 8/21 | SB 1437 | Prohibiting Discriminatory Content in Public School Curriculum | Bill Passed - House (47 - 31) |
| 8/17 | SB 1248 | Long-Term Health Care Facilities | Bill Passed - House (49 - 28) |
| 8/17 | AB 2555 | Wage Discrimination Penalties | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 8/17 | AB 2555 | Wage Discrimination Penalties | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |