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
May 18, 2006 MI Amend Welfare Restrictions for Drug Felonies Amendment Adopted - House (86 - 16)
May 18, 2006 MI Amend Welfare Restrictions for Drug Felonies Amendment Adopted - House (86 - 16)
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 LA HB 1142 Parole Eligibility Bill Failed - House (37 - 48)
May 17, 2006 LA HB 853 Prohibits Discrimination and Harassment in State Government Bill Failed - House (38 - 58)
May 16, 2006 WI SJR 5 Advisory Referendum on the Death Penalty Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 15)
May 16, 2006 AZ HB 2577 Immigration Law; Employment; Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 7)
May 12, 2006 MO SS2 SCS HCS HB 1456 Unemployment Compensation Changes Bill Passed - House (90 - 65)
May 11, 2006 TN SB 1678 Establishing Voting Rights Guidelines for Convicted Felons Bill Passed - House (57 - 40)
May 11, 2006 TN SB 1678 Establishing Voting Rights Guidelines for Convicted Felons Bill Passed - House (57 - 40)
May 10, 2006 KS HB 2118 Conceal and Carry Conference Report Adopted - House (93 - 24)
May 10, 2006 KS HB 2118 Conceal and Carry Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 9)
May 10, 2006 KS HB 2118 Conceal and Carry Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 9)
May 10, 2006 KS HB 2118 Conceal and Carry Conference Report Adopted - House (93 - 24)
May 9, 2006 RI H 7339 Restriction on Political Surveillance Bill Passed - House (36 - 25)
May 8, 2006 CO HB 1314 Prohibiting Forced Exposure to Employer’s Religious or Political Speech Conference Report Adopted - Senate (18 - 16)
May 8, 2006 NY A 8098 Drug Law Reform and Drug Treatment Bill Passed - House (81 - 59)
May 8, 2006 NY A 8098 Drug Law Reform and Drug Treatment Bill Passed - House (81 - 59)
May 8, 2006 NY A 8098 Drug Law Reform and Drug Treatment Bill Passed - House (81 - 59)
May 7, 2006 AK HCS CS SB 20 Offenses Against a Fetus/Unborn Child Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (14 - 6)
May 5, 2006 VT H 865 Non-Discrimination Bill Concurrence Vote Passed - House (88 - 47)
May 4, 2006 National HR 4939 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 21)
May 4, 2006 DE HB 368 Hunting License Restrictions for Felons Bill Passed - House (21 - 14)
May 4, 2006 WI SJR 5 Advisory Referendum on the Death Penalty Joint Resolution Passed - House (47 - 45)
May 4, 2006 LA HB 1010 Smoking in Motor Vehicles Ban Bill Passed - House (67 - 31)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/18 Amend Welfare Restrictions for Drug Felonies Amendment Adopted - House (86 - 16)
5/18 Amend Welfare Restrictions for Drug Felonies Amendment Adopted - House (86 - 16)
5/18 SB 1742 Abortion Information Requirements and Changes to the Definition of Homicide Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 8)
5/18 HB 1142 Parole Eligibility Bill Failed - House (37 - 48)
5/17 HB 853 Prohibits Discrimination and Harassment in State Government Bill Failed - House (38 - 58)
5/16 SJR 5 Advisory Referendum on the Death Penalty Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 15)
5/16 HB 2577 Immigration Law; Employment; Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 7)
5/12 SS2 SCS HCS HB 1456 Unemployment Compensation Changes Bill Passed - House (90 - 65)
5/11 SB 1678 Establishing Voting Rights Guidelines for Convicted Felons Bill Passed - House (57 - 40)
5/11 SB 1678 Establishing Voting Rights Guidelines for Convicted Felons Bill Passed - House (57 - 40)
5/10 HB 2118 Conceal and Carry Conference Report Adopted - House (93 - 24)
5/10 HB 2118 Conceal and Carry Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 9)
5/10 HB 2118 Conceal and Carry Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 9)
5/10 HB 2118 Conceal and Carry Conference Report Adopted - House (93 - 24)
5/09 H 7339 Restriction on Political Surveillance Bill Passed - House (36 - 25)
5/08 HB 1314 Prohibiting Forced Exposure to Employer’s Religious or Political Speech Conference Report Adopted - Senate (18 - 16)
5/08 A 8098 Drug Law Reform and Drug Treatment Bill Passed - House (81 - 59)
5/08 A 8098 Drug Law Reform and Drug Treatment Bill Passed - House (81 - 59)
5/08 A 8098 Drug Law Reform and Drug Treatment Bill Passed - House (81 - 59)
5/07 HCS CS SB 20 Offenses Against a Fetus/Unborn Child Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (14 - 6)
5/05 H 865 Non-Discrimination Bill Concurrence Vote Passed - House (88 - 47)
5/04 HR 4939 Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2006 Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 21)
5/04 HB 368 Hunting License Restrictions for Felons Bill Passed - House (21 - 14)
5/04 SJR 5 Advisory Referendum on the Death Penalty Joint Resolution Passed - House (47 - 45)
5/04 HB 1010 Smoking in Motor Vehicles Ban Bill Passed - House (67 - 31)

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