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
July 9, 2007 KY SCS SB 5 Public Employee Health Insurance Plans Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 6)
June 28, 2007 National S 1639 Second Immigration Act of 2007 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (46 - 53)
June 26, 2007 PA SB 246 Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17)
June 25, 2007 PA A 2062 Exceptions to Clean Indoor Air Act Amendment Adopted - Senate (29 - 21)
June 21, 2007 National H Amdt 378 Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (formerly School of the Americas) Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (203 - 214)
June 20, 2007 LA HB 320 Extension of Satellite Voting Provisions Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 21)
June 19, 2007 RI LCO # 2552/4 to H5300Aaa Repeal of Provision Requiring the Trying Seventeen Year-Olds as Adults in Criminal Cases Amendment Rejected - Senate (5 - 30)
June 19, 2007 RI H 5127 Mandatory Minimum Drug Possession Sentence Repeal Bill Passed - House (54 - 6)
June 19, 2007 RI H 5127 Mandatory Minimum Drug Possession Sentence Repeal Bill Passed - House (54 - 6)
June 19, 2007 NY A 8590 Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passed - House (85 - 61)
June 19, 2007 DE HA 4 Amendment to "Child's Victim Act"; State Immunity Bill Failed - House (17 - 24)
June 18, 2007 OR SB 571 Smoking Ban Expansion Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 12)
June 18, 2007 OR SB 863 Regulating Automated Phone Calls Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 8)
June 15, 2007 RI Article 22 of H5300A Classifying Seventeen Year-Olds as Adults in Criminal Cases Amendment Adopted - House (48 - 19)
June 15, 2007 OR SB 571 Smoking Ban Expansion Bill Passed - House (38 - 21)
June 15, 2007 National HR 2638 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Bill Passed - House (268 - 150)
June 14, 2007 DE HB 175 Emergency Power to Seize Private Firearms Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 3)
June 14, 2007 DE HB 175 Emergency Power to Seize Private Firearms Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 3)
June 14, 2007 DE HB 175 Emergency Power to Seize Private Firearms Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 3)
June 14, 2007 MA S 2220 Constitutional Amendment Defining Marriage Bill Failed - Senate (5 - 34)
June 14, 2007 MA S 2220 Constitutional Amendment Defining Marriage Bill Failed - House (40 - 117)
June 11, 2007 National S J Res 14 Attorney General No Confidence Vote Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 38)
June 11, 2007 National S J Res 14 Attorney General No Confidence Vote Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 38)
June 7, 2007 NH SB 223 Funeral Protest Ban Bill Passed - House (299 - 22)
June 7, 2007 LA HB 786 Teenage Driver Passenger Limit Bill Failed - House (38 - 60)
Date No. Title Outcome
7/09 SCS SB 5 Public Employee Health Insurance Plans Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 6)
6/28 S 1639 Second Immigration Act of 2007 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (46 - 53)
6/26 SB 246 Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17)
6/25 A 2062 Exceptions to Clean Indoor Air Act Amendment Adopted - Senate (29 - 21)
6/21 H Amdt 378 Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (formerly School of the Americas) Funding Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (203 - 214)
6/20 HB 320 Extension of Satellite Voting Provisions Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 21)
6/19 LCO # 2552/4 to H5300Aaa Repeal of Provision Requiring the Trying Seventeen Year-Olds as Adults in Criminal Cases Amendment Rejected - Senate (5 - 30)
6/19 H 5127 Mandatory Minimum Drug Possession Sentence Repeal Bill Passed - House (54 - 6)
6/19 H 5127 Mandatory Minimum Drug Possession Sentence Repeal Bill Passed - House (54 - 6)
6/19 A 8590 Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passed - House (85 - 61)
6/19 HA 4 Amendment to "Child's Victim Act"; State Immunity Bill Failed - House (17 - 24)
6/18 SB 571 Smoking Ban Expansion Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 12)
6/18 SB 863 Regulating Automated Phone Calls Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 8)
6/15 Article 22 of H5300A Classifying Seventeen Year-Olds as Adults in Criminal Cases Amendment Adopted - House (48 - 19)
6/15 SB 571 Smoking Ban Expansion Bill Passed - House (38 - 21)
6/15 HR 2638 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Bill Passed - House (268 - 150)
6/14 HB 175 Emergency Power to Seize Private Firearms Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 3)
6/14 HB 175 Emergency Power to Seize Private Firearms Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 3)
6/14 HB 175 Emergency Power to Seize Private Firearms Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 3)
6/14 S 2220 Constitutional Amendment Defining Marriage Bill Failed - Senate (5 - 34)
6/14 S 2220 Constitutional Amendment Defining Marriage Bill Failed - House (40 - 117)
6/11 S J Res 14 Attorney General No Confidence Vote Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 38)
6/11 S J Res 14 Attorney General No Confidence Vote Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 38)
6/07 SB 223 Funeral Protest Ban Bill Passed - House (299 - 22)
6/07 HB 786 Teenage Driver Passenger Limit Bill Failed - House (38 - 60)

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