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 14, 2009 NC SB 461 Racial Discrimination in Capital Sentences Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 10)
May 14, 2009 NC SB 461 Racial Discrimination in Capital Sentences Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 10)
May 14, 2009 CA SB 572 Harvey Milk Day Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14)
May 14, 2009 CA SB 4 Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
May 13, 2009 WI SB 181 Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8)
May 12, 2009 National S Amdt 1067 Allowing Loaded Guns in National Parks Amendment Adopted - Senate (67 - 29)
May 11, 2009 TX HB 1736 Increasing Wrongful Conviction Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4)
May 11, 2009 TX HB 1736 Increasing Wrongful Conviction Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4)
May 11, 2009 NC HB 2 Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18)
May 6, 2009 CO HB 1274 Repeals Death Penalty Conference Report Rejected - Senate (17 - 18)
May 6, 2009 ME LD 1020 Same Sex Marriage Bill Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
May 5, 2009 OR SB 786 Workplace Religious Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11)
May 4, 2009 MN SF 97 Legalizing Medical Marijuana Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 29)
April 30, 2009 CO SB 296 Seat Belt Violation as Primary Offense Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
April 29, 2009 NH HB 383 Mandating Seat Belt Usage Bill Tabled - Senate (13 - 11)
April 29, 2009 NH HB 383 Mandating Seat Belt Usage Bill Tabled - Senate (13 - 11)
April 29, 2009 NH HB 556 Abolishing the Death Penalty Bill Tabled - Senate (13 - 11)
April 29, 2009 NH HB 436 Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 11)
April 29, 2009 NH HB 648 Medical Marijuana Legalization Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 10)
April 28, 2009 WI SB 20 Discriminatory Pay Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15)
April 27, 2009 CO SB 241 DNA Sampling Upon Felony Arrest Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7)
April 27, 2009 CO SB 241 DNA Sampling Upon Felony Arrest Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7)
April 25, 2009 WA SB 5288 Probation Time Reductions Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 23)
April 22, 2009 CT SB 899 Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7)
April 21, 2009 NV SB 283 Establishing Domestic Partnerships Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/14 SB 461 Racial Discrimination in Capital Sentences Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 10)
5/14 SB 461 Racial Discrimination in Capital Sentences Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 10)
5/14 SB 572 Harvey Milk Day Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14)
5/14 SB 4 Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
5/13 SB 181 Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8)
5/12 S Amdt 1067 Allowing Loaded Guns in National Parks Amendment Adopted - Senate (67 - 29)
5/11 HB 1736 Increasing Wrongful Conviction Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4)
5/11 HB 1736 Increasing Wrongful Conviction Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4)
5/11 HB 2 Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18)
5/06 HB 1274 Repeals Death Penalty Conference Report Rejected - Senate (17 - 18)
5/06 LD 1020 Same Sex Marriage Bill Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
5/05 SB 786 Workplace Religious Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11)
5/04 SF 97 Legalizing Medical Marijuana Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 29)
4/30 SB 296 Seat Belt Violation as Primary Offense Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
4/29 HB 383 Mandating Seat Belt Usage Bill Tabled - Senate (13 - 11)
4/29 HB 383 Mandating Seat Belt Usage Bill Tabled - Senate (13 - 11)
4/29 HB 556 Abolishing the Death Penalty Bill Tabled - Senate (13 - 11)
4/29 HB 436 Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 11)
4/29 HB 648 Medical Marijuana Legalization Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 10)
4/28 SB 20 Discriminatory Pay Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15)
4/27 SB 241 DNA Sampling Upon Felony Arrest Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7)
4/27 SB 241 DNA Sampling Upon Felony Arrest Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7)
4/25 SB 5288 Probation Time Reductions Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 23)
4/22 SB 899 Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7)
4/21 SB 283 Establishing Domestic Partnerships Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9)

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