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
March 1, 2010 CO HB 1201 Requiring Police to Inform Citizens of Right to Refuse Searches Bill Passed - House (37 - 28)
March 1, 2010 SD SB 63 Pilot Charter School Bill Passed - House (49 - 20)
Feb. 26, 2010 ID S 1353 Authorizing Health Care Professionals to Refuse Specific Health Care Services Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
Feb. 25, 2010 KS HB 2221 Ban on Smoking in Certain Public Places Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 54)
Feb. 25, 2010 WI AB 35 Complaint Process for Race-Based Names, Logos and Mascots of Schools Bill Passed - House (51 - 42)
Feb. 24, 2010 SD HCR 1009 Urges Changes to the Public School Environmental Curriculum Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 17)
Feb. 24, 2010 SC S 191 Authorizing Warrantless Searches and Seizures of Probationers and Parolees Motion Agreed - House (81 - 26)
Feb. 24, 2010 UT SB 55 Authorizing Higher Education Institutions to Authorize Charter Schools Bill Passed - House (43 - 27)
Feb. 24, 2010 UT HB 227 Lawful Presence Documentation Requirement for Business Licensing Bill Passed - House (38 - 36)
Feb. 24, 2010 WV HB 4292 Changes in Required Magistrate Qualifications Bill Passed - House (61 - 37)
Feb. 23, 2010 IN HB 1367 Education Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19)
Feb. 23, 2010 AL HJR 54 Referendum on Constitutional Convention Motion Agreed - House (58 - 32)
Feb. 23, 2010 SD HB 1240 Need-Based Education Grant Fund Bill Passed - House (64 - 4)
Feb. 18, 2010 WY SF 64 Increasing Seat Belt Violation Fine Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9)
Feb. 18, 2010 NM SB 254 Eliminating Criminal Conviction Disclosure on State Employment Applications Bill Passed - House (54 - 14)
Feb. 18, 2010 UT HB 12 Abortion and Homicide Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 4)
Feb. 17, 2010 TN SB 3498 Requiring Legal Challenge to Federal Health Insurance Mandates Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 1)
Feb. 17, 2010 SD HCR 1009 Urges Changes to the Public School Environmental Curriculum Resolution Passed - House (36 - 30)
Feb. 17, 2010 NM HB 150 Hispanic Education Act Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13)
Feb. 17, 2010 NM HB 12 Health Insurer Service Reimbursement Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16)
Feb. 17, 2010 NM SB 148 Excluding Gender for Health Insurance Deliberation Bill Passed - House (50 - 17)
Feb. 17, 2010 NM SB 26 Establishing the Domestic Violence Commission Bill Passed - House (33 - 22)
Feb. 17, 2010 NH HB 1644 Expanding Homicide to Include "Unborn Child" "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Failed - House (219 - 122)
Feb. 16, 2010 NM SB 216 Repeal "Guilty but Mentally Ill" Plea Bill Passed - House (40 - 21)
Feb. 16, 2010 NM HB 231 Authorizing Education Retirement Board Pension Disclosure Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/01 HB 1201 Requiring Police to Inform Citizens of Right to Refuse Searches Bill Passed - House (37 - 28)
3/01 SB 63 Pilot Charter School Bill Passed - House (49 - 20)
2/26 S 1353 Authorizing Health Care Professionals to Refuse Specific Health Care Services Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
2/25 HB 2221 Ban on Smoking in Certain Public Places Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 54)
2/25 AB 35 Complaint Process for Race-Based Names, Logos and Mascots of Schools Bill Passed - House (51 - 42)
2/24 HCR 1009 Urges Changes to the Public School Environmental Curriculum Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 17)
2/24 S 191 Authorizing Warrantless Searches and Seizures of Probationers and Parolees Motion Agreed - House (81 - 26)
2/24 SB 55 Authorizing Higher Education Institutions to Authorize Charter Schools Bill Passed - House (43 - 27)
2/24 HB 227 Lawful Presence Documentation Requirement for Business Licensing Bill Passed - House (38 - 36)
2/24 HB 4292 Changes in Required Magistrate Qualifications Bill Passed - House (61 - 37)
2/23 HB 1367 Education Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19)
2/23 HJR 54 Referendum on Constitutional Convention Motion Agreed - House (58 - 32)
2/23 HB 1240 Need-Based Education Grant Fund Bill Passed - House (64 - 4)
2/18 SF 64 Increasing Seat Belt Violation Fine Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9)
2/18 SB 254 Eliminating Criminal Conviction Disclosure on State Employment Applications Bill Passed - House (54 - 14)
2/18 HB 12 Abortion and Homicide Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 4)
2/17 SB 3498 Requiring Legal Challenge to Federal Health Insurance Mandates Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 1)
2/17 HCR 1009 Urges Changes to the Public School Environmental Curriculum Resolution Passed - House (36 - 30)
2/17 HB 150 Hispanic Education Act Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13)
2/17 HB 12 Health Insurer Service Reimbursement Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16)
2/17 SB 148 Excluding Gender for Health Insurance Deliberation Bill Passed - House (50 - 17)
2/17 SB 26 Establishing the Domestic Violence Commission Bill Passed - House (33 - 22)
2/17 HB 1644 Expanding Homicide to Include "Unborn Child" "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Failed - House (219 - 122)
2/16 SB 216 Repeal "Guilty but Mentally Ill" Plea Bill Passed - House (40 - 21)
2/16 HB 231 Authorizing Education Retirement Board Pension Disclosure Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18)

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