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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Dec. 21, 2010 National HR 3082 Continuing Appropriations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 16)
Dec. 21, 2010 National HR 3082 Continuing Appropriations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 16)
Dec. 18, 2010 National HR 2965 Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 31)
Dec. 18, 2010 National HR 2965 Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 31)
Dec. 8, 2010 National S 3985 Emergency Senior Citizens Relief Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 45)
Dec. 8, 2010 National S 3991 Allowing Collective Bargaining for Public Safety Officers Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 43)
Dec. 1, 2010 IL SB 1716 Authorizing Civil Unions Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 24)
Nov. 30, 2010 National S Amdt 4697 Prohibiting Earmarks Motion Rejected - Senate (39 - 56)
Nov. 17, 2010 National S 3772 Paycheck Fairness Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 41)
Oct. 14, 2010 PA HB 2497 Amends State Employee Pension System Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 8)
Oct. 14, 2010 PA HB 2497 Amends State Employee Pension System Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 8)
Sept. 23, 2010 MI SB 1226 State Retirement Law Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 14)
Sept. 23, 2010 MI SB 1226 State Retirement Law Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 14)
Sept. 21, 2010 National S 3454 2010-2011 Defense Authorizations Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 43)
Aug. 31, 2010 CA SB 1317 Parental Crime for Chronic Truancy Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
Aug. 25, 2010 CA AB 1825 Requiring Inclusion of Maternity Services in Health Coverage Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11)
Aug. 24, 2010 CA AB 2072 Informational Pamphlet for Parents of Deaf Children Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
Aug. 23, 2010 NJ A 2740 Requiring Review of New Drivers' Program Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12)
Aug. 5, 2010 National PN 1768 Elena Kagan, Associate Justice Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 37)
July 21, 2010 National HR 4213 Unemployment Benefits Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (59 - 39)
July 20, 2010 National HR 4213 Unemployment Benefits Extension Cloture Invoked - Senate (60 - 40)
July 14, 2010 MO HB 1 Public Retirement Systems Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 5)
July 14, 2010 MO HB 1 Public Retirement Systems Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 5)
July 8, 2010 NC HB 1035 Performance and Payment Bond Modification Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 13)
July 7, 2010 NC HB 1726 Child Care Nutrition and Activity Standards Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 13)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/21 HR 3082 Continuing Appropriations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 16)
12/21 HR 3082 Continuing Appropriations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 16)
12/18 HR 2965 Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 31)
12/18 HR 2965 Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 31)
12/08 S 3985 Emergency Senior Citizens Relief Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 45)
12/08 S 3991 Allowing Collective Bargaining for Public Safety Officers Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 43)
12/01 SB 1716 Authorizing Civil Unions Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 24)
11/30 S Amdt 4697 Prohibiting Earmarks Motion Rejected - Senate (39 - 56)
11/17 S 3772 Paycheck Fairness Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 41)
10/14 HB 2497 Amends State Employee Pension System Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 8)
10/14 HB 2497 Amends State Employee Pension System Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 8)
9/23 SB 1226 State Retirement Law Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 14)
9/23 SB 1226 State Retirement Law Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 14)
9/21 S 3454 2010-2011 Defense Authorizations Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 43)
8/31 SB 1317 Parental Crime for Chronic Truancy Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
8/25 AB 1825 Requiring Inclusion of Maternity Services in Health Coverage Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11)
8/24 AB 2072 Informational Pamphlet for Parents of Deaf Children Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
8/23 A 2740 Requiring Review of New Drivers' Program Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12)
8/05 PN 1768 Elena Kagan, Associate Justice Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 37)
7/21 HR 4213 Unemployment Benefits Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (59 - 39)
7/20 HR 4213 Unemployment Benefits Extension Cloture Invoked - Senate (60 - 40)
7/14 HB 1 Public Retirement Systems Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 5)
7/14 HB 1 Public Retirement Systems Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 5)
7/08 HB 1035 Performance and Payment Bond Modification Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 13)
7/07 HB 1726 Child Care Nutrition and Activity Standards Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 13)

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