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:
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.
| Date | State | Bill No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 24, 2010 | NY | S 1523 | Allowing Unmarried Partners to Adopt a Child | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 21) |
| June 24, 2010 | NY | S 1523 | Allowing Unmarried Partners to Adopt a Child | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 21) |
| June 21, 2010 | CT | HB 5207 | Criminal Background Checks for State Employees | Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 5) |
| June 21, 2010 | CT | HB 5455 | Changes to State Transportation Plan | Veto Override Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| June 16, 2010 | LA | HB 1339 | Increasing Driving Restrictions on Class E License Holders | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| June 15, 2010 | NY | S 3890 | Divorce Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| June 14, 2010 | LA | HB 303 | Authorizing Home School Student Athletic Participation | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
| June 9, 2010 | TN | HB 670 | Requiring Correctional Facilities to Determine Immigration Status of Inmates | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (24 - 7) |
| June 7, 2010 | LA | SB 731 | Authorizing Attorney General Contingency Fee Contracts. | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| June 7, 2010 | LA | SB 731 | Authorizing Attorney General Contingency Fee Contracts. | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| June 4, 2010 | TN | HJR 1253 | Resolution Recognizing Arizona Statehood and New Immigration Policy | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 7) |
| June 3, 2010 | LA | SB 593 | Governor's Office Records | Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 24) |
| June 3, 2010 | CA | SB 1121 | Overtime Wages for Agricultural Workers | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| June 1, 2010 | NY | S 2311D | Labor Standards for Domestic Workers | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 28) |
| May 27, 2010 | National | S Amdt 4204 | Requiring Afghanistan Troop Redeployment Plan and Timetable | Amendment Rejected - Senate (18 - 80) |
| May 27, 2010 | National | S Amdt 4214 | National Guard Deployment on Southern U.S. Land Border | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 46) |
| May 27, 2010 | IL | SB 3658 | Temporary Sales Tax Holiday | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (42 - 8) |
| May 27, 2010 | National | HR 4899 | Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Supplemental Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (67 - 28) |
| May 27, 2010 | IL | SB 3660 | Emergency Budget Act of Fiscal Year 2011 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 23) |
| May 27, 2010 | CA | SB 1255 | Restrictions on Beverages Sold In Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11) |
| May 26, 2010 | LA | HB 1033 | Evaluation and Assessment Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| May 26, 2010 | LA | Amdt 4002 | Requires Department of Education Employees Evaluation | Amendment Adopted - Senate (20 - 19) |
| May 26, 2010 | LA | Amdt 4002 | Requires Department of Education Employees Evaluation | Amendment Adopted - Senate (20 - 19) |
| May 25, 2010 | OH | Collins-Taylor | Nomination of Cathy Collin-Taylor as Director of the Department of Public Safety | Nomination Rejected - Senate (15 - 18) |
| May 25, 2010 | LA | SB 293 | Establishes and Implements an Agency Attrition Analysis Process | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/24 | S 1523 | Allowing Unmarried Partners to Adopt a Child | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 21) |
| 6/24 | S 1523 | Allowing Unmarried Partners to Adopt a Child | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 21) |
| 6/21 | HB 5207 | Criminal Background Checks for State Employees | Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 5) |
| 6/21 | HB 5455 | Changes to State Transportation Plan | Veto Override Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| 6/16 | HB 1339 | Increasing Driving Restrictions on Class E License Holders | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| 6/15 | S 3890 | Divorce Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| 6/14 | HB 303 | Authorizing Home School Student Athletic Participation | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
| 6/09 | HB 670 | Requiring Correctional Facilities to Determine Immigration Status of Inmates | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (24 - 7) |
| 6/07 | SB 731 | Authorizing Attorney General Contingency Fee Contracts. | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| 6/07 | SB 731 | Authorizing Attorney General Contingency Fee Contracts. | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| 6/04 | HJR 1253 | Resolution Recognizing Arizona Statehood and New Immigration Policy | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 7) |
| 6/03 | SB 593 | Governor's Office Records | Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 24) |
| 6/03 | SB 1121 | Overtime Wages for Agricultural Workers | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 6/01 | S 2311D | Labor Standards for Domestic Workers | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 28) |
| 5/27 | S Amdt 4204 | Requiring Afghanistan Troop Redeployment Plan and Timetable | Amendment Rejected - Senate (18 - 80) |
| 5/27 | S Amdt 4214 | National Guard Deployment on Southern U.S. Land Border | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 46) |
| 5/27 | SB 3658 | Temporary Sales Tax Holiday | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (42 - 8) |
| 5/27 | HR 4899 | Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Supplemental Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (67 - 28) |
| 5/27 | SB 3660 | Emergency Budget Act of Fiscal Year 2011 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 23) |
| 5/27 | SB 1255 | Restrictions on Beverages Sold In Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11) |
| 5/26 | HB 1033 | Evaluation and Assessment Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| 5/26 | Amdt 4002 | Requires Department of Education Employees Evaluation | Amendment Adopted - Senate (20 - 19) |
| 5/26 | Amdt 4002 | Requires Department of Education Employees Evaluation | Amendment Adopted - Senate (20 - 19) |
| 5/25 | Collins-Taylor | Nomination of Cathy Collin-Taylor as Director of the Department of Public Safety | Nomination Rejected - Senate (15 - 18) |
| 5/25 | SB 293 | Establishes and Implements an Agency Attrition Analysis Process | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |