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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 2010 | OK | HJR 1056 | Prohibits Use of International and Sharia Law in State Courts | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 2) |
| May 18, 2010 | National | S Amdt 4072 | Inspector General Appointment Modification | Amendment Adopted - Senate (75 - 21) |
| May 18, 2010 | OH | SB 210 | Establishing Health and Nutrition Standards in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 7) |
| May 17, 2010 | NY | S 7846 | Emergency Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| May 12, 2010 | MN | SF 341 | Domestic Partner Death Rights | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 24) |
| May 12, 2010 | MN | SF 341 | Domestic Partner Death Rights | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 24) |
| May 12, 2010 | CO | SB 191 | Education Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| May 12, 2010 | CO | HB 1360 | Parole Violation Punishment Reduction | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
| May 12, 2010 | CO | HB 1409 | State Employee Compensation Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| May 11, 2010 | CO | HB 1408 | Criteria for Judicial Determinations of Congressional Districts | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| May 11, 2010 | CO | SB 12 | Increasing Penalties for Worker's Compensation Violations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| May 10, 2010 | TN | HB 270 | Citizenship Status for Voting and Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12) |
| May 10, 2010 | NY | S 7777 | Emergency Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| May 10, 2010 | NY | S 7777 | Emergency Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| May 5, 2010 | IL | SB 3267 | Elder Financial Exploitation | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (47 - 9) |
| May 5, 2010 | CT | HJ 106 | Nomination of Laura Flynn Baldini to Judge of the Superior Court | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (25 - 9) |
| April 30, 2010 | CO | SB 191 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| April 28, 2010 | HI | HB 2377 | Board of Education Selection Advisory Council | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (22 - 2) |
| April 28, 2010 | MO | HB 2010 | 2010-2011 Department of Mental Health and Department of Health and Senior Serices Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (24 - 10) |
| April 28, 2010 | AZ | SCR 1013 | Replacing Secretary of State with Lieutenant Governor | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| April 26, 2010 | CA | Maldonado Nomination | Abel Maldonado, Lieutenant Governor | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (25 - 7) |
| April 23, 2010 | CO | SB 190 | Suspension of Tax Exemption for Seniors | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| April 21, 2010 | GA | HB 1198 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
| April 21, 2010 | IL | HB 5428 | Limiting Adoption Records Disclosure Restrictions for Adoptees | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 16) |
| April 20, 2010 | MO | SB 714 | State Employee Retirement System Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 5) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/24 | HJR 1056 | Prohibits Use of International and Sharia Law in State Courts | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 2) |
| 5/18 | S Amdt 4072 | Inspector General Appointment Modification | Amendment Adopted - Senate (75 - 21) |
| 5/18 | SB 210 | Establishing Health and Nutrition Standards in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 7) |
| 5/17 | S 7846 | Emergency Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| 5/12 | SF 341 | Domestic Partner Death Rights | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 24) |
| 5/12 | SF 341 | Domestic Partner Death Rights | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 24) |
| 5/12 | SB 191 | Education Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| 5/12 | HB 1360 | Parole Violation Punishment Reduction | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
| 5/12 | HB 1409 | State Employee Compensation Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| 5/11 | HB 1408 | Criteria for Judicial Determinations of Congressional Districts | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 5/11 | SB 12 | Increasing Penalties for Worker's Compensation Violations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| 5/10 | HB 270 | Citizenship Status for Voting and Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12) |
| 5/10 | S 7777 | Emergency Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| 5/10 | S 7777 | Emergency Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| 5/05 | SB 3267 | Elder Financial Exploitation | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (47 - 9) |
| 5/05 | HJ 106 | Nomination of Laura Flynn Baldini to Judge of the Superior Court | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (25 - 9) |
| 4/30 | SB 191 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 4/28 | HB 2377 | Board of Education Selection Advisory Council | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (22 - 2) |
| 4/28 | HB 2010 | 2010-2011 Department of Mental Health and Department of Health and Senior Serices Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (24 - 10) |
| 4/28 | SCR 1013 | Replacing Secretary of State with Lieutenant Governor | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| 4/26 | Maldonado Nomination | Abel Maldonado, Lieutenant Governor | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (25 - 7) |
| 4/23 | SB 190 | Suspension of Tax Exemption for Seniors | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| 4/21 | HB 1198 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
| 4/21 | HB 5428 | Limiting Adoption Records Disclosure Restrictions for Adoptees | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 16) |
| 4/20 | SB 714 | State Employee Retirement System Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 5) |