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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 9, 2010 | NY | R 3904 | Expelling Senator Hiram Monserrate from the Senate | Resolution Passed - Senate (53 - 8) |
| Feb. 8, 2010 | NM | SB 531 | Legislative Finance Committee Review of Confidential Information | Veto Override Passed - Senate (34 - 8) |
| Feb. 8, 2010 | NM | SB 531 | Legislative Finance Committee Review of Confidential Information | Veto Override Passed - Senate (34 - 8) |
| Feb. 8, 2010 | VA | SB 66 | Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination in State Government Employment | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 17) |
| Feb. 8, 2010 | VA | SB 66 | Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination in State Government Employment | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 17) |
| Feb. 8, 2010 | VA | SB 239 | Unemployment Benefit Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 9) |
| Feb. 4, 2010 | IA | SF 2062 | State Worker Retirement Incentive Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 6) |
| Feb. 4, 2010 | NM | SB 26 | Establishing the Domestic Violence Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 8) |
| Feb. 1, 2010 | CO | SB 1 | Public Employee Retirement Association Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
| Feb. 1, 2010 | CO | SB 1 | Public Employee Retirement Association Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
| Feb. 1, 2010 | CO | SB 1 | Public Employee Retirement Association Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
| Jan. 28, 2010 | WI | AB 458 | Sex Education Curriculum Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| Jan. 28, 2010 | CA | SB 810 | Statewide Single Payer Health Care System | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| Jan. 28, 2010 | WI | SB 263 | Expanding Access to Public Defenders | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| Jan. 28, 2010 | WI | SB 263 | Expanding Access to Public Defenders | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| Jan. 28, 2010 | IN | SJR 13 | Defining Marriage as Being Between One Man and One Woman | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (38 - 10) |
| Jan. 27, 2010 | SD | SB 18 | Restrictions on Retirement for Rehired Public Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| Jan. 26, 2010 | National | S Amdt 3302 | Establishing a Federal Budget Deficit Commission | Amendment Rejected - Senate (53 - 46) |
| Jan. 22, 2010 | HI | HB 444 | Legalizing Same-Sex Civil Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 7) |
| Jan. 13, 2010 | IL | SB 315 | Teacher Evaluation Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (48 - 4) |
| Jan. 13, 2010 | KY | SB 51 | Legislator Pension Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| Jan. 13, 2010 | KY | SB 51 | Legislator Pension Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| Jan. 12, 2010 | IL | HB 1188 | Increasing Cemetery Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24) |
| Jan. 12, 2010 | IN | SB 23 | Unemployment Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| Jan. 11, 2010 | NJ | A 4378 | Exception to the Ban on Former State Employees Working for the Casino Industry | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| Jan. 7, 2010 | NJ | S 1967 | Legalizing Same Sex Marriage | Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 20) |
| Jan. 6, 2010 | CA | SBx5 4 | Education Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| Jan. 6, 2010 | CA | SBx5 1 | Education Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/09 | R 3904 | Expelling Senator Hiram Monserrate from the Senate | Resolution Passed - Senate (53 - 8) |
| 2/08 | SB 531 | Legislative Finance Committee Review of Confidential Information | Veto Override Passed - Senate (34 - 8) |
| 2/08 | SB 531 | Legislative Finance Committee Review of Confidential Information | Veto Override Passed - Senate (34 - 8) |
| 2/08 | SB 66 | Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination in State Government Employment | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 17) |
| 2/08 | SB 66 | Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination in State Government Employment | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 17) |
| 2/08 | SB 239 | Unemployment Benefit Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 9) |
| 2/04 | SF 2062 | State Worker Retirement Incentive Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 6) |
| 2/04 | SB 26 | Establishing the Domestic Violence Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 8) |
| 2/01 | SB 1 | Public Employee Retirement Association Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
| 2/01 | SB 1 | Public Employee Retirement Association Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
| 2/01 | SB 1 | Public Employee Retirement Association Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
| 1/28 | AB 458 | Sex Education Curriculum Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| 1/28 | SB 810 | Statewide Single Payer Health Care System | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| 1/28 | SB 263 | Expanding Access to Public Defenders | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| 1/28 | SB 263 | Expanding Access to Public Defenders | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| 1/28 | SJR 13 | Defining Marriage as Being Between One Man and One Woman | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (38 - 10) |
| 1/27 | SB 18 | Restrictions on Retirement for Rehired Public Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| 1/26 | S Amdt 3302 | Establishing a Federal Budget Deficit Commission | Amendment Rejected - Senate (53 - 46) |
| 1/22 | HB 444 | Legalizing Same-Sex Civil Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 7) |
| 1/13 | SB 315 | Teacher Evaluation Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (48 - 4) |
| 1/13 | SB 51 | Legislator Pension Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| 1/13 | SB 51 | Legislator Pension Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| 1/12 | HB 1188 | Increasing Cemetery Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24) |
| 1/12 | SB 23 | Unemployment Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| 1/11 | A 4378 | Exception to the Ban on Former State Employees Working for the Casino Industry | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| 1/07 | S 1967 | Legalizing Same Sex Marriage | Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 20) |
| 1/06 | SBx5 4 | Education Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| 1/06 | SBx5 1 | Education Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |