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
April 27, 2010 VT SR 17 Requesting Congressional Waiver From Federal Drinking Age Requirement Resolution Passed - Senate (14 - 13)
April 23, 2010 WI AB 720 Statewide Smoking Ban Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 34)
April 21, 2010 IL HB 5428 Limiting Adoption Records Disclosure Restrictions for Adoptees Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 16)
April 21, 2010 LA SB 9 Classifying Text Messaging While Driving as a Primary Offense Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 9)
April 20, 2010 MI HB 4394 Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving Concurrence Vote Passed - House (74 - 33)
April 15, 2010 WI AB 612 Limiting Access to 9-1-1 Recordings Bill Passed - House (67 - 30)
April 15, 2010 CA SB 4 Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
April 15, 2010 WI AB 106 Authorizing Sale of Alcohol to 18-20 Year-Olds Under Parental or Spousal Supervision Bill Passed - House (56 - 41)
April 9, 2010 MD SB 321 Prohibiting Hand-Held Cell Phone Use While Driving Bill Passed - House (125 - 14)
April 6, 2010 ME LD 1611 State Prison Solitary Confinement Review Concurrence Vote Passed - House (78 - 67)
April 5, 2010 ME LD 1611 State Prison Solitary Confinement Review Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15)
April 1, 2010 CO HB 1201 Requiring Police to Inform Citizens of Right to Refuse Searches Concurrence Vote Passed - House (42 - 22)
April 1, 2010 KY HB 415 Prohibiting Text-Messaging While Driving Concurrence Vote Passed - House (86 - 10)
March 29, 2010 ID H 729 Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 4)
March 29, 2010 OK SB 1891 Allowing Health Services Employees to Refuse Participation in Abortion and Other Procedures Bill Passed - House (80 - 13)
March 26, 2010 ID H 729 Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving Bill Passed - House (51 - 16)
March 25, 2010 MI HB 4394 Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10)
March 24, 2010 ID H 496 Requiring Photo Identification to Vote Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6)
March 24, 2010 MD SB 321 Prohibiting Hand-Held Cell Phone Use While Driving Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 23)
March 23, 2010 IA HF 2456 Texting While Driving Ban Conference Report Adopted - House (66 - 33)
March 23, 2010 IA HF 2456 Texting While Driving Ban Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 12)
March 22, 2010 CA SB 4 Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches Bill Passed - House (42 - 27)
March 18, 2010 IL HB 5428 Limiting Adoption Records Disclosure Restrictions for Adoptees Bill Passed - House (74 - 39)
March 10, 2010 ID S 1352 Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 5)
March 10, 2010 OK SB 1891 Allowing Health Services Employees to Refuse Participation in Abortion and Other Procedures Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 11)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/27 SR 17 Requesting Congressional Waiver From Federal Drinking Age Requirement Resolution Passed - Senate (14 - 13)
4/23 AB 720 Statewide Smoking Ban Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 34)
4/21 HB 5428 Limiting Adoption Records Disclosure Restrictions for Adoptees Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 16)
4/21 SB 9 Classifying Text Messaging While Driving as a Primary Offense Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 9)
4/20 HB 4394 Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving Concurrence Vote Passed - House (74 - 33)
4/15 AB 612 Limiting Access to 9-1-1 Recordings Bill Passed - House (67 - 30)
4/15 SB 4 Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
4/15 AB 106 Authorizing Sale of Alcohol to 18-20 Year-Olds Under Parental or Spousal Supervision Bill Passed - House (56 - 41)
4/09 SB 321 Prohibiting Hand-Held Cell Phone Use While Driving Bill Passed - House (125 - 14)
4/06 LD 1611 State Prison Solitary Confinement Review Concurrence Vote Passed - House (78 - 67)
4/05 LD 1611 State Prison Solitary Confinement Review Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15)
4/01 HB 1201 Requiring Police to Inform Citizens of Right to Refuse Searches Concurrence Vote Passed - House (42 - 22)
4/01 HB 415 Prohibiting Text-Messaging While Driving Concurrence Vote Passed - House (86 - 10)
3/29 H 729 Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 4)
3/29 SB 1891 Allowing Health Services Employees to Refuse Participation in Abortion and Other Procedures Bill Passed - House (80 - 13)
3/26 H 729 Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving Bill Passed - House (51 - 16)
3/25 HB 4394 Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10)
3/24 H 496 Requiring Photo Identification to Vote Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6)
3/24 SB 321 Prohibiting Hand-Held Cell Phone Use While Driving Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 23)
3/23 HF 2456 Texting While Driving Ban Conference Report Adopted - House (66 - 33)
3/23 HF 2456 Texting While Driving Ban Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 12)
3/22 SB 4 Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches Bill Passed - House (42 - 27)
3/18 HB 5428 Limiting Adoption Records Disclosure Restrictions for Adoptees Bill Passed - House (74 - 39)
3/10 S 1352 Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 5)
3/10 SB 1891 Allowing Health Services Employees to Refuse Participation in Abortion and Other Procedures Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 11)

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