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 4, 2010 | TN | SB 3012 | Guns in Bars | Veto Override Passed - House (61 - 30) |
| June 3, 2010 | LA | SB 593 | Governor's Office Records | Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 24) |
| June 3, 2010 | CA | AB 2479 | Penalties for Violations Committed with the Intent to Capture Images or Recordings of a Person | Bill Passed - House (56 - 16) |
| June 3, 2010 | CA | AB 2479 | Penalties for Violations Committed with the Intent to Capture Images or Recordings of a Person | Bill Passed - House (56 - 16) |
| June 3, 2010 | CA | SB 1113 | Income Tax Appeal Modifications | Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 20) |
| June 3, 2010 | CA | AB 1810 | Expanded Firearm Registration | Bill Passed - House (42 - 29) |
| June 2, 2010 | LA | SB 9 | Classifying Text Messaging While Driving as a Primary Offense | Bill Passed - House (69 - 22) |
| June 2, 2010 | CA | SB 399 | Authorizing Youth Offenders to Appeal Life Without Parole Sentences | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| June 2, 2010 | CA | SB 399 | Authorizing Youth Offenders to Appeal Life Without Parole Sentences | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| June 2, 2010 | CA | SB 1399 | Expanding Medical Parole Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| June 1, 2010 | CA | SB 1168 | Grand Juries for Misdemeanors in the County of Los Angeles | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| June 1, 2010 | CA | SB 1168 | Grand Juries for Misdemeanors in the County of Los Angeles | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| June 1, 2010 | CA | AB 1934 | Amendments to the Penal Code Regarding Firearms | Bill Passed - House (46 - 30) |
| May 27, 2010 | National | S Amdt 4214 | National Guard Deployment on Southern U.S. Land Border | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 46) |
| May 27, 2010 | TN | SB 3012 | Guns in Bars | Veto Override Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| May 27, 2010 | OH | SB 239 | Allowing Concealed Firearms in Establishments that Serve Alcohol | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| May 26, 2010 | LA | SB 38 | Criminalization of Participation in Cockfighting | Bill Passed - House (73 - 13) |
| May 26, 2010 | MA | H 4703 | Sentencing Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (139 - 17) |
| May 26, 2010 | OH | HB 473 | Prohibits Inappropriate Pictures of Minors | Bill Passed - House (86 - 12) |
| May 24, 2010 | OK | HJR 1056 | Prohibits Use of International and Sharia Law in State Courts | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 2) |
| May 21, 2010 | OK | HJR 1054 | Prohibiting Federal Health Care Mandates | Veto Override Failed - Senate (29 - 16) |
| May 18, 2010 | OK | HJR 1054 | Prohibiting Federal Health Care Mandates | Veto Override Passed - House (72 - 24) |
| May 18, 2010 | OK | HJR 1056 | Prohibits Use of International and Sharia Law in State Courts | Conference Report Adopted - House (82 - 10) |
| May 13, 2010 | LA | HB 554 | Prohibiting Release on Own Recognizance for Domestic Abuse Suspects | Bill Passed - House (63 - 20) |
| May 13, 2010 | CA | AB 1756 | Food Stamps for Drug Felons | Bill Passed - House (44 - 31) |
| May 12, 2010 | CO | HB 1360 | Parole Violation Punishment Reduction | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (43 - 18) |
| May 12, 2010 | CO | HB 1360 | Parole Violation Punishment Reduction | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
| May 12, 2010 | LA | SB 348 | Smoking in Public Places | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| May 11, 2010 | CO | HB 1284 | Increasing Medical Marijuana Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (46 - 19) |
| May 11, 2010 | CO | HB 1238 | Increasing Fines for Moving Traffic Violations in Wildlife Crossing Zones | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (34 - 29) |
| May 11, 2010 | CO | HB 1352 | Concerning Charges to Crimes Involving Controlled Substances | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (58 - 5) |
| May 11, 2010 | CO | HB 1352 | Concerning Charges to Crimes Involving Controlled Substances | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (58 - 5) |
| May 10, 2010 | TN | SB 63 | English Only Requirement for Driver's License Examinations | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
| May 10, 2010 | CO | HB 1352 | Concerning Charges to Crimes Involving Controlled Substances | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5) |
| May 10, 2010 | CO | HB 1352 | Concerning Charges to Crimes Involving Controlled Substances | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5) |
| May 10, 2010 | CO | HB 1238 | Increasing Fines for Moving Traffic Violations in Wildlife Crossing Zones | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| May 10, 2010 | TN | HB 270 | Citizenship Status for Voting and Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12) |
| May 8, 2010 | KS | HB 2130 | Amending Seat Belt Laws | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 8) |
| May 6, 2010 | CO | HB 1284 | Increasing Medical Marijuana Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
| May 6, 2010 | LA | HB 68 | Authorizing Concealed Handguns in Places of Worship | Bill Failed - House (45 - 39) |
| May 6, 2010 | LA | HB 863 | Prohibits Hand-Held Cell Phones while Driving | Bill Failed - House (49 - 41) |
| May 5, 2010 | IL | SB 3695 | Streetgang-Related Crime Fund Changes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 20) |
| May 5, 2010 | OK | SB 1685 | Oklahoma Firearms Freedom Act | Veto Override Failed - Senate (28 - 16) |
| May 4, 2010 | OK | HB 3354 | Concealed and Unconcealed Weapons Guidelines | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (61 - 37) |
| May 3, 2010 | CT | SB 407 | Requiring Motorcycle Training Course | Bill Passed - House (117 - 31) |
| April 29, 2010 | HI | HB 444 | Legalizing Same-Sex Civil Unions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (31 - 20) |
| April 28, 2010 | LA | HB 617 | Expanding Drug Testing Requirements for Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - House (61 - 27) |
| April 28, 2010 | CT | SB 168 | Workers Compensation Benefits for Police Officers Facing Injury From Interaction with Mammal | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 4) |
| April 28, 2010 | LA | SB 38 | Criminalization of Participation in Cockfighting | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 2) |
| April 27, 2010 | DE | HB 347 | Raising the Reporting Age for Misdemeanors by Students | Bill Passed - House (22 - 9) |