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
May 20, 2011 TN SB 113 Teachers' Unions Negotiations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 12)
May 20, 2011 TN SB 49 Prohibits Instruction of Non-Heterosexual Human Sexuality in Schools Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 10)
May 19, 2011 RI H 6103 Authorizes Civil Unions Bill Passed - House (62 - 11)
May 19, 2011 RI H 6103 Authorizes Civil Unions Bill Passed - House (62 - 11)
May 19, 2011 CA AB 1236 Prohibits Requirement of Electronic Employment Verification Bill Passed - House (55 - 22)
May 19, 2011 CT HB 6599 Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Gender Identity or Expression Bill Passed - House (77 - 62)
May 18, 2011 MI SB 7 Employee Contribution to Health Care Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13)
May 18, 2011 NV AB 566 Legislative Redistricting Bill Passed - House (26 - 16)
May 17, 2011 MN HF 1426 Congressional Redistricting Plan Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 28)
May 17, 2011 TX SB 420 Eligibility for Indigent Health Care Bill Passed - House (102 - 40)
May 17, 2011 TX SB 420 Eligibility for Indigent Health Care Bill Passed - House (102 - 40)
May 17, 2011 LA HB 7 Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - House (67 - 26)
May 16, 2011 OK HB 2145 State House Redistricting Conference Report Adopted - Senate (43 - 4)
May 16, 2011 CA SB 104 Labor Representatives Bill Passed - House (51 - 26)
May 13, 2011 MN HF 1426 Congressional Redistricting Plan Bill Passed - House (71 - 61)
May 12, 2011 MI HB 4484 State Tax on Retirement Distributions for Judges and State Officials Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 19)
May 12, 2011 CT HB 6390 Access to Postsecondary Education Bill Passed - House (77 - 63)
May 11, 2011 NV AB 211 Prohibiting Discriminatory Employment Practices Based On Gender or Expression Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10)
May 11, 2011 MN SF 1308 Prohibiting Same-Sex Marriage Amendment Adopted - Senate (38 - 27)
May 10, 2011 MO HB 73 Drug Testing Of Welfare Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - House (113 - 34)
May 10, 2011 NV SB 497 Congressional and Legislative Redistricting Bill Passed - House (25 - 17)
May 10, 2011 NV SB 497 Congressional and Legislative Redistricting Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10)
May 10, 2011 CO HB 1319 Congressional Redistricting Bill Passed - House (33 - 32)
May 10, 2011 TX HB 12 Enforcement Of State And Federal Laws Governing Immigration Bill Passed - House (100 - 47)
May 9, 2011 NJ S 799 Adopted Individuals' Access to Birth Certificates Bill Passed - House (45 - 26)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/20 SB 113 Teachers' Unions Negotiations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 12)
5/20 SB 49 Prohibits Instruction of Non-Heterosexual Human Sexuality in Schools Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 10)
5/19 H 6103 Authorizes Civil Unions Bill Passed - House (62 - 11)
5/19 H 6103 Authorizes Civil Unions Bill Passed - House (62 - 11)
5/19 AB 1236 Prohibits Requirement of Electronic Employment Verification Bill Passed - House (55 - 22)
5/19 HB 6599 Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Gender Identity or Expression Bill Passed - House (77 - 62)
5/18 SB 7 Employee Contribution to Health Care Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13)
5/18 AB 566 Legislative Redistricting Bill Passed - House (26 - 16)
5/17 HF 1426 Congressional Redistricting Plan Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 28)
5/17 SB 420 Eligibility for Indigent Health Care Bill Passed - House (102 - 40)
5/17 SB 420 Eligibility for Indigent Health Care Bill Passed - House (102 - 40)
5/17 HB 7 Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - House (67 - 26)
5/16 HB 2145 State House Redistricting Conference Report Adopted - Senate (43 - 4)
5/16 SB 104 Labor Representatives Bill Passed - House (51 - 26)
5/13 HF 1426 Congressional Redistricting Plan Bill Passed - House (71 - 61)
5/12 HB 4484 State Tax on Retirement Distributions for Judges and State Officials Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 19)
5/12 HB 6390 Access to Postsecondary Education Bill Passed - House (77 - 63)
5/11 AB 211 Prohibiting Discriminatory Employment Practices Based On Gender or Expression Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10)
5/11 SF 1308 Prohibiting Same-Sex Marriage Amendment Adopted - Senate (38 - 27)
5/10 HB 73 Drug Testing Of Welfare Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - House (113 - 34)
5/10 SB 497 Congressional and Legislative Redistricting Bill Passed - House (25 - 17)
5/10 SB 497 Congressional and Legislative Redistricting Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10)
5/10 HB 1319 Congressional Redistricting Bill Passed - House (33 - 32)
5/10 HB 12 Enforcement Of State And Federal Laws Governing Immigration Bill Passed - House (100 - 47)
5/09 S 799 Adopted Individuals' Access to Birth Certificates Bill Passed - House (45 - 26)

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