Key Votes

Chamber

Keyword Search

Search string must be longer than 3 characters.

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 1, 2015 TN HB 995 Authorizes Firearms in Public Parks Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7)
March 31, 2015 MS SB 2804 Authorizes Dismissal of Department of Corrections Employees Conference Report Adopted - House (62 - 58)
March 30, 2015 TN HB 995 Authorizes Firearms in Public Parks Bill Passed - House (65 - 21)
March 27, 2015 GA SB 134 Amends Speeding Fine Revenue Reporting Bill Passed - House (104 - 54)
March 27, 2015 National S Con Res 11 An Original Concurrent Resolution Setting Forth the Congressional Budget for the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2016 and Setting Forth the Appropriate Budgetary Levels for Fiscal Years 2017 Through 2025 Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (52 - 46)
March 26, 2015 AZ SB 1094 Prohibits "Aggressive" Solicitation Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 10)
March 26, 2015 NJ S 2791 Environmental Protection Budget Amendments Bill Passed - House (43 - 30)
March 25, 2015 KS SB 45 Authorizes Concealed Firearms Without a License Bill Passed - House (85 - 39)
March 25, 2015 CO SB 86 Repeals Background Check Requirement for Firearm Transfers Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17)
March 24, 2015 AZ SB 1445 Prohibits Identification of Certain Police Officers Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 8)
March 24, 2015 AZ SB 1145 Requires Reimbursement to the Department of Health Services for Return to Competency Treatment Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate
March 24, 2015 AZ SB 1094 Prohibits "Aggressive" Solicitation Bill Passed - House (33 - 24)
March 24, 2015 FL SB 290 Authorizes Concealed Carry During Emergency Evacuations Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10)
March 23, 2015 TN SB 1058 Prohibits the Termination of Employees for Storing Firearms in Vehicles Bill Passed - House (78 - 14)
March 23, 2015 TN SB 1058 Prohibits the Termination of Employees for Storing Firearms in Vehicles Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 5)
March 23, 2015 MD HB 121 Amends Mandatory Sentences for Certain Drug Offenses Bill Passed - House (85 - 55)
March 23, 2015 MD HB 121 Amends Mandatory Sentences for Certain Drug Offenses Bill Passed - House (85 - 55)
March 20, 2015 ND HB 1195 Authorizes Concealed Firearms in Schools Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 28)
March 19, 2015 TX SB 11 Authorizes Concealed Carry of Firearms on College Campuses Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11)
March 19, 2015 MD HB 124 Authorizes Expungement of Certain Crimes Bill Passed - House (93 - 46)
March 19, 2015 MD HB 124 Authorizes Expungement of Certain Crimes Bill Passed - House (93 - 46)
March 17, 2015 TX SB 17 Authorizes Open Carry of Handguns Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10)
March 17, 2015 ID S 1095 Establishes 5-Tier Sexual Offender Registry Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14)
March 16, 2015 ID S 1092 Prohibits Local Knife Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10)
March 16, 2015 MD SB 340 Expands Voting Rights of Convicted Felons Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/01 HB 995 Authorizes Firearms in Public Parks Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7)
3/31 SB 2804 Authorizes Dismissal of Department of Corrections Employees Conference Report Adopted - House (62 - 58)
3/30 HB 995 Authorizes Firearms in Public Parks Bill Passed - House (65 - 21)
3/27 SB 134 Amends Speeding Fine Revenue Reporting Bill Passed - House (104 - 54)
3/27 S Con Res 11 An Original Concurrent Resolution Setting Forth the Congressional Budget for the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2016 and Setting Forth the Appropriate Budgetary Levels for Fiscal Years 2017 Through 2025 Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (52 - 46)
3/26 SB 1094 Prohibits "Aggressive" Solicitation Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 10)
3/26 S 2791 Environmental Protection Budget Amendments Bill Passed - House (43 - 30)
3/25 SB 45 Authorizes Concealed Firearms Without a License Bill Passed - House (85 - 39)
3/25 SB 86 Repeals Background Check Requirement for Firearm Transfers Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17)
3/24 SB 1445 Prohibits Identification of Certain Police Officers Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 8)
3/24 SB 1145 Requires Reimbursement to the Department of Health Services for Return to Competency Treatment Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate
3/24 SB 1094 Prohibits "Aggressive" Solicitation Bill Passed - House (33 - 24)
3/24 SB 290 Authorizes Concealed Carry During Emergency Evacuations Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10)
3/23 SB 1058 Prohibits the Termination of Employees for Storing Firearms in Vehicles Bill Passed - House (78 - 14)
3/23 SB 1058 Prohibits the Termination of Employees for Storing Firearms in Vehicles Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 5)
3/23 HB 121 Amends Mandatory Sentences for Certain Drug Offenses Bill Passed - House (85 - 55)
3/23 HB 121 Amends Mandatory Sentences for Certain Drug Offenses Bill Passed - House (85 - 55)
3/20 HB 1195 Authorizes Concealed Firearms in Schools Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 28)
3/19 SB 11 Authorizes Concealed Carry of Firearms on College Campuses Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11)
3/19 HB 124 Authorizes Expungement of Certain Crimes Bill Passed - House (93 - 46)
3/19 HB 124 Authorizes Expungement of Certain Crimes Bill Passed - House (93 - 46)
3/17 SB 17 Authorizes Open Carry of Handguns Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10)
3/17 S 1095 Establishes 5-Tier Sexual Offender Registry Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14)
3/16 S 1092 Prohibits Local Knife Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10)
3/16 SB 340 Expands Voting Rights of Convicted Felons Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18)

arrow_upward