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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 14, 2016 | MO | HB 1414 | Establishes Regulations for the Release of Certain Agricultural Data | Veto Override Passed - Senate (23 - 7) |
| Sept. 14, 2016 | MO | SB 641 | Establishes Income Tax Deduction for Agricultural Disaster Aid Payments | Veto Override Passed - House (112 - 38) |
| Sept. 14, 2016 | MO | HB 1414 | Establishes Regulations for the Release of Certain Agricultural Data | Veto Override Passed - House (111 - 46) |
| Sept. 14, 2016 | MO | SB 641 | Establishes Income Tax Deduction for Agricultural Disaster Aid Payments | Veto Override Passed - Senate (24 - 6) |
| Aug. 31, 2016 | CA | SB 859 | Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emission Levels | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| Aug. 31, 2016 | CA | SB 859 | Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emission Levels | Bill Passed - House (51 - 20) |
| Aug. 30, 2016 | CA | SB 1333 | Prohibits Smoking on State Beaches and Parks | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
| Aug. 29, 2016 | CA | AB 1066 | Requires Overtime Pay for Farmworkers | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (44 - 32) |
| Aug. 25, 2016 | CA | SB 1333 | Prohibits Smoking on State Beaches and Parks | Bill Passed - House (50 - 26) |
| Aug. 22, 2016 | CA | AB 1066 | Requires Overtime Pay for Farmworkers | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| July 7, 2016 | National | S 764 | Establishes Labeling Standards for Genetically Modified Foods | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (63 - 30) |
| June 2, 2016 | CA | AB 2757 | Requires Overtime Pay for Farmworkers | Bill Failed - House (38 - 35) |
| May 31, 2016 | CA | SB 1333 | Prohibits Smoking on State Beaches and Parks | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 11) |
| May 26, 2016 | NJ | S 359 | Increases Smoking Age to 21 | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| May 26, 2016 | LA | HB 67 | Prohibits Minors from Possessing Alcohol on Private Property | Bill Failed - House (48 - 37) |
| May 18, 2016 | IL | SB 3011 | Increases Smoking Age to 21 | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 22) |
| April 28, 2016 | MA | S 2269 | Increases Smoking Age to 21 | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 2) |
| April 18, 2016 | LA | SB 29 | Authorizes the Sale of Raw Milk | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| April 18, 2016 | LA | SB 29 | Authorizes the Sale of Raw Milk | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| April 12, 2016 | HI | HB 2501 | Authorizes Extension for Water Permits | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 6) |
| March 31, 2016 | MO | HB 1786 | Prohibits Powdered Alcohol | Bill Passed - House (95 - 56) |
| March 30, 2016 | AK | SB 1 | Prohibits Smoking in Public | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 5) |
| March 23, 2016 | MD | SB 1159 | Amends Baltimore Board of Liquor License Commissioners Appointment Regulations | Bill Passed - House (90 - 46) |
| March 10, 2016 | CA | SB 5 | Amends Regulations for E-Cigarettes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 11) |
| March 10, 2016 | CA | SB 7 | Increases Smoking Age to 21 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/14 | HB 1414 | Establishes Regulations for the Release of Certain Agricultural Data | Veto Override Passed - Senate (23 - 7) |
| 9/14 | SB 641 | Establishes Income Tax Deduction for Agricultural Disaster Aid Payments | Veto Override Passed - House (112 - 38) |
| 9/14 | HB 1414 | Establishes Regulations for the Release of Certain Agricultural Data | Veto Override Passed - House (111 - 46) |
| 9/14 | SB 641 | Establishes Income Tax Deduction for Agricultural Disaster Aid Payments | Veto Override Passed - Senate (24 - 6) |
| 8/31 | SB 859 | Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emission Levels | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| 8/31 | SB 859 | Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emission Levels | Bill Passed - House (51 - 20) |
| 8/30 | SB 1333 | Prohibits Smoking on State Beaches and Parks | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
| 8/29 | AB 1066 | Requires Overtime Pay for Farmworkers | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (44 - 32) |
| 8/25 | SB 1333 | Prohibits Smoking on State Beaches and Parks | Bill Passed - House (50 - 26) |
| 8/22 | AB 1066 | Requires Overtime Pay for Farmworkers | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 7/07 | S 764 | Establishes Labeling Standards for Genetically Modified Foods | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (63 - 30) |
| 6/02 | AB 2757 | Requires Overtime Pay for Farmworkers | Bill Failed - House (38 - 35) |
| 5/31 | SB 1333 | Prohibits Smoking on State Beaches and Parks | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 11) |
| 5/26 | S 359 | Increases Smoking Age to 21 | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| 5/26 | HB 67 | Prohibits Minors from Possessing Alcohol on Private Property | Bill Failed - House (48 - 37) |
| 5/18 | SB 3011 | Increases Smoking Age to 21 | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 22) |
| 4/28 | S 2269 | Increases Smoking Age to 21 | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 2) |
| 4/18 | SB 29 | Authorizes the Sale of Raw Milk | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 4/18 | SB 29 | Authorizes the Sale of Raw Milk | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 4/12 | HB 2501 | Authorizes Extension for Water Permits | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 6) |
| 3/31 | HB 1786 | Prohibits Powdered Alcohol | Bill Passed - House (95 - 56) |
| 3/30 | SB 1 | Prohibits Smoking in Public | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 5) |
| 3/23 | SB 1159 | Amends Baltimore Board of Liquor License Commissioners Appointment Regulations | Bill Passed - House (90 - 46) |
| 3/10 | SB 5 | Amends Regulations for E-Cigarettes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 11) |
| 3/10 | SB 7 | Increases Smoking Age to 21 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |