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
June 15, 2017 MO SB 5 Amends Abortion Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8)
June 15, 2017 MI HB 4647 Establishes Teacher Pension Plan Bill Passed - House (55 - 52)
June 15, 2017 OR HB 2391 Establishes a Tax on Oregon Health Plan Insurance Plans Bill Passed - House (36 - 23)
June 15, 2017 RI S 237A Authorizes Parole Eligibility for Juveniles with Life Sentences Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 8)
June 15, 2017 National S 722 Countering Iran's Destabilizing Activities Act of 2017 Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 2)
June 14, 2017 RI S 112A Expands Renewable Energy Growth Program Bill Passed - House (72 - 0)
June 7, 2017 National HR 2213 Anti-Border Corruption Reauthorization Act of 2017 Bill Passed - House (282 - 137)
June 6, 2017 LA SB 139 Establishes New Parole Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 13)
June 6, 2017 RI S 608 Requires Notification of Sex Offenders Living Near School Bus Stops Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 0)
June 2, 2017 NV AB 374 Expands Eligibility for Medicaid Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9)
June 1, 2017 NH SB 66 Authorizes Murder Charges for an Individual Who Causes the Death of a Fetus Bill Passed - House (186 - 170)
June 1, 2017 CA AB 42 Amends Money Bail Procedures Bill Failed - House (35 - 37)
June 1, 2017 CA SB 35 Amends Affordable Housing Policies Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
June 1, 2017 CA AB 1578 Prohibits State Law Enforcement from Cooperating with Federal Marijuana Law Enforcement Bill Passed - House (41 - 33)
May 31, 2017 IL SB 31 Establishes the Illinois TRUST Act. Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 17)
May 31, 2017 IL SB 1 Specifies School Funding Reallocation Bill Passed - House (60 - 52)
May 31, 2017 IL SB 1761 Prohibits "Gay Panic" Defense Bill Passed - House
May 31, 2017 IL SB 639 Authorizes Drug Crime Prosecutions Across State Lines Bill Passed - House (105 - 2)
May 31, 2017 CA SB 394 Authorizes Parole for Juvenile Offenders with Life Sentences Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 12)
May 31, 2017 CA SB 10 Establishes New Provisions for the Criminal Justice System (25 - 11)
May 30, 2017 LA HB 27 Extends Domestic Abuse Laws to Dating Partners Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13)
May 30, 2017 CA SB 328 Amends School Start Time Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13)
May 30, 2017 CA SB 328 Amends School Start Time Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13)
May 29, 2017 IL SB 31 Establishes the Illinois TRUST Act. Bill Passed - House (62 - 49)
May 26, 2017 NJ S 359 Raises Minimum Age for Purchasing Tobacco Products Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/15 SB 5 Amends Abortion Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8)
6/15 HB 4647 Establishes Teacher Pension Plan Bill Passed - House (55 - 52)
6/15 HB 2391 Establishes a Tax on Oregon Health Plan Insurance Plans Bill Passed - House (36 - 23)
6/15 S 237A Authorizes Parole Eligibility for Juveniles with Life Sentences Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 8)
6/15 S 722 Countering Iran's Destabilizing Activities Act of 2017 Bill Passed - Senate (98 - 2)
6/14 S 112A Expands Renewable Energy Growth Program Bill Passed - House (72 - 0)
6/07 HR 2213 Anti-Border Corruption Reauthorization Act of 2017 Bill Passed - House (282 - 137)
6/06 SB 139 Establishes New Parole Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 13)
6/06 S 608 Requires Notification of Sex Offenders Living Near School Bus Stops Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 0)
6/02 AB 374 Expands Eligibility for Medicaid Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9)
6/01 SB 66 Authorizes Murder Charges for an Individual Who Causes the Death of a Fetus Bill Passed - House (186 - 170)
6/01 AB 42 Amends Money Bail Procedures Bill Failed - House (35 - 37)
6/01 SB 35 Amends Affordable Housing Policies Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
6/01 AB 1578 Prohibits State Law Enforcement from Cooperating with Federal Marijuana Law Enforcement Bill Passed - House (41 - 33)
5/31 SB 31 Establishes the Illinois TRUST Act. Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 17)
5/31 SB 1 Specifies School Funding Reallocation Bill Passed - House (60 - 52)
5/31 SB 1761 Prohibits "Gay Panic" Defense Bill Passed - House
5/31 SB 639 Authorizes Drug Crime Prosecutions Across State Lines Bill Passed - House (105 - 2)
5/31 SB 394 Authorizes Parole for Juvenile Offenders with Life Sentences Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 12)
5/31 SB 10 Establishes New Provisions for the Criminal Justice System (25 - 11)
5/30 HB 27 Extends Domestic Abuse Laws to Dating Partners Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13)
5/30 SB 328 Amends School Start Time Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13)
5/30 SB 328 Amends School Start Time Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13)
5/29 SB 31 Establishes the Illinois TRUST Act. Bill Passed - House (62 - 49)
5/26 S 359 Raises Minimum Age for Purchasing Tobacco Products Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)

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