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 29, 2017 RI S 897 Amends Housing Restrictions for Sex Offenders Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5)
June 28, 2017 OH SB 79 Requires Review of Cabinet Departments Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9)
June 22, 2017 MA H 3776 Authorizes Medical Marijuana Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5)
June 21, 2017 OR HB 2391 Establishes a Tax on Oregon Health Plan Insurance Plans Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10)
June 19, 2017 NY S 5512A Establishes Harsher Penalties for Bomb Threats Against Community Centers Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 0)
June 19, 2017 NJ S 3067 Prohibits Transgender Discrimination in Schools Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10)
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 15, 2017 MO SB 5 Amends Abortion Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8)
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 CA SB 35 Amends Affordable Housing Policies Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
May 31, 2017 IL SB 31 Establishes the Illinois TRUST Act. Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 17)
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 26, 2017 NJ S 359 Raises Minimum Age for Purchasing Tobacco Products Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
May 24, 2017 ME LD 347 Authorizes the Prescription of Lethal Doses of Drugs to Terminally Ill Patients
May 22, 2017 National PN 52 Nomination of Terry Branstad to be Ambassador of the United States to the People's Republic of China Nomination Confirmed - Senate (82 - 13)
May 18, 2017 DE SB 24 Authorizes Medical Marijuana to Treat Anxiety Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 0)
May 18, 2017 National PN 52 Nomination of Terry Branstad to be Ambassador of the United States to the People's Republic of China Cloture Invoked - Senate (86 - 12)
May 17, 2017 IL SB 1 Specifies School Funding Reallocation Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 18)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/29 S 897 Amends Housing Restrictions for Sex Offenders Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5)
6/28 SB 79 Requires Review of Cabinet Departments Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9)
6/22 H 3776 Authorizes Medical Marijuana Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5)
6/21 HB 2391 Establishes a Tax on Oregon Health Plan Insurance Plans Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10)
6/19 S 5512A Establishes Harsher Penalties for Bomb Threats Against Community Centers Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 0)
6/19 S 3067 Prohibits Transgender Discrimination in Schools Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10)
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)
6/15 SB 5 Amends Abortion Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8)
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 35 Amends Affordable Housing Policies Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
5/31 SB 31 Establishes the Illinois TRUST Act. Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 17)
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)
5/26 S 359 Raises Minimum Age for Purchasing Tobacco Products Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
5/24 LD 347 Authorizes the Prescription of Lethal Doses of Drugs to Terminally Ill Patients
5/22 PN 52 Nomination of Terry Branstad to be Ambassador of the United States to the People's Republic of China Nomination Confirmed - Senate (82 - 13)
5/18 SB 24 Authorizes Medical Marijuana to Treat Anxiety Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 0)
5/18 PN 52 Nomination of Terry Branstad to be Ambassador of the United States to the People's Republic of China Cloture Invoked - Senate (86 - 12)
5/17 SB 1 Specifies School Funding Reallocation Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 18)

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