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 28, 2019 IL SB 2090 Expands Access to Voting in Jails Bill Passed - House (69 - 45)
May 28, 2019 IL SB 2090 Expands Access to Voting in Jails Bill Passed - House (69 - 45)
May 28, 2019 CA AB 1669 Increases Firearm Purchasing Fees Bill Passed - House (49 - 22)
May 28, 2019 CT HB 7160 Authorizes Voting Access to Parolees Bill Passed - House (84 - 60)
May 28, 2019 CA AB 767 Establishes Restitution for Victims of Police Violence Bill Passed - House (59 - 10)
May 28, 2019 CA AB 767 Establishes Restitution for Victims of Police Violence Bill Passed - House (59 - 10)
May 26, 2019 TX HB 3557 Increases Penalties for Pipeline Protesting Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 12)
May 26, 2019 TX HB 3557 Increases Penalties for Pipeline Protesting Conference Report Adopted - House (97 - 49)
May 24, 2019 TX HB 3285 Establishes Services for Substance Use Disorders Concurrence Vote Passed - House (124 - 18)
May 24, 2019 IL HB 94 Establishes Specific Rehabilitation Classes as a Means of Reducing Prison Sentences Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17)
May 24, 2019 MI HB 4434 Amends Fines and Sentences for Conceal Carry Violations Bill Passed - House (90 - 19)
May 23, 2019 NH HB 455 Repeals the Death Penalty Veto Override Passed - House (247 - 123)
May 23, 2019 OK HB 1269 Amends Criminal Sentencing Laws Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 11)
May 23, 2019 TX HB 888 Increases Penalties for Misrepresenting a Child's Identify at a Port of Entry Concurrence Vote Passed - House (100 - 43)
May 23, 2019 National HR 2157 Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2019 Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 8)
May 23, 2019 CT HB 7219 Establishes Regulations on Manufacturing Guns Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7)
May 23, 2019 CT HB 7223 Prohibits Unlocked Vehicle Storage of Firearms Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
May 23, 2019 IL HB 246 Requires Public Schools to Teach about Prominent LGBTQ Figures Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17)
May 23, 2019 OR SB 1008 Amends Juvenile Offender Sentencing Bill Passed - House (40 - 18)
May 23, 2019 CT HB 7218 Amends Firearm Storage Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 2)
May 23, 2019 IL SB 1610 Amends Immigrant Deportation Regulations Bill Passed - House (84 - 32)
May 23, 2019 CA SB 55 Expands List of Persons Prohibited from Owning Firearms Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 10)
May 23, 2019 ME LD 264 Authorizes Certain EMS Personnel to Draw Blood at the Scene of Fatal Accidents Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)
May 23, 2019 CA SB 329 Prohibits Discrimination Against Section 8 Housing Renters Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11)
May 23, 2019 CA AB 32 Prohibits Private Prisons and ICE Detention Centers Bill Passed - House (61 - 13)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/28 SB 2090 Expands Access to Voting in Jails Bill Passed - House (69 - 45)
5/28 SB 2090 Expands Access to Voting in Jails Bill Passed - House (69 - 45)
5/28 AB 1669 Increases Firearm Purchasing Fees Bill Passed - House (49 - 22)
5/28 HB 7160 Authorizes Voting Access to Parolees Bill Passed - House (84 - 60)
5/28 AB 767 Establishes Restitution for Victims of Police Violence Bill Passed - House (59 - 10)
5/28 AB 767 Establishes Restitution for Victims of Police Violence Bill Passed - House (59 - 10)
5/26 HB 3557 Increases Penalties for Pipeline Protesting Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 12)
5/26 HB 3557 Increases Penalties for Pipeline Protesting Conference Report Adopted - House (97 - 49)
5/24 HB 3285 Establishes Services for Substance Use Disorders Concurrence Vote Passed - House (124 - 18)
5/24 HB 94 Establishes Specific Rehabilitation Classes as a Means of Reducing Prison Sentences Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17)
5/24 HB 4434 Amends Fines and Sentences for Conceal Carry Violations Bill Passed - House (90 - 19)
5/23 HB 455 Repeals the Death Penalty Veto Override Passed - House (247 - 123)
5/23 HB 1269 Amends Criminal Sentencing Laws Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 11)
5/23 HB 888 Increases Penalties for Misrepresenting a Child's Identify at a Port of Entry Concurrence Vote Passed - House (100 - 43)
5/23 HR 2157 Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2019 Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 8)
5/23 HB 7219 Establishes Regulations on Manufacturing Guns Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7)
5/23 HB 7223 Prohibits Unlocked Vehicle Storage of Firearms Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
5/23 HB 246 Requires Public Schools to Teach about Prominent LGBTQ Figures Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17)
5/23 SB 1008 Amends Juvenile Offender Sentencing Bill Passed - House (40 - 18)
5/23 HB 7218 Amends Firearm Storage Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 2)
5/23 SB 1610 Amends Immigrant Deportation Regulations Bill Passed - House (84 - 32)
5/23 SB 55 Expands List of Persons Prohibited from Owning Firearms Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 10)
5/23 LD 264 Authorizes Certain EMS Personnel to Draw Blood at the Scene of Fatal Accidents Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)
5/23 SB 329 Prohibits Discrimination Against Section 8 Housing Renters Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11)
5/23 AB 32 Prohibits Private Prisons and ICE Detention Centers Bill Passed - House (61 - 13)

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