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
April 22, 2019 IN HB 1284 Expands "Stand Your Ground" Laws Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 7)
April 18, 2019 MT HB 54 Amends Requirements for Missing Persons Reports Conference Report Adopted - Senate (46 - 4)
April 18, 2019 TN HB 658 Repeals City Police Oversight Boards Subpoena Power Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 6)
April 18, 2019 HI SB 600 Prohibits Individuals Younger than 21 from Bringing Firearms into the State Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 4)
April 18, 2019 MT HB 217 Prohibits Suspension of Driver's License as Punishment for Certain Crimes Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20)
April 18, 2019 OR SB 250 Prohibits Health Benefit Plans from Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 5)
April 17, 2019 DE HB 63 Amends Firearms Storage Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 8)
April 17, 2019 CO SB 19-030 Authorizes a Remedy for Improperly Entered Guilty Pleas Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11)
April 16, 2019 IN HB 1253 Authorizes Firearm Training for Teachers and School Staff Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 14)
April 16, 2019 WA HB 1739 Prohibits All Untraceable 3D Printed "Ghost Guns" Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18)
April 16, 2019 MT HB 21 Establishes a Missing Persons Specialist in the Department of Justice Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 13)
April 16, 2019 OR SB 1008 Amends Juvenile Offender Sentencing Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10)
April 15, 2019 IA SF 615 Prohibits the Attorney General From Joining Out-Of-State Lawsuits Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18)
April 12, 2019 CO SB 19-1025 Prohibits Employers from Asking About Employee Criminal History Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12)
April 11, 2019 NH HB 455 Repeals the Death Penalty Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 6)
April 11, 2019 AZ HB 2693 Repeals Requirement that Firearms be Unloaded on School Grounds Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 14)
April 10, 2019 NY A 6188 Prohibits Harassment of Rent Regulated Tenants Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 17)
April 10, 2019 IL SB 2090 Expands Access to Voting in Jails Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17)
April 10, 2019 IL SB 2090 Expands Access to Voting in Jails Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17)
April 10, 2019 NC SB 250 Amends Voting Rolls to Correlate with Jury Selection Excusals Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19)
April 9, 2019 DE SB 34 Establishes a Per-Pill Tax on Prescription Opioid Painkillers Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 4)
April 8, 2019 AR HJR 1008 Establishes Stricter Requirements for Ballot Initiatives Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10)
April 8, 2019 MD SB 737 Amends Long Gun License Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 14)
April 3, 2019 TX SB 406 Amends Conceal Carry Regulations for Local School Marshals Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 3)
April 3, 2019 TX SB 17 Authorizes Protections for Lawyers that Deny Clients Based on Religious Exemptions Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/22 HB 1284 Expands "Stand Your Ground" Laws Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 7)
4/18 HB 54 Amends Requirements for Missing Persons Reports Conference Report Adopted - Senate (46 - 4)
4/18 HB 658 Repeals City Police Oversight Boards Subpoena Power Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 6)
4/18 SB 600 Prohibits Individuals Younger than 21 from Bringing Firearms into the State Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 4)
4/18 HB 217 Prohibits Suspension of Driver's License as Punishment for Certain Crimes Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20)
4/18 SB 250 Prohibits Health Benefit Plans from Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 5)
4/17 HB 63 Amends Firearms Storage Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 8)
4/17 SB 19-030 Authorizes a Remedy for Improperly Entered Guilty Pleas Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11)
4/16 HB 1253 Authorizes Firearm Training for Teachers and School Staff Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 14)
4/16 HB 1739 Prohibits All Untraceable 3D Printed "Ghost Guns" Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18)
4/16 HB 21 Establishes a Missing Persons Specialist in the Department of Justice Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 13)
4/16 SB 1008 Amends Juvenile Offender Sentencing Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10)
4/15 SF 615 Prohibits the Attorney General From Joining Out-Of-State Lawsuits Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18)
4/12 SB 19-1025 Prohibits Employers from Asking About Employee Criminal History Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12)
4/11 HB 455 Repeals the Death Penalty Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 6)
4/11 HB 2693 Repeals Requirement that Firearms be Unloaded on School Grounds Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 14)
4/10 A 6188 Prohibits Harassment of Rent Regulated Tenants Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 17)
4/10 SB 2090 Expands Access to Voting in Jails Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17)
4/10 SB 2090 Expands Access to Voting in Jails Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17)
4/10 SB 250 Amends Voting Rolls to Correlate with Jury Selection Excusals Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19)
4/09 SB 34 Establishes a Per-Pill Tax on Prescription Opioid Painkillers Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 4)
4/08 HJR 1008 Establishes Stricter Requirements for Ballot Initiatives Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10)
4/08 SB 737 Amends Long Gun License Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 14)
4/03 SB 406 Amends Conceal Carry Regulations for Local School Marshals Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 3)
4/03 SB 17 Authorizes Protections for Lawyers that Deny Clients Based on Religious Exemptions Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12)

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