Key Votes
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About the Selection and Descriptions of Key Votes
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:
- The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
- The vote should be clear for any person to understand
- The vote has received media attention
- The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
- 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.
| Date | State | Bill No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 21, 2020 | NY | A 5630 | Amends Various Power of Attorney Laws | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (95 - 47) |
| July 21, 2020 | NY | A 5630 | Amends Various Power of Attorney Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 17) |
| July 21, 2020 | NY | A 6710 | Requires Incarcerated Parents to Be Placed at Facilities Closest to Their Children's Home | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 11) |
| July 21, 2020 | NY | A 6710 | Requires Incarcerated Parents to Be Placed at Facilities Closest to Their Children's Home | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 11) |
| July 21, 2020 | NY | A 5991 | Amends Civil Rights Law in Relation to "Frivolous" Lawsuits | Bill Passed - House (116 - 26) |
| July 21, 2020 | NY | S 4234 | Prohibits the Sale of Dogs, Cats, and Rabbits by Retail Pet Shops | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 13) |
| July 20, 2020 | MN | HF 1 | Establishes and Amends Various Provisions Relating to Public Safety and Law Enforcement | Bill Passed - House (102 - 29) |
| July 20, 2020 | NY | A 5045 | Amends Criminal Procedure Laws to Waive Certain Surcharges and Fees for Defendants Under the Age of 21 | Bill Passed - House (97 - 44) |
| July 20, 2020 | MN | HR 1 | Classifies Racism as a Public Health Crisis | Bill Passed - House (82 - 40) |
| July 20, 2020 | NY | A 2176 | Prohibits Civil Arrest of Individuals Attending Court Proceedings | Bill Passed - House (97 - 44) |
| July 20, 2020 | MN | HF 1 | Establishes and Amends Various Provisions Relating to Public Safety and Law Enforcement | Bill Passed - House (102 - 29) |
| July 16, 2020 | RI | H 7541 | Establishes the "Uniform Parentage Act" | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 1) |
| July 16, 2020 | RI | H 7541 | Establishes the "Uniform Parentage Act" | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 1) |
| July 16, 2020 | RI | S 2919 | Authorizes Online Registration for Sports Betting | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 4) |
| July 15, 2020 | PA | SB 14 | Establishes New Guidelines to Reduce Probation Sentences | Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 0) |
| July 14, 2020 | MA | S 2800 | Amends Police Standards and Restructures Policing Resources | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 7) |
| July 14, 2020 | MA | S 2800 | Amends Police Standards and Restructures Policing Resources | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 7) |
| July 8, 2020 | NC | SB 599 | Authorizes the Reopening of Bowling Alleys and Skating Rinks | Veto Override Failed - Senate (26 - 21) |
| July 8, 2020 | NC | SB 232 | Repeals Anti-Mask Law | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (43 - 4) |
| July 7, 2020 | PA | HB 256 | Amends State Law to make Assaulting a Correctional Officer a Felony | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (173 - 28) |
| July 6, 2020 | HI | HB 285 | Requires Law Enforcement Transparency | Conference Report Adopted - House (37 - 14) |
| July 6, 2020 | HI | HB 285 | Requires Law Enforcement Transparency | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 4) |
| July 2, 2020 | CA | SB 1383 | Expands Protections for Paid Family Leave | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| July 1, 2020 | NH | HB 1645 | Amend Various Law Enforcement Policies | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (255 - 74) |
| July 1, 2020 | NH | HB 1645 | Amend Various Law Enforcement Policies | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (255 - 74) |