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 19, 2020 VT HR 21 Alleges Donald Trump's Tweets are "Racist" and Recognizes Juneteenth Bill Passed - House (128 - 17)
June 19, 2020 NM SB 8 Requires Law Enforcement to Use Body-Worn Cameras Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 11)
June 18, 2020 CA AB 1460 Requires Ethnic Studies Course Completion in State Universities Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5)
June 18, 2020 NJ A 2394 Establishes Minority Recruitment Program for Police Departments Bill Passed - House (70 - 3)
June 17, 2020 MS HB 1295 Prohibits Abortions for Reasons of Race, Sex, or Genetic Abnormality Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 11)
June 16, 2020 NH HB 1582 Establishes the Veterans Bill of Rights Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 0)
June 12, 2020 CO SB 20-217 Amends Various Police Accountability and Reform Laws Bill Passed - House (52 - 13)
June 11, 2020 CA AB 3121 Establishes a Task Force for Reparations to African Americans Bill Passed - House (61 - 12)
June 10, 2020 NY S 8539 Establishes the Law Enforcement Misconduct Investigative Office Bill Passed - House (121 - 23)
June 10, 2020 NY S 8539 Establishes the Law Enforcement Misconduct Investigative Office Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 20)
June 10, 2020 CA ACA 5 Establishes Constitutional Amendment Repealing Prohibition on Affirmative Action Policies Amendment Adopted - House (60 - 14)
June 10, 2020 CA ACA 5 Establishes Constitutional Amendment Repealing Prohibition on Affirmative Action Policies Amendment Adopted - House (60 - 14)
June 9, 2020 NY S 8493 Establishes the "New York State Police Body-Worn Cameras Program" Bill Passed - House (142 - 2)
June 9, 2020 NY S 6601 Requires Police Officers to Provide Medical and Mental Health Attention Bill Passed - House (109 - 35)
June 8, 2020 NY A 1531 Prohibits Reporting a Non-Emergency Incident Involving a Member of a Protected Class Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 6)
June 8, 2020 NY A 10609 Requires Courts to Compile and Publish Data on Misdemeanors and Violations and Law Enforcement Departments on Arrest-Related Deaths Bill Passed - House (100 - 44)
June 8, 2020 NY A 1531 Prohibits Reporting a Non-Emergency Incident Involving a Member of a Protected Class Bill Passed - House (115 - 29)
June 8, 2020 NY A 4615 Prohibits Police Officers from Racial and Ethnic Profiling Bill Passed - House (105 - 39)
June 4, 2020 MI SB 945 Requires Implicit Bias and De-Escalation Training for Law Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 0)
June 3, 2020 IA SF 2348 Requires Restitution Payment from Felons for Restoration of Voting Rights Bill Passed - House (51 - 45)
May 27, 2020 National S 3744 Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020 Bill Passed - House (413 - 1)
May 15, 2020 OK HB 2587 Prohibits Denying Healthcare or Adjusting Coverage or Cost Based on Age or Quality of Life Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 6)
May 13, 2020 MO SJR 38 Amends Provisions Regulating the Legislature to Limit the Influence of Partisan Interests Joint Resolution Passed - House (98 - 56)
April 22, 2020 VA HB 1255 Establishes a Constitutional Amendment to Create an Independent Redistricting Commission Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 19)
April 14, 2020 KY SB 15 Establishes Crime Victims' Bill of Rights Bill Passed - House (74 - 15)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/19 HR 21 Alleges Donald Trump's Tweets are "Racist" and Recognizes Juneteenth Bill Passed - House (128 - 17)
6/19 SB 8 Requires Law Enforcement to Use Body-Worn Cameras Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 11)
6/18 AB 1460 Requires Ethnic Studies Course Completion in State Universities Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5)
6/18 A 2394 Establishes Minority Recruitment Program for Police Departments Bill Passed - House (70 - 3)
6/17 HB 1295 Prohibits Abortions for Reasons of Race, Sex, or Genetic Abnormality Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 11)
6/16 HB 1582 Establishes the Veterans Bill of Rights Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 0)
6/12 SB 20-217 Amends Various Police Accountability and Reform Laws Bill Passed - House (52 - 13)
6/11 AB 3121 Establishes a Task Force for Reparations to African Americans Bill Passed - House (61 - 12)
6/10 S 8539 Establishes the Law Enforcement Misconduct Investigative Office Bill Passed - House (121 - 23)
6/10 S 8539 Establishes the Law Enforcement Misconduct Investigative Office Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 20)
6/10 ACA 5 Establishes Constitutional Amendment Repealing Prohibition on Affirmative Action Policies Amendment Adopted - House (60 - 14)
6/10 ACA 5 Establishes Constitutional Amendment Repealing Prohibition on Affirmative Action Policies Amendment Adopted - House (60 - 14)
6/09 S 8493 Establishes the "New York State Police Body-Worn Cameras Program" Bill Passed - House (142 - 2)
6/09 S 6601 Requires Police Officers to Provide Medical and Mental Health Attention Bill Passed - House (109 - 35)
6/08 A 1531 Prohibits Reporting a Non-Emergency Incident Involving a Member of a Protected Class Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 6)
6/08 A 10609 Requires Courts to Compile and Publish Data on Misdemeanors and Violations and Law Enforcement Departments on Arrest-Related Deaths Bill Passed - House (100 - 44)
6/08 A 1531 Prohibits Reporting a Non-Emergency Incident Involving a Member of a Protected Class Bill Passed - House (115 - 29)
6/08 A 4615 Prohibits Police Officers from Racial and Ethnic Profiling Bill Passed - House (105 - 39)
6/04 SB 945 Requires Implicit Bias and De-Escalation Training for Law Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 0)
6/03 SF 2348 Requires Restitution Payment from Felons for Restoration of Voting Rights Bill Passed - House (51 - 45)
5/27 S 3744 Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020 Bill Passed - House (413 - 1)
5/15 HB 2587 Prohibits Denying Healthcare or Adjusting Coverage or Cost Based on Age or Quality of Life Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 6)
5/13 SJR 38 Amends Provisions Regulating the Legislature to Limit the Influence of Partisan Interests Joint Resolution Passed - House (98 - 56)
4/22 HB 1255 Establishes a Constitutional Amendment to Create an Independent Redistricting Commission Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 19)
4/14 SB 15 Establishes Crime Victims' Bill of Rights Bill Passed - House (74 - 15)

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