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 15, 2023 ME LD 1001 Amends the Maine Human Rights Act Regarding Right-to-sue Letters Bill Passed - House (88 - 54)
June 15, 2023 DE HB 142 Prohibits LGBTQ+ Panic Defense Bill Passed - House (27 - 10)
June 14, 2023 SC H 3532 Amends and Reforms the State Bail Bond System Conference Report Adopted - House (89 - 16)
June 14, 2023 NC HB 140 Authorizes Civilian Traffic Investigators Concurrence Vote Passed - House (100 - 6)
June 14, 2023 ME LD 52 Authorizes Certain Employees to Carry Firearms on School Property "Ought Not to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (22 - 13)
June 14, 2023 OH SB 21 Restructures Where Individuals can Contest State Agency Orders Bill Passed - House (68 - 27)
June 14, 2023 PA HB 1305 Establishes Resources for Mental Health Behavioral Crisis Intervention Bill Passed - House (113 - 90)
June 14, 2023 RI S 912 Authorizes Residential Eviction Court Files to be Sealed Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 7)
June 14, 2023 RI H 5902 Increases Criminal Penalties for Wage Theft by Employers from a Misdemeanor to a Felony Bill Passed - House (70 - 2)
June 14, 2023 MI HB 4173 Establishes the "Michigan Sentencing Commission" in the Legislative Council Bill Passed - House (56 - 53)
June 13, 2023 AZ SB 1013 Extends Expanded Free Speech Protections to College Campuses Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 5)
June 13, 2023 AZ SB 1588 Establishes a criminal Justice Data Collection System Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 12)
June 13, 2023 ME LD 279 Prohibits Public Entities from Discriminating Against Individuals "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (77 - 64)
June 13, 2023 ME LD 52 Authorizes Certain Employees to Carry Firearms on School Property "Ought Not to Pass" Report Adopted - House (76 - 67)
June 13, 2023 DE SB 145 Expands the Limits on the Dollar Amount of Awards of Compensatory or Punitive Damages for Employment Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 1)
June 12, 2023 AZ SB 1588 Establishes a criminal Justice Data Collection System Bill Passed - House (39 - 21)
June 12, 2023 PA HB 1085 Appropriates Funding for the State Public Defenders Office Bill Passed - House (132 - 71)
June 9, 2023 NY A 1029 Requires Automatic Sealing of Certain Convictions Records After Specified Periods of Time Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 25)
June 9, 2023 NY A 1029 Requires Automatic Sealing of Certain Convictions Records After Specified Periods of Time Bill Passed - House (97 - 51)
June 8, 2023 LA SB 159 Amends Previous Law to Automatically Classify 17-Year-Old Defendants as Adults Conference Report Adopted - House (70 - 34)
June 8, 2023 LA HB 90 Increases Penalties for Drug Distribution Resulting in Death to Life in Prison Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 5)
June 8, 2023 LA HB 90 Increases Penalties for Drug Distribution Resulting in Death to Life in Prison Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 5)
June 8, 2023 LA SB 159 Amends Previous Law to Automatically Classify 17-Year-Old Defendants as Adults Conference Report Adopted - House (70 - 34)
June 8, 2023 LA HB 160 Authorizes Victims and Family in Juvenile Court Proceedings to Openly Share Information Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 1)
June 8, 2023 LA HB 160 Authorizes Victims and Family in Juvenile Court Proceedings to Openly Share Information Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 1)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/15 LD 1001 Amends the Maine Human Rights Act Regarding Right-to-sue Letters Bill Passed - House (88 - 54)
6/15 HB 142 Prohibits LGBTQ+ Panic Defense Bill Passed - House (27 - 10)
6/14 H 3532 Amends and Reforms the State Bail Bond System Conference Report Adopted - House (89 - 16)
6/14 HB 140 Authorizes Civilian Traffic Investigators Concurrence Vote Passed - House (100 - 6)
6/14 LD 52 Authorizes Certain Employees to Carry Firearms on School Property "Ought Not to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (22 - 13)
6/14 SB 21 Restructures Where Individuals can Contest State Agency Orders Bill Passed - House (68 - 27)
6/14 HB 1305 Establishes Resources for Mental Health Behavioral Crisis Intervention Bill Passed - House (113 - 90)
6/14 S 912 Authorizes Residential Eviction Court Files to be Sealed Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 7)
6/14 H 5902 Increases Criminal Penalties for Wage Theft by Employers from a Misdemeanor to a Felony Bill Passed - House (70 - 2)
6/14 HB 4173 Establishes the "Michigan Sentencing Commission" in the Legislative Council Bill Passed - House (56 - 53)
6/13 SB 1013 Extends Expanded Free Speech Protections to College Campuses Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 5)
6/13 SB 1588 Establishes a criminal Justice Data Collection System Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 12)
6/13 LD 279 Prohibits Public Entities from Discriminating Against Individuals "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (77 - 64)
6/13 LD 52 Authorizes Certain Employees to Carry Firearms on School Property "Ought Not to Pass" Report Adopted - House (76 - 67)
6/13 SB 145 Expands the Limits on the Dollar Amount of Awards of Compensatory or Punitive Damages for Employment Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 1)
6/12 SB 1588 Establishes a criminal Justice Data Collection System Bill Passed - House (39 - 21)
6/12 HB 1085 Appropriates Funding for the State Public Defenders Office Bill Passed - House (132 - 71)
6/09 A 1029 Requires Automatic Sealing of Certain Convictions Records After Specified Periods of Time Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 25)
6/09 A 1029 Requires Automatic Sealing of Certain Convictions Records After Specified Periods of Time Bill Passed - House (97 - 51)
6/08 SB 159 Amends Previous Law to Automatically Classify 17-Year-Old Defendants as Adults Conference Report Adopted - House (70 - 34)
6/08 HB 90 Increases Penalties for Drug Distribution Resulting in Death to Life in Prison Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 5)
6/08 HB 90 Increases Penalties for Drug Distribution Resulting in Death to Life in Prison Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 5)
6/08 SB 159 Amends Previous Law to Automatically Classify 17-Year-Old Defendants as Adults Conference Report Adopted - House (70 - 34)
6/08 HB 160 Authorizes Victims and Family in Juvenile Court Proceedings to Openly Share Information Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 1)
6/08 HB 160 Authorizes Victims and Family in Juvenile Court Proceedings to Openly Share Information Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 1)

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