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:
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 19, 2016 | CA | SB 1446 | Prohibits the Possession of High-Capacity Gun Magazines | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| May 19, 2016 | CA | SB 1235 | Requires Background Checks to Buy Ammunition | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| May 2, 2016 | CA | SB 1129 | Repeals Minimum Sentences for Repeat Prostitution Offenses | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| April 25, 2016 | CA | SB 966 | Prohibits Extending Sentences for Repeat Drug Offenders | Bill Failed - Senate (18 - 16) |
| April 25, 2016 | CA | SB 966 | Prohibits Extending Sentences for Repeat Drug Offenders | Bill Failed - Senate (18 - 16) |
| Sept. 10, 2015 | CA | AB 953 | Amends "Profiling" Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (43 - 30) |
| Sept. 9, 2015 | CA | AB 953 | Amends "Profiling" Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| Sept. 1, 2015 | CA | SB 707 | Prohibits Concealed Firearms on School Grounds | Bill Passed - House (54 - 24) |
| July 16, 2015 | CA | SB 227 | Prohibits Grand Juries from Investigating Certain Cases | Bill Passed - House (41 - 33) |
| July 16, 2015 | CA | SB 227 | Prohibits Grand Juries from Investigating Certain Cases | Bill Passed - House (41 - 33) |
| June 2, 2015 | CA | SB 124 | Limits the Use of Solitary Confinement for Juveniles | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| June 1, 2015 | CA | SB 707 | Prohibits Concealed Firearms on School Grounds | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| June 1, 2015 | CA | AB 718 | Authorizes Sleeping in Vehicles | Bill Passed - House (56 - 15) |
| May 26, 2015 | CA | AB 884 | Requires the Attorney General to Denote Ballot Initiatives That May Be Unconstitutional | Bill Passed - House (50 - 26) |
| May 7, 2015 | CA | SB 227 | Prohibits Grand Juries from Investigating Certain Cases | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| May 7, 2015 | CA | SB 227 | Prohibits Grand Juries from Investigating Certain Cases | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| Aug. 29, 2014 | CA | AB 1014 | Authorizes Gun Violence Restraining Orders | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (48 - 28) |
| Aug. 29, 2014 | CA | AB 1014 | Authorizes Gun Violence Restraining Orders | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (48 - 28) |
| Aug. 28, 2014 | CA | SB 199 | Requires Certain Replica Guns to be Sold in Fluorescent Colors | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| Aug. 28, 2014 | CA | SB 199 | Requires Certain Replica Guns to be Sold in Fluorescent Colors | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| Aug. 27, 2014 | CA | AB 1014 | Authorizes Gun Violence Restraining Orders | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 8) |
| Aug. 27, 2014 | CA | AB 1014 | Authorizes Gun Violence Restraining Orders | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 8) |
| Aug. 26, 2014 | CA | AB 1327 | Limits the Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| Aug. 26, 2014 | CA | SB 199 | Requires Certain Replica Guns to be Sold in Fluorescent Colors | Bill Passed - House (43 - 34) |
| Aug. 26, 2014 | CA | SB 199 | Requires Certain Replica Guns to be Sold in Fluorescent Colors | Bill Passed - House (43 - 34) |