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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 12, 2013 | CA | SB 359 | Appropriates Funds for Hybrid and Zero Emission Vehicle Use | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
| Aug. 30, 2012 | CA | AB 1478 | Appropriates Funds for State Parks for 2 Years | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| Sept. 9, 2011 | CA | SB 292 | Authorizes Governor to Expedite Environmental Review | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| June 2, 2011 | CA | SB 568 | Recycling Polystyrene Food Containers | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| Aug. 31, 2010 | CA | AB 1998 | Ban of Single-Use Carryout Bags in Certain Stores | Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 21) |
| Aug. 23, 2010 | CA | AB 234 | Marine Oil Shipping Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| April 15, 2010 | CA | SB 4 | Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| Nov. 4, 2009 | CA | SBx7 7 | Statewide Water Conservation Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| Nov. 4, 2009 | CA | SBx7 1 | Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Water Management Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
| Nov. 4, 2009 | CA | SBx7 8 | Water Diversion Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 3) |
| Nov. 4, 2009 | CA | SBx7 6 | Statewide Groundwater Elevation Monitoring Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| Nov. 4, 2009 | CA | SBx7 2 | Water Investment Bond Measure | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| Nov. 2, 2009 | CA | SBx7 2 | Water Investment Bond Measure | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 8) |
| Nov. 2, 2009 | CA | SBx7 8 | Water Management Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| Sept. 12, 2009 | CA | SB 14 | Renewable Energy Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| July 24, 2009 | CA | ABX4 23 | Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Revisions: Oil Drilling | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18) |
| July 13, 2009 | CA | SB 670 | Ban on Suction and Dredge Mining | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| June 3, 2009 | CA | SB 458 | Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| June 3, 2009 | CA | SB 229 | California Water Commission Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| June 1, 2009 | CA | SB 435 | Smog Check Requirements for Motorcycles | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| May 14, 2009 | CA | SB 4 | Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| Dec. 18, 2008 | CA | ABx1 5 | Modifying Transportation Project Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
| Aug. 30, 2008 | CA | SB 375 | Global Warming and Land Use Policy | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| Aug. 22, 2008 | CA | AB 3025 | Polystyrene Packaging Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| Aug. 7, 2008 | CA | AB 1946 | Expanding Enforcement of Water Pollution Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/12 | SB 359 | Appropriates Funds for Hybrid and Zero Emission Vehicle Use | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
| 8/30 | AB 1478 | Appropriates Funds for State Parks for 2 Years | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| 9/09 | SB 292 | Authorizes Governor to Expedite Environmental Review | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| 6/02 | SB 568 | Recycling Polystyrene Food Containers | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| 8/31 | AB 1998 | Ban of Single-Use Carryout Bags in Certain Stores | Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 21) |
| 8/23 | AB 234 | Marine Oil Shipping Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 4/15 | SB 4 | Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 11/04 | SBx7 7 | Statewide Water Conservation Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 11/04 | SBx7 1 | Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Water Management Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
| 11/04 | SBx7 8 | Water Diversion Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 3) |
| 11/04 | SBx7 6 | Statewide Groundwater Elevation Monitoring Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| 11/04 | SBx7 2 | Water Investment Bond Measure | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| 11/02 | SBx7 2 | Water Investment Bond Measure | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 8) |
| 11/02 | SBx7 8 | Water Management Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| 9/12 | SB 14 | Renewable Energy Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| 7/24 | ABX4 23 | Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Revisions: Oil Drilling | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18) |
| 7/13 | SB 670 | Ban on Suction and Dredge Mining | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| 6/03 | SB 458 | Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| 6/03 | SB 229 | California Water Commission Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| 6/01 | SB 435 | Smog Check Requirements for Motorcycles | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| 5/14 | SB 4 | Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 12/18 | ABx1 5 | Modifying Transportation Project Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
| 8/30 | SB 375 | Global Warming and Land Use Policy | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| 8/22 | AB 3025 | Polystyrene Packaging Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| 8/07 | AB 1946 | Expanding Enforcement of Water Pollution Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |