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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 20, 2008 | CA | AB 2279 | Prohibiting Employment Discrimination Against Medical Marijuana Patients | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| Aug. 14, 2008 | CA | AB 1894 | Health Insurance Coverage of HIV Testing | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| Aug. 14, 2008 | CA | AB 1107 | Drought-Related Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
| Aug. 7, 2008 | CA | AB 2270 | Water Softener Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 12) |
| Aug. 7, 2008 | CA | AB 1946 | Expanding Enforcement of Water Pollution Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| Aug. 5, 2008 | CA | SB 974 | Shipping Fee | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
| July 2, 2008 | CA | AB 97 | Trans Fats Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | SB 1096 | Pharmacy Prescription Refill Mailings | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | SB 1499 | Foil Balloon Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| May 27, 2008 | CA | SB 1440 | Capping Administrative Spending for Health Insurers | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| May 15, 2008 | CA | SB 1713 | Bisphenol A (BPA) Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| May 12, 2008 | CA | SB 1313 | Perfluorochemical (PFC) Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| April 28, 2008 | CA | SB 1137 | Residential Property Foreclosures | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| Sept. 5, 2007 | CA | AB 1155 | Penalties for Healthcare Service Plan Underpayments or Failures to Pay Service Providers | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
| June 28, 2007 | CA | AB 1738 | California Gaming Code Additions | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 6) |
| June 7, 2007 | CA | SB 48 | Health Care Coverage and Cost Control Act | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 16) |
| June 7, 2007 | CA | SB 456 | Diacetyl Toxic Substance Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| June 6, 2007 | CA | SB 840 | California Universal Healthcare Agency | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| June 6, 2007 | CA | SB 974 | Shipping Fee | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| May 31, 2007 | CA | SB 120 | Nutritional Information Posting | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| May 21, 2007 | CA | SB 180 | Collective Bargaining Representation for Agricultural Workers | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| Aug. 31, 2006 | CA | SB 1414 | Health Care Requirements for Large Companies | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 17) |
| Aug. 30, 2006 | CA | AB 32 | Greenhouse Gases Emission Limits | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| Aug. 29, 2006 | CA | AB 1953 | Amount of Lead in Plumbing Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18) |
| Aug. 29, 2006 | CA | AB 2496 | Water Conservation: Low-Flush Water Closet | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| Aug. 23, 2006 | CA | AB 2536 | Overtime Pay for Personal Attendants | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| Aug. 17, 2006 | CA | AB 2555 | Wage Discrimination Penalties | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| June 1, 2006 | CA | SB 1162 | Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| June 1, 2006 | CA | SB 1675 | Renewable Diesel Fuel Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/20 | AB 2279 | Prohibiting Employment Discrimination Against Medical Marijuana Patients | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| 8/14 | AB 1894 | Health Insurance Coverage of HIV Testing | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| 8/14 | AB 1107 | Drought-Related Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
| 8/07 | AB 2270 | Water Softener Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 12) |
| 8/07 | AB 1946 | Expanding Enforcement of Water Pollution Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| 8/05 | SB 974 | Shipping Fee | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
| 7/02 | AB 97 | Trans Fats Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| 5/29 | SB 1096 | Pharmacy Prescription Refill Mailings | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| 5/29 | SB 1499 | Foil Balloon Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| 5/27 | SB 1440 | Capping Administrative Spending for Health Insurers | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| 5/15 | SB 1713 | Bisphenol A (BPA) Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| 5/12 | SB 1313 | Perfluorochemical (PFC) Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| 4/28 | SB 1137 | Residential Property Foreclosures | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| 9/05 | AB 1155 | Penalties for Healthcare Service Plan Underpayments or Failures to Pay Service Providers | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
| 6/28 | AB 1738 | California Gaming Code Additions | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 6) |
| 6/07 | SB 48 | Health Care Coverage and Cost Control Act | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 16) |
| 6/07 | SB 456 | Diacetyl Toxic Substance Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| 6/06 | SB 840 | California Universal Healthcare Agency | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 6/06 | SB 974 | Shipping Fee | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| 5/31 | SB 120 | Nutritional Information Posting | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| 5/21 | SB 180 | Collective Bargaining Representation for Agricultural Workers | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| 8/31 | SB 1414 | Health Care Requirements for Large Companies | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 17) |
| 8/30 | AB 32 | Greenhouse Gases Emission Limits | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| 8/29 | AB 1953 | Amount of Lead in Plumbing Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18) |
| 8/29 | AB 2496 | Water Conservation: Low-Flush Water Closet | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| 8/23 | AB 2536 | Overtime Pay for Personal Attendants | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| 8/17 | AB 2555 | Wage Discrimination Penalties | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 6/01 | SB 1162 | Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| 6/01 | SB 1675 | Renewable Diesel Fuel Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |