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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
June 14, 2012 CA AB 2127 Authorizes Work Release for Certain Offenders Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
May 31, 2012 CA SB 1140 Exempts Religious Institutions from Performing Same-Sex Marriages Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
May 31, 2012 CA SB 1506 Reduces Charges for Possession of Controlled Substances Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 24)
May 31, 2012 CA SB 1525 Establishes a Student Athlete Bill of Rights Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14)
May 31, 2012 CA SB 956 Regulates Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Loans and Lenders Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
May 30, 2012 CA SB 1234 Establishes Retirement Program for Private Sector Employees Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
May 30, 2012 CA SB 1172 Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
May 30, 2012 CA SB 1054 Requires Notifying Property Owners Prior to Hydraulic Fracturing Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 18)
May 30, 2012 CA SB 1476 Authorizes Courts to Designate More than 2 Individuals as Parents of a Child Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13)
May 21, 2012 CA SB 1221 Prohibits the Use of Dogs to Hunt Bears or Bobcats Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)
Feb. 2, 2012 CA SB 81 Funding For School Transportation Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 8)
Feb. 2, 2012 CA SB 95 Increase State's Ability to Borrow Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 14)
Jan. 26, 2012 CA SB 810 Establishes a Single-Payer Health Care System Bill Failed - Senate (19 - 15)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/14 AB 2127 Authorizes Work Release for Certain Offenders Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
5/31 SB 1140 Exempts Religious Institutions from Performing Same-Sex Marriages Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
5/31 SB 1506 Reduces Charges for Possession of Controlled Substances Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 24)
5/31 SB 1525 Establishes a Student Athlete Bill of Rights Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14)
5/31 SB 956 Regulates Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Loans and Lenders Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
5/30 SB 1234 Establishes Retirement Program for Private Sector Employees Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
5/30 SB 1172 Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
5/30 SB 1054 Requires Notifying Property Owners Prior to Hydraulic Fracturing Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 18)
5/30 SB 1476 Authorizes Courts to Designate More than 2 Individuals as Parents of a Child Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13)
5/21 SB 1221 Prohibits the Use of Dogs to Hunt Bears or Bobcats Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)
2/02 SB 81 Funding For School Transportation Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 8)
2/02 SB 95 Increase State's Ability to Borrow Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 14)
1/26 SB 810 Establishes a Single-Payer Health Care System Bill Failed - Senate (19 - 15)

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