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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 28, 2013 | KS | SB 149 | Requires Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 8) |
| Jan. 30, 2013 | KS | SCR 1601 | Authorizes the Governor to Nominate Judges | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 12) |
| Jan. 30, 2013 | KS | SCR 1601 | Authorizes the Governor to Nominate Judges | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 12) |
| Jan. 30, 2013 | KS | SCR 1601 | Authorizes the Governor to Nominate Judges | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 12) |
| May 3, 2012 | KS | HB 2333 | Amends State Pension System | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 8) |
| May 3, 2012 | KS | King Amendment | Amends the State Retirement System for New Public Employees | Amendment Rejected - Senate (20 - 20) |
| Feb. 23, 2012 | KS | SB 83 | Amends Judicial Appointment Process | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (17 - 22) |
| March 23, 2011 | KS | HB 2035 | Amending Statutes Regulating Abortion | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| March 30, 2010 | KS | HB 2115 | Late-Term/Partial Birth Abortion Reporting Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (24 - 15) |
| March 17, 2010 | KS | SB 447 | Home Child Care Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| Feb. 19, 2009 | KS | SB 160 | Increasing Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 7) |
| May 3, 2008 | KS | SB 81 | Health Care Reform | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (34 - 1) |
| April 30, 2008 | KS | SB 148 | Electricity Generation and Conservation | Veto Override Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| April 4, 2008 | KS | SB 148 | Electricity Generation and Conservation | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| March 26, 2008 | KS | Barnett Amnd. | Immigration Reform Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (12 - 27) |
| March 26, 2008 | KS | Huelskamp Amnd. 1 | Employment Verification | Amendment Rejected - Senate (11 - 27) |
| March 26, 2008 | KS | Huelskamp Amnd. 1 | Employment Verification | Amendment Rejected - Senate (11 - 27) |
| March 26, 2008 | KS | Journey Amnd. 2 | Repealing In-State Tuition for Immigrants | Amendment Rejected - Senate (14 - 25) |
| March 26, 2008 | KS | Journey Amnd. 1 | Penalties for Obstructing Immigration Enforcement | Amendment Rejected - Senate (14 - 24) |
| March 26, 2008 | KS | Journey Amnd. 1 | Penalties for Obstructing Immigration Enforcement | Amendment Rejected - Senate (14 - 24) |
| March 26, 2008 | KS | Huelskamp Amnd. 2 | Undocumented Immigrants Ineligible for Public Benefits | Amendment Rejected - Senate (12 - 26) |
| March 26, 2008 | KS | Huelskamp Amnd. 2 | Undocumented Immigrants Ineligible for Public Benefits | Amendment Rejected - Senate (12 - 26) |
| March 26, 2008 | KS | Huelskamp Amnd. 2 | Undocumented Immigrants Ineligible for Public Benefits | Amendment Rejected - Senate (12 - 26) |
| March 26, 2008 | KS | Brownlee Amnd. | Prohibits Union from collecting dues from Undocumented Workers | Amendment Adopted - Senate (19 - 18) |
| March 26, 2008 | KS | Brownlee Amnd. | Prohibits Union from collecting dues from Undocumented Workers | Amendment Adopted - Senate (19 - 18) |
| March 26, 2008 | KS | Brownlee Amnd. | Prohibits Union from collecting dues from Undocumented Workers | Amendment Adopted - Senate (19 - 18) |
| March 26, 2008 | KS | Barnett Amnd. | Immigration Reform Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (12 - 27) |
| March 19, 2008 | KS | SB 541 | Expanding Children's Health Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 8) |
| March 19, 2008 | KS | SB 409 | Three-Strikes Sentencing for Theft | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 6) |
| March 18, 2008 | KS | Hensley Amnd. | Premium Assistance Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 27) |
| March 18, 2008 | KS | Kelly Amnd. | Premium Assistance Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 27) |
| March 27, 2007 | KS | SB 385 | State Employee Pay Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 11) |
| March 20, 2007 | KS | HB 2140 | English as the Official Language | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 8) |
| Feb. 22, 2007 | KS | Sub SB 152 | Elections for Senate Vacancies | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
| May 1, 2006 | KS | HB 2554 | DNA Sampling in Felony Cases | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 11) |
| March 9, 2006 | KS | SCR 1606 | Supreme Court Justice Selection Procedure Constitutional Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (22 - 17) |
| Feb. 23, 2006 | KS | HB 2732 | Unattended and Unsupervised Children in Motor Vehicle Safety Act | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/28 | SB 149 | Requires Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 8) |
| 1/30 | SCR 1601 | Authorizes the Governor to Nominate Judges | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 12) |
| 1/30 | SCR 1601 | Authorizes the Governor to Nominate Judges | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 12) |
| 1/30 | SCR 1601 | Authorizes the Governor to Nominate Judges | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 12) |
| 5/03 | HB 2333 | Amends State Pension System | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 8) |
| 5/03 | King Amendment | Amends the State Retirement System for New Public Employees | Amendment Rejected - Senate (20 - 20) |
| 2/23 | SB 83 | Amends Judicial Appointment Process | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (17 - 22) |
| 3/23 | HB 2035 | Amending Statutes Regulating Abortion | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| 3/30 | HB 2115 | Late-Term/Partial Birth Abortion Reporting Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (24 - 15) |
| 3/17 | SB 447 | Home Child Care Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| 2/19 | SB 160 | Increasing Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 7) |
| 5/03 | SB 81 | Health Care Reform | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (34 - 1) |
| 4/30 | SB 148 | Electricity Generation and Conservation | Veto Override Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| 4/04 | SB 148 | Electricity Generation and Conservation | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| 3/26 | Barnett Amnd. | Immigration Reform Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (12 - 27) |
| 3/26 | Huelskamp Amnd. 1 | Employment Verification | Amendment Rejected - Senate (11 - 27) |
| 3/26 | Huelskamp Amnd. 1 | Employment Verification | Amendment Rejected - Senate (11 - 27) |
| 3/26 | Journey Amnd. 2 | Repealing In-State Tuition for Immigrants | Amendment Rejected - Senate (14 - 25) |
| 3/26 | Journey Amnd. 1 | Penalties for Obstructing Immigration Enforcement | Amendment Rejected - Senate (14 - 24) |
| 3/26 | Journey Amnd. 1 | Penalties for Obstructing Immigration Enforcement | Amendment Rejected - Senate (14 - 24) |
| 3/26 | Huelskamp Amnd. 2 | Undocumented Immigrants Ineligible for Public Benefits | Amendment Rejected - Senate (12 - 26) |
| 3/26 | Huelskamp Amnd. 2 | Undocumented Immigrants Ineligible for Public Benefits | Amendment Rejected - Senate (12 - 26) |
| 3/26 | Huelskamp Amnd. 2 | Undocumented Immigrants Ineligible for Public Benefits | Amendment Rejected - Senate (12 - 26) |
| 3/26 | Brownlee Amnd. | Prohibits Union from collecting dues from Undocumented Workers | Amendment Adopted - Senate (19 - 18) |
| 3/26 | Brownlee Amnd. | Prohibits Union from collecting dues from Undocumented Workers | Amendment Adopted - Senate (19 - 18) |
| 3/26 | Brownlee Amnd. | Prohibits Union from collecting dues from Undocumented Workers | Amendment Adopted - Senate (19 - 18) |
| 3/26 | Barnett Amnd. | Immigration Reform Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (12 - 27) |
| 3/19 | SB 541 | Expanding Children's Health Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 8) |
| 3/19 | SB 409 | Three-Strikes Sentencing for Theft | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 6) |
| 3/18 | Hensley Amnd. | Premium Assistance Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 27) |
| 3/18 | Kelly Amnd. | Premium Assistance Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (10 - 27) |
| 3/27 | SB 385 | State Employee Pay Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 11) |
| 3/20 | HB 2140 | English as the Official Language | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 8) |
| 2/22 | Sub SB 152 | Elections for Senate Vacancies | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
| 5/01 | HB 2554 | DNA Sampling in Felony Cases | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 11) |
| 3/09 | SCR 1606 | Supreme Court Justice Selection Procedure Constitutional Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (22 - 17) |
| 2/23 | HB 2732 | Unattended and Unsupervised Children in Motor Vehicle Safety Act | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |