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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 20, 2009 | NC | HB 1289 | Lottery Sales Ban at Check Cashing Sites | Motion Rejected - Senate (20 - 23) |
| July 15, 2009 | NC | HB 1185 | Habitual DWI Reinstatement after Ten Years | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (87 - 29) |
| July 15, 2009 | NC | HB 1185 | Habitual DWI Reinstatement after Ten Years | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (87 - 29) |
| July 15, 2009 | NC | HB 1185 | Habitual DWI Reinstatement after Ten Years | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (87 - 29) |
| July 15, 2009 | NC | SB 461 | Racial Discrimination in Capital Sentences | Bill Passed - House (61 - 54) |
| July 6, 2009 | NC | SB 870 | Making General Statutes Gender Neutral | Motion Agreed - House (79 - 33) |
| June 24, 2009 | NC | HB 442 | Regulating the Use of Corporal Punishment in Schools | Bill Failed - Senate (21 - 25) |
| June 24, 2009 | NC | SB 943 | Expanding Production Company Tax Credit | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 17) |
| June 23, 2009 | NC | SB 526 | Prevention of Bullying and Violence in Schools | Bill Passed - House (58 - 57) |
| June 23, 2009 | NC | SB 526 | Prevention of Bullying and Violence in Schools | Bill Passed - House (58 - 57) |
| May 14, 2009 | NC | SB 461 | Racial Discrimination in Capital Sentences | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 10) |
| May 12, 2009 | NC | HB 1289 | Lottery Sales Ban at Check Cashing Sites | Bill Passed - House (84 - 29) |
| May 11, 2009 | NC | HB 2 | Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| May 6, 2009 | NC | SB 526 | Prevention of Bullying and Violence in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 22) |
| May 6, 2009 | NC | SB 526 | Prevention of Bullying and Violence in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 22) |
| April 16, 2009 | NC | HB 88 | Parental Choice Between Abstinence-Only or Comprehensive Sex Education | Bill Passed - House (62 - 52) |
| April 16, 2009 | NC | HB 88 | Parental Choice Between Abstinence-Only or Comprehensive Sex Education | Bill Passed - House (62 - 52) |
| April 2, 2009 | NC | HB 2 | Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - House (72 - 45) |
| April 1, 2009 | NC | Amdt 2 to HB 2 | Exempting 18+ Establishments from Smoking Ban | Amendment Adopted - House (70 - 46) |
| July 17, 2008 | NC | HB 2340 | Prohibiting Children from Riding in Pickup Truck Beds | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 20) |
| July 17, 2008 | NC | HB 2340 | Prohibiting Children from Riding in Pickup Truck Beds | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 20) |
| July 17, 2008 | NC | HB 2690 | Durham County Meals Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 22) |
| July 8, 2008 | NC | HB 2690 | Durham County Meals Tax | Bill Passed - House (60 - 59) |
| July 2, 2008 | NC | SB 1988 | Outlaws Burning Crosses and Hanging Nooses | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 3) |
| July 2, 2008 | NC | SB 1988 | Outlaws Burning Crosses and Hanging Nooses | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 3) |
| June 17, 2008 | NC | SB 1686 | Restrictions on Public Smoking | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 15) |
| July 19, 2007 | NC | CS SB 563 | Traffic and Personal Safety Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (80 - 34) |
| July 17, 2007 | NC | CS SB 563 | Traffic and Personal Safety Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| June 4, 2007 | NC | CS HB 1473 | 2007-2008 Operating Budget | Nonconcurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 47) |
| May 2, 2007 | NC | HB 259 | Smoking Ban | Bill Failed - House (55 - 61) |
| April 19, 2007 | NC | HB 573 | Concealed Weapons for Judges | Bill Passed - House (86 - 15) |
| July 25, 2006 | NC | HB 1323 | Establishment of NC Innocence Inquiry Commission | Conference Report Adopted - House (86 - 28) |
| July 20, 2006 | NC | HB 2699 | Early Childhood Vision Care Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (88 - 15) |
| July 19, 2006 | NC | HB 2699 | Early Childhood Vision Care Program | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 11) |
| July 12, 2006 | NC | SB 1289 | Cell Phone Use by Drivers Under 18 Prohibited | Bill Passed - House (89 - 22) |
| June 8, 2006 | NC | SB 1289 | Cell Phone Use by Drivers Under 18 Prohibited | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 8) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/20 | HB 1289 | Lottery Sales Ban at Check Cashing Sites | Motion Rejected - Senate (20 - 23) |
| 7/15 | HB 1185 | Habitual DWI Reinstatement after Ten Years | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (87 - 29) |
| 7/15 | HB 1185 | Habitual DWI Reinstatement after Ten Years | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (87 - 29) |
| 7/15 | HB 1185 | Habitual DWI Reinstatement after Ten Years | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (87 - 29) |
| 7/15 | SB 461 | Racial Discrimination in Capital Sentences | Bill Passed - House (61 - 54) |
| 7/06 | SB 870 | Making General Statutes Gender Neutral | Motion Agreed - House (79 - 33) |
| 6/24 | HB 442 | Regulating the Use of Corporal Punishment in Schools | Bill Failed - Senate (21 - 25) |
| 6/24 | SB 943 | Expanding Production Company Tax Credit | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 17) |
| 6/23 | SB 526 | Prevention of Bullying and Violence in Schools | Bill Passed - House (58 - 57) |
| 6/23 | SB 526 | Prevention of Bullying and Violence in Schools | Bill Passed - House (58 - 57) |
| 5/14 | SB 461 | Racial Discrimination in Capital Sentences | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 10) |
| 5/12 | HB 1289 | Lottery Sales Ban at Check Cashing Sites | Bill Passed - House (84 - 29) |
| 5/11 | HB 2 | Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| 5/06 | SB 526 | Prevention of Bullying and Violence in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 22) |
| 5/06 | SB 526 | Prevention of Bullying and Violence in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 22) |
| 4/16 | HB 88 | Parental Choice Between Abstinence-Only or Comprehensive Sex Education | Bill Passed - House (62 - 52) |
| 4/16 | HB 88 | Parental Choice Between Abstinence-Only or Comprehensive Sex Education | Bill Passed - House (62 - 52) |
| 4/02 | HB 2 | Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - House (72 - 45) |
| 4/01 | Amdt 2 to HB 2 | Exempting 18+ Establishments from Smoking Ban | Amendment Adopted - House (70 - 46) |
| 7/17 | HB 2340 | Prohibiting Children from Riding in Pickup Truck Beds | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 20) |
| 7/17 | HB 2340 | Prohibiting Children from Riding in Pickup Truck Beds | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 20) |
| 7/17 | HB 2690 | Durham County Meals Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 22) |
| 7/08 | HB 2690 | Durham County Meals Tax | Bill Passed - House (60 - 59) |
| 7/02 | SB 1988 | Outlaws Burning Crosses and Hanging Nooses | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 3) |
| 7/02 | SB 1988 | Outlaws Burning Crosses and Hanging Nooses | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 3) |
| 6/17 | SB 1686 | Restrictions on Public Smoking | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 15) |
| 7/19 | CS SB 563 | Traffic and Personal Safety Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (80 - 34) |
| 7/17 | CS SB 563 | Traffic and Personal Safety Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| 6/04 | CS HB 1473 | 2007-2008 Operating Budget | Nonconcurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 47) |
| 5/02 | HB 259 | Smoking Ban | Bill Failed - House (55 - 61) |
| 4/19 | HB 573 | Concealed Weapons for Judges | Bill Passed - House (86 - 15) |
| 7/25 | HB 1323 | Establishment of NC Innocence Inquiry Commission | Conference Report Adopted - House (86 - 28) |
| 7/20 | HB 2699 | Early Childhood Vision Care Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (88 - 15) |
| 7/19 | HB 2699 | Early Childhood Vision Care Program | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 11) |
| 7/12 | SB 1289 | Cell Phone Use by Drivers Under 18 Prohibited | Bill Passed - House (89 - 22) |
| 6/08 | SB 1289 | Cell Phone Use by Drivers Under 18 Prohibited | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 8) |