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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 31, 2011 | NY | S 2707 | Funding State Mandated Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 20) |
| Jan. 19, 2011 | NY | S 1892 | Limiting State Spending | Amendment Adopted - Senate (41 - 19) |
| Jan. 19, 2011 | NY | S 1919 | Amends Rules for Legislature | Amendment Adopted - Senate (41 - 19) |
| Jan. 19, 2011 | NY | S 1891 | New York Jobs Tax Credit | Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 9) |
| Aug. 3, 2010 | NY | A 9710D | 2010-2011 Budget Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 28) |
| Aug. 3, 2010 | NY | S 8129B | Suspending Hydraulic Fracturing for the Extraction of Natural Gas | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 9) |
| June 28, 2010 | NY | A 9703 | 2010-2011 Education, Labor, and Family Assistance Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| June 24, 2010 | NY | S 1523 | Allowing Unmarried Partners to Adopt a Child | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 21) |
| June 21, 2010 | NY | A 9705 | 2010-2011 Transportation, Economic Development, and Environmental Conservation Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| June 21, 2010 | NY | A 9709 | Omnibus Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| June 16, 2010 | NY | S 2165B | Allows Mixed Martial Arts Performances and Ultimate Fighting | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| June 15, 2010 | NY | S 3890 | Divorce Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| June 15, 2010 | NY | S 5620 | Reducing Drug Penalties for Offenders with Hypodermic Syringes | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 18) |
| June 14, 2010 | NY | S 8167 | Emergency Appropriation Extension | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 27) |
| June 7, 2010 | NY | S 8089 | Emergency Appropriation Extension | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 26) |
| June 1, 2010 | NY | S 2311D | Labor Standards for Domestic Workers | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 28) |
| May 28, 2010 | NY | A 11308 | Emergency State Parks Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 27) |
| May 28, 2010 | NY | A 11310 | Education Law Amendments Concerning Charter Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 14) |
| May 17, 2010 | NY | S 7846 | Emergency Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| May 10, 2010 | NY | S 7777 | Emergency Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| May 3, 2010 | NY | S 7678 | Amending Charter School Cap | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 15) |
| Feb. 9, 2010 | NY | R 3904 | Expelling Senator Hiram Monserrate from the Senate | Resolution Passed - Senate (53 - 8) |
| Feb. 8, 2010 | NY | A 9544 | Election and Campaign Finance Ethics Amendments | Veto Override Failed - Senate (35 - 26) |
| Dec. 2, 2009 | NY | A 40003 | Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 38) |
| Dec. 2, 2009 | NY | A 40022 | 2009-2010 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 3) |
| Aug. 6, 2009 | NY | A 8903-A | Extending City Board Jurisdiction Over New York City Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 8) |
| June 3, 2009 | NY | A 8501 | Government Consolidation Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 16) |
| June 3, 2009 | NY | S 2020 | SUNY Buffalo Education Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 17) |
| May 6, 2009 | NY | S 1363 | Tenants' Protection In Foreclosure | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 24) |
| May 6, 2009 | NY | A 8180 | Supplemental Fees and Taxes for MTA | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| April 3, 2009 | NY | A 159-B | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 30) |
| April 3, 2009 | NY | A 157-B | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 30) |
| April 3, 2009 | NY | A 158-B | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 30) |
| April 2, 2009 | NY | A 156-B | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 30) |
| Feb. 3, 2009 | NY | A 163-A | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| Feb. 3, 2009 | NY | S 249-A | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| Aug. 19, 2008 | NY | S 8738 | State Spending Cap | Amendment Adopted - Senate (38 - 20) |
| Aug. 8, 2008 | NY | S 8736 | School District Property Tax Cap | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 20) |
| Aug. 8, 2008 | NY | A 11258 | Mandatory Cigarette Taxation | Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 4) |
| June 24, 2008 | NY | S 8638 | Internet Sales Tax Repeal | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 18) |
| June 18, 2008 | NY | S 4632 | Reinstate the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 21) |
| June 12, 2008 | NY | S 2375 | DNA Database Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 9) |
| June 4, 2008 | NY | S 6823 | Long Island Affordable Housing | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 9) |
| May 7, 2008 | NY | S 7594 | Gasoline Tax Holiday | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 15) |
| Feb. 13, 2008 | NY | A 9998 | New York Racing Association Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 17) |
| Oct. 22, 2007 | NY | S 6484 | Driver's License Citizenship Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 19) |
| May 14, 2007 | NY | S 319 | Death Penalty For Certain Murders | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 24) |
| March 5, 2007 | NY | S 3318 | Sex Offender Management and Treatment Act | Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 8) |
| June 21, 2006 | NY | S 8446 | DNA Database Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 2) |
| June 13, 2006 | NY | S 6771 | Death Penalty and Life Imprisonment Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 23) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/31 | S 2707 | Funding State Mandated Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 20) |
| 1/19 | S 1892 | Limiting State Spending | Amendment Adopted - Senate (41 - 19) |
| 1/19 | S 1919 | Amends Rules for Legislature | Amendment Adopted - Senate (41 - 19) |
| 1/19 | S 1891 | New York Jobs Tax Credit | Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 9) |
| 8/03 | A 9710D | 2010-2011 Budget Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 28) |
| 8/03 | S 8129B | Suspending Hydraulic Fracturing for the Extraction of Natural Gas | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 9) |
| 6/28 | A 9703 | 2010-2011 Education, Labor, and Family Assistance Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| 6/24 | S 1523 | Allowing Unmarried Partners to Adopt a Child | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 21) |
| 6/21 | A 9705 | 2010-2011 Transportation, Economic Development, and Environmental Conservation Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| 6/21 | A 9709 | Omnibus Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| 6/16 | S 2165B | Allows Mixed Martial Arts Performances and Ultimate Fighting | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| 6/15 | S 3890 | Divorce Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| 6/15 | S 5620 | Reducing Drug Penalties for Offenders with Hypodermic Syringes | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 18) |
| 6/14 | S 8167 | Emergency Appropriation Extension | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 27) |
| 6/07 | S 8089 | Emergency Appropriation Extension | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 26) |
| 6/01 | S 2311D | Labor Standards for Domestic Workers | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 28) |
| 5/28 | A 11308 | Emergency State Parks Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 27) |
| 5/28 | A 11310 | Education Law Amendments Concerning Charter Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 14) |
| 5/17 | S 7846 | Emergency Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| 5/10 | S 7777 | Emergency Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| 5/03 | S 7678 | Amending Charter School Cap | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 15) |
| 2/09 | R 3904 | Expelling Senator Hiram Monserrate from the Senate | Resolution Passed - Senate (53 - 8) |
| 2/08 | A 9544 | Election and Campaign Finance Ethics Amendments | Veto Override Failed - Senate (35 - 26) |
| 12/02 | A 40003 | Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 38) |
| 12/02 | A 40022 | 2009-2010 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 3) |
| 8/06 | A 8903-A | Extending City Board Jurisdiction Over New York City Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 8) |
| 6/03 | A 8501 | Government Consolidation Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 16) |
| 6/03 | S 2020 | SUNY Buffalo Education Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 17) |
| 5/06 | S 1363 | Tenants' Protection In Foreclosure | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 24) |
| 5/06 | A 8180 | Supplemental Fees and Taxes for MTA | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| 4/03 | A 159-B | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 30) |
| 4/03 | A 157-B | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 30) |
| 4/03 | A 158-B | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 30) |
| 4/02 | A 156-B | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 30) |
| 2/03 | A 163-A | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| 2/03 | S 249-A | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| 8/19 | S 8738 | State Spending Cap | Amendment Adopted - Senate (38 - 20) |
| 8/08 | S 8736 | School District Property Tax Cap | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 20) |
| 8/08 | A 11258 | Mandatory Cigarette Taxation | Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 4) |
| 6/24 | S 8638 | Internet Sales Tax Repeal | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 18) |
| 6/18 | S 4632 | Reinstate the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 21) |
| 6/12 | S 2375 | DNA Database Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 9) |
| 6/04 | S 6823 | Long Island Affordable Housing | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 9) |
| 5/07 | S 7594 | Gasoline Tax Holiday | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 15) |
| 2/13 | A 9998 | New York Racing Association Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 17) |
| 10/22 | S 6484 | Driver's License Citizenship Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 19) |
| 5/14 | S 319 | Death Penalty For Certain Murders | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 24) |
| 3/05 | S 3318 | Sex Offender Management and Treatment Act | Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 8) |
| 6/21 | S 8446 | DNA Database Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 2) |
| 6/13 | S 6771 | Death Penalty and Life Imprisonment Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 23) |