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. 15, 2010 | WA | SB 6562 | Expanding State University Tuition Authority | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 19) |
Feb. 23, 2018 | WA | SB 6617 | Exempts Legislators from Public Records Law | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 7) |
June 10, 2008 | LA | SB 672 | Legislative Pay Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
Feb. 26, 2020 | MI | SB 686 | Prohibits Disciplinary Action Against State Employees for Communicating with Legislative Branch | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 0) |
Nov. 7, 2011 | NC | SB 689 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
June 14, 2021 | NC | SB 722 | Amends the Date of Local Elections Due to Delay of Release of Redistricting Data | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
Nov. 2, 2021 | NC | SB 740 | Amends Congressional Districts | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
Feb. 25, 2014 | KY | SB 82 | Establishes Procedures for an Executive Cabinet Position | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
March 16, 2010 | CO | SB 87 | Increasing Lobbyist Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
April 6, 2011 | AR | SB 871 | Congressional Redistricting Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
Dec. 5, 2018 | WI | SB 884 | Reduces Period for Early Voting and Limits Powers of the State Attorney General | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 16) |
May 25, 2021 | OK | SB 959 | Establishes Procedures for Filling U.S. Senate Vacancies | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 10) |
April 1, 2021 | AL | SB 97 | Reduces the Power of the Public Health Officer During a Public Health Emergency | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
April 12, 2011 | AR | SB 972 | Congressional Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
June 10, 2011 | OR | SB 989 | State Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 3) |
June 12, 2020 | MN | SC 1 | Repeals the Governor's Peacetime Emergency Declaration | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 29) |
Aug. 11, 2021 | National | S Con Res 14 | A concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2022 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2023 through 2031 | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (50 - 49) |
Feb. 5, 2021 | National | S Con Res 5 | A concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2021 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2022 through 2030 | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (51 - 50) |
March 1, 2010 | AZ | SCR 1007 | Repealing Legislative Term Limits | Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
Oct. 23, 2014 | NJ | SCR 125 | Specifies that Proposed Regulations Concerning Greenhouse Gas Cap and Trade Programs are Inconsistent with Legislative Intent | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
Jan. 30, 2013 | KS | SCR 1601 | Authorizes the Governor to Nominate Judges | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 12) |
April 16, 2013 | MN | SF 1589 | Increases Legislator Salaries | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 32) |
March 15, 2021 | MN | SF 4 | Requires the Governor to Seek Approval Before Extending an Emergency Declaration | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 29) |
April 28, 2022 | MN | SF 4476 | Amends Legislative District Boundaries | Bill Passed - Senate (63 - 1) |
Oct. 28, 2021 | IA | SF 621 | Establishes Congressional and Legislative Districts | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 1) |
Feb. 2, 2009 | MT | SJ 7 | Statement of Opposition to Expansion of EPA Jurisdiction (H.R. 2421) | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
Jan. 3, 2023 | WI | SJR 1 | Establishes the 2023 Legislative Session Schedule | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (26 - 6) |
April 14, 2010 | IL | SJR 121 | Redistricting Process Modifications | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (36 - 22) |
March 19, 2013 | TX | SJR 13 | Establishes Term Limits For Certain Elected Officials | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (27 - 4) |
Feb. 24, 2016 | UT | SJR 2 | Urges Congress to Repeal the 17th Amendment | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 6) |
March 16, 2021 | WI | SJR 20 | Establishes February 2021 as Black History Month and Honors Black Legislators | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (11 - 20) |
April 18, 2010 | AK | SJR 21 | State Legislature Expansion | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 4) |
March 31, 2010 | AK | SJR 21 | State Legislature Expansion | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (14 - 5) |
April 11, 2018 | MO | SJR 27 | Prohibits Lobbyist Gifts to Government Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12) |
March 22, 2012 | FL | SJR 2B | State Senate Redistricting | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (31 - 6) |
Feb. 9, 2009 | SD | SJR 3 | Extending Senate Terms and Legislative Term-Limits | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
Sept. 23, 2009 | OH | SJR 5 | Redistricting Commission | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
Feb. 6, 2007 | SD | SJR 7 | Extension of Term Limits | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (17 - 18) |
May 19, 2021 | National | S J Res 13 | A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission relating to "Update of Commission's Conciliation Procedures". | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (50 - 48) |
April 23, 1996 | National | S J Res 21 | Term Limits bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 42) |
Sept. 26, 2019 | National | SJ Res 54 | Rescinds a National Emergency Declared by the President on February 15, 2019 | Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 41) |
Jan. 5, 2022 | ME | SP 620 | Authorizes Legislature to Continue Meeting Electronically | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12) |
Jan. 3, 2023 | PA | SR 1 | Amends Senate Ethics Rules | Resolution Passed - Senate (47 - 2) |
Jan. 11, 2021 | NJ | SR 106 | Establishes Disapproval of Events of January 6 | Resolution Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
Feb. 18, 2010 | GA | SR 1120 | Temporary Legislative Adjournment | Resolution Passed - Senate (35 - 17) |
Jan. 14, 2009 | TX | SR 14 | Majority Vote Requirement for Voter ID Bill Consideration | Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 13) |
Jan. 11, 2023 | TX | SR 2 | Establishes Redistricting Rules of Procedure | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 0) |
March 11, 2021 | MI | SR 26 | Authorizes the Senate Majority Leader to Sue the Governor | Resolution Passed - Senate (20 - 14) |
Jan. 22, 2020 | National | S Res 483 | A resolution to provide for related procedures concerning the articles of impeachment against Donald John Trump, President of the United States | Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 47) |
Jan. 31, 2020 | National | S Res 488 | A resolution to provide for related procedures concerning the articles of impeachment against Donald John Trump, President of the United States | Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 49) |