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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 5, 2009 | GA | SB 200 | Reorganization of State Transportation Authorities | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 25) |
July 25, 2011 | NC | SB 455 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 18) |
Jan. 13, 2010 | KY | SB 51 | Legislator Pension Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
Feb. 15, 2010 | WA | SB 6562 | Expanding State University Tuition Authority | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 19) |
Feb. 9, 2010 | NY | R 3904 | Expelling Senator Hiram Monserrate from the Senate | Resolution Passed - Senate (53 - 8) |
Feb. 18, 2010 | GA | SR 1120 | Temporary Legislative Adjournment | Resolution Passed - Senate (35 - 17) |
March 16, 2010 | CO | SB 87 | Increasing Lobbyist Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
March 31, 2010 | AK | SJR 21 | State Legislature Expansion | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (14 - 5) |
April 14, 2010 | IL | SJR 121 | Redistricting Process Modifications | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (36 - 22) |
March 1, 2010 | AZ | SCR 1007 | Repealing Legislative Term Limits | Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
Nov. 7, 2011 | NC | SB 689 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
Nov. 7, 2011 | NC | SB 283 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
June 6, 2011 | TX | SB 4 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
June 10, 2011 | OR | SB 989 | State Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 3) |
May 26, 2011 | NE | LB 703 | Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 9) |
June 22, 2011 | TX | SB 22 | Establishing the Texas Congressional Redistricting Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13) |
July 19, 2011 | WI | SB 149 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
July 19, 2011 | WI | SB 148 | Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
Aug. 18, 2011 | GA | SB 1EX | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 18) |
Sept. 19, 2011 | NM | SB 22 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 14) |
Sept. 21, 2011 | NM | SB 33 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 15) |
Dec. 14, 2011 | PA | SB 1249 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24) |
Feb. 1, 2012 | RI | S 2178 | State Senate, State House, and Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 2) |
Aug. 3, 2011 | WV | SB 1006 | Redistricing State Senate | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 4) |
March 22, 2012 | FL | SJR 2B | State Senate Redistricting | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (31 - 6) |
May 2, 2012 | MS | JR 201 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 5) |
May 22, 2012 | AL | SB 25 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
April 6, 2011 | AR | SB 871 | Congressional Redistricting Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
Feb. 10, 2011 | MA | S 9 | Establishing a Redistricting Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 4) |
April 23, 1996 | National | S J Res 21 | Term Limits bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 42) |
Sept. 18, 2007 | National | S 1257 | District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 42) |
Sept. 15, 2005 | National | S Amdt 1678 | Hurricane Katrina Relief Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (43 - 52) |
Nov. 30, 2010 | National | S Amdt 4697 | Prohibiting Earmarks | Motion Rejected - Senate (39 - 56) |
Sept. 14, 2005 | National | S Amdt 1670 | Special Committee on Contracts in Afghanistan and Iraq | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53) |
March 13, 2008 | National | S Amdt 4347 | Earmark Moratorium | Motion Rejected - Senate (29 - 71) |
Feb. 6, 2007 | SD | SJR 7 | Extension of Term Limits | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (17 - 18) |
May 29, 2008 | LA | S Amdt 3870 | Legislator Financial Disclosures | Amendment Rejected - Senate (5 - 29) |
Feb. 5, 2020 | National | H Res 755 | Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors | Bill Failed - Senate (47 - 53) |
Feb. 5, 2020 | National | H Res 755 | Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors | Bill Failed - Senate (48 - 52) |
March 6, 2012 | VA | HB 1228 | Increases Salary for State Legislators | Bill Failed - Senate (9 - 31) |
March 5, 2014 | SD | HJR 1002 | Increases Legislative Term Limit Length | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (12 - 23) |
July 1, 2019 | DE | HB 73 | Amends the Delaware Constitution to Authorize the General Assembly to Pass Laws On Absentee Voting | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 8) |
Feb. 13, 2021 | National | H Res 24 | Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors | Resolution Failed - Senate (57 - 43) |
Feb. 2, 2012 | National | S Amdt 1472 | Prohibits Consideration of Bills Containing Earmarks | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 59) |
Jan. 26, 2012 | National | H J Res 98 | Disapproval of President's Authority to Raise the Debt Limit | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 54) |
April 4, 2016 | LA | SB 25 | Authorizes Legislature to Introduce Fiscal Bills Every Year | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 24) |
Feb. 12, 2014 | SD | SB 142 | Increases Salary for State Legislators | Bill Failed - Senate (18 - 15) |
March 16, 2021 | WI | SJR 20 | Establishes February 2021 as Black History Month and Honors Black Legislators | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (11 - 20) |
Jan. 26, 2010 | National | S Amdt 3302 | Establishing a Federal Budget Deficit Commission | Amendment Rejected - Senate (53 - 46) |
June 23, 2011 | National | S Amdt 499 | Prohibits the Appointment of Presidential "Czars" Without Senate Approval | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
3/05 | SB 200 | Reorganization of State Transportation Authorities | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 25) |
7/25 | SB 455 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 18) |
1/13 | SB 51 | Legislator Pension Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
2/15 | SB 6562 | Expanding State University Tuition Authority | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 19) |
2/09 | R 3904 | Expelling Senator Hiram Monserrate from the Senate | Resolution Passed - Senate (53 - 8) |
2/18 | SR 1120 | Temporary Legislative Adjournment | Resolution Passed - Senate (35 - 17) |
3/16 | SB 87 | Increasing Lobbyist Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
3/31 | SJR 21 | State Legislature Expansion | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (14 - 5) |
4/14 | SJR 121 | Redistricting Process Modifications | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (36 - 22) |
3/01 | SCR 1007 | Repealing Legislative Term Limits | Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
11/07 | SB 689 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
11/07 | SB 283 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
6/06 | SB 4 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
6/10 | SB 989 | State Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 3) |
5/26 | LB 703 | Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 9) |
6/22 | SB 22 | Establishing the Texas Congressional Redistricting Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13) |
7/19 | SB 149 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
7/19 | SB 148 | Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
8/18 | SB 1EX | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 18) |
9/19 | SB 22 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 14) |
9/21 | SB 33 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 15) |
12/14 | SB 1249 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24) |
2/01 | S 2178 | State Senate, State House, and Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 2) |
8/03 | SB 1006 | Redistricing State Senate | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 4) |
3/22 | SJR 2B | State Senate Redistricting | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (31 - 6) |
5/02 | JR 201 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 5) |
5/22 | SB 25 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
4/06 | SB 871 | Congressional Redistricting Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
2/10 | S 9 | Establishing a Redistricting Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 4) |
4/23 | S J Res 21 | Term Limits bill | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 42) |
9/18 | S 1257 | District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 42) |
9/15 | S Amdt 1678 | Hurricane Katrina Relief Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (43 - 52) |
11/30 | S Amdt 4697 | Prohibiting Earmarks | Motion Rejected - Senate (39 - 56) |
9/14 | S Amdt 1670 | Special Committee on Contracts in Afghanistan and Iraq | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53) |
3/13 | S Amdt 4347 | Earmark Moratorium | Motion Rejected - Senate (29 - 71) |
2/06 | SJR 7 | Extension of Term Limits | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (17 - 18) |
5/29 | S Amdt 3870 | Legislator Financial Disclosures | Amendment Rejected - Senate (5 - 29) |
2/05 | H Res 755 | Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors | Bill Failed - Senate (47 - 53) |
2/05 | H Res 755 | Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors | Bill Failed - Senate (48 - 52) |
3/06 | HB 1228 | Increases Salary for State Legislators | Bill Failed - Senate (9 - 31) |
3/05 | HJR 1002 | Increases Legislative Term Limit Length | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (12 - 23) |
7/01 | HB 73 | Amends the Delaware Constitution to Authorize the General Assembly to Pass Laws On Absentee Voting | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 8) |
2/13 | H Res 24 | Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors | Resolution Failed - Senate (57 - 43) |
2/02 | S Amdt 1472 | Prohibits Consideration of Bills Containing Earmarks | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 59) |
1/26 | H J Res 98 | Disapproval of President's Authority to Raise the Debt Limit | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 54) |
4/04 | SB 25 | Authorizes Legislature to Introduce Fiscal Bills Every Year | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 24) |
2/12 | SB 142 | Increases Salary for State Legislators | Bill Failed - Senate (18 - 15) |
3/16 | SJR 20 | Establishes February 2021 as Black History Month and Honors Black Legislators | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (11 - 20) |
1/26 | S Amdt 3302 | Establishing a Federal Budget Deficit Commission | Amendment Rejected - Senate (53 - 46) |
6/23 | S Amdt 499 | Prohibits the Appointment of Presidential "Czars" Without Senate Approval | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51) |