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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
April 12, 2011 | OK | S Amdt 1 | Removes Provision Authorizing Legislators to Carry Firearms | Amendment Adopted - Senate (29 - 19) |
Jan. 31, 2020 | National | S Amdt 1298 | Requires the US Chief Justice to rule on motions to subpoena witnesses and documents and issues of privilege | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 47) |
Feb. 2, 2012 | National | S Amdt 1472 | Prohibits Consideration of Bills Containing Earmarks | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 59) |
Sept. 14, 2005 | National | S Amdt 1670 | Special Committee on Contracts in Afghanistan and Iraq | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53) |
Sept. 15, 2005 | National | S Amdt 1678 | Hurricane Katrina Relief Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (43 - 52) |
Oct. 23, 2003 | National | S Amdt 1904 | Congressional Pay Raise Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (60 - 34) |
Oct. 18, 2005 | National | S Amdt 2062 | Congressional Pay Raise Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (92 - 6) |
June 25, 1998 | National | S Amdt 2981 | Military Closure Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (48 - 45) |
Jan. 26, 2010 | National | S Amdt 3302 | Establishing a Federal Budget Deficit Commission | Amendment Rejected - Senate (53 - 46) |
May 29, 2008 | LA | S Amdt 3870 | Legislator Financial Disclosures | Amendment Rejected - Senate (5 - 29) |
March 13, 2008 | National | S Amdt 4347 | Earmark Moratorium | Motion Rejected - Senate (29 - 71) |
Nov. 30, 2010 | National | S Amdt 4697 | Prohibiting Earmarks | Motion Rejected - Senate (39 - 56) |
June 23, 2011 | National | S Amdt 499 | Prohibits the Appointment of Presidential "Czars" Without Senate Approval | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51) |
Oct. 20, 2011 | MD | SB 1 | Congressional Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 13) |
Feb. 6, 2014 | KY | SB 1 | Authorizes Legislature to Review Administrative Regulations | Amendment Adopted - Senate (24 - 14) |
Aug. 3, 2011 | WV | SB 1006 | Redistricing State Senate | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 4) |
Aug. 5, 2011 | WV | SB 1008 | Congressional Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 1) |
July 15, 2020 | PA | SB 1166 | Limits the Governor's Emergency Powers | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
May 27, 2011 | IL | SB 1177 | General Assembly Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 22) |
May 31, 2011 | IL | SB 1178 | Congressional Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 25) |
Dec. 14, 2011 | PA | SB 1249 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24) |
May 29, 2014 | CA | SB 1253 | Amends Legislative Initiative Measure Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8) |
Feb. 25, 2009 | NM | SB 141 | Allowing Increase of Penalties for Convicted Public Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 12) |
Feb. 12, 2014 | SD | SB 142 | Increases Salary for State Legislators | Bill Failed - Senate (18 - 15) |
July 19, 2011 | WI | SB 148 | Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
4/12 | S Amdt 1 | Removes Provision Authorizing Legislators to Carry Firearms | Amendment Adopted - Senate (29 - 19) |
1/31 | S Amdt 1298 | Requires the US Chief Justice to rule on motions to subpoena witnesses and documents and issues of privilege | Amendment Tabled - Senate (53 - 47) |
2/02 | S Amdt 1472 | Prohibits Consideration of Bills Containing Earmarks | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 59) |
9/14 | S Amdt 1670 | Special Committee on Contracts in Afghanistan and Iraq | Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53) |
9/15 | S Amdt 1678 | Hurricane Katrina Relief Amendment | Motion Rejected - Senate (43 - 52) |
10/23 | S Amdt 1904 | Congressional Pay Raise Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (60 - 34) |
10/18 | S Amdt 2062 | Congressional Pay Raise Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (92 - 6) |
6/25 | S Amdt 2981 | Military Closure Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (48 - 45) |
1/26 | S Amdt 3302 | Establishing a Federal Budget Deficit Commission | Amendment Rejected - Senate (53 - 46) |
5/29 | S Amdt 3870 | Legislator Financial Disclosures | Amendment Rejected - Senate (5 - 29) |
3/13 | S Amdt 4347 | Earmark Moratorium | Motion Rejected - Senate (29 - 71) |
11/30 | S Amdt 4697 | Prohibiting Earmarks | Motion Rejected - Senate (39 - 56) |
6/23 | S Amdt 499 | Prohibits the Appointment of Presidential "Czars" Without Senate Approval | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51) |
10/20 | SB 1 | Congressional Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 13) |
2/06 | SB 1 | Authorizes Legislature to Review Administrative Regulations | Amendment Adopted - Senate (24 - 14) |
8/03 | SB 1006 | Redistricing State Senate | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 4) |
8/05 | SB 1008 | Congressional Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 1) |
7/15 | SB 1166 | Limits the Governor's Emergency Powers | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
5/27 | SB 1177 | General Assembly Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 22) |
5/31 | SB 1178 | Congressional Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 25) |
12/14 | SB 1249 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24) |
5/29 | SB 1253 | Amends Legislative Initiative Measure Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8) |
2/25 | SB 141 | Allowing Increase of Penalties for Convicted Public Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 12) |
2/12 | SB 142 | Increases Salary for State Legislators | Bill Failed - Senate (18 - 15) |
7/19 | SB 148 | Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |