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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dec. 1, 2010 | IL | SB 1716 | Authorizing Civil Unions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 24) |
Oct. 14, 2010 | PA | HB 1926 | Amending Self-Protection Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 4) |
Aug. 27, 2010 | CA | AB 2479 | Penalties for Violations Committed with the Intent to Capture Images or Recordings of a Person | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
June 24, 2010 | NY | S 1523 | Allowing Unmarried Partners to Adopt a Child | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 21) |
June 3, 2010 | LA | SB 593 | Governor's Office Records | Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 24) |
May 24, 2010 | OK | HJR 1056 | Prohibits Use of International and Sharia Law in State Courts | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 2) |
May 21, 2010 | OK | HJR 1054 | Prohibiting Federal Health Care Mandates | Veto Override Failed - Senate (29 - 16) |
May 12, 2010 | LA | SB 348 | Smoking in Public Places | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
May 10, 2010 | TN | SB 63 | English Only Requirement for Driver's License Examinations | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
May 10, 2010 | TN | HB 270 | Citizenship Status for Voting and Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12) |
May 8, 2010 | KS | HB 2130 | Amending Seat Belt Laws | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 8) |
April 27, 2010 | VT | SR 17 | Requesting Congressional Waiver From Federal Drinking Age Requirement | Resolution Passed - Senate (14 - 13) |
April 21, 2010 | IL | HB 5428 | Limiting Adoption Records Disclosure Restrictions for Adoptees | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 16) |
April 21, 2010 | LA | SB 9 | Classifying Text Messaging While Driving as a Primary Offense | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 9) |
April 15, 2010 | CA | SB 4 | Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
April 5, 2010 | ME | LD 1611 | State Prison Solitary Confinement Review | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
March 29, 2010 | ID | H 729 | Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 4) |
March 25, 2010 | MI | HB 4394 | Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
March 24, 2010 | ID | H 496 | Requiring Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6) |
March 24, 2010 | MD | SB 321 | Prohibiting Hand-Held Cell Phone Use While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 23) |
March 23, 2010 | IA | HF 2456 | Texting While Driving Ban | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 12) |
March 10, 2010 | OK | SB 1891 | Allowing Health Services Employees to Refuse Participation in Abortion and Other Procedures | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 11) |
March 10, 2010 | ID | S 1352 | Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 5) |
March 4, 2010 | IN | HB 1065 | Authorizing Firearms at Workplace | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 9) |
Feb. 12, 2010 | NM | SB 254 | Eliminating Criminal Conviction Disclosure on State Employment Applications | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 4) |
Feb. 8, 2010 | VA | SB 66 | Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination in State Government Employment | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 17) |
Feb. 4, 2010 | GA | SB 235 | Ban on Required Human Microchip Implantation | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 2) |
Jan. 28, 2010 | IN | SJR 13 | Defining Marriage as Being Between One Man and One Woman | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (38 - 10) |
Jan. 27, 2010 | VA | SB 9 | Enforcing Seat Belt Violations as Primary Offenses | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
Jan. 25, 2010 | KY | SB 3 | Omnibus Constitutional Amendment | Bill Failed - Senate (21 - 0) |
Jan. 22, 2010 | HI | HB 444 | Legalizing Same-Sex Civil Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 7) |
Jan. 7, 2010 | NJ | S 1967 | Legalizing Same Sex Marriage | Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 20) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
12/01 | SB 1716 | Authorizing Civil Unions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 24) |
10/14 | HB 1926 | Amending Self-Protection Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 4) |
8/27 | AB 2479 | Penalties for Violations Committed with the Intent to Capture Images or Recordings of a Person | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
6/24 | S 1523 | Allowing Unmarried Partners to Adopt a Child | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 21) |
6/03 | SB 593 | Governor's Office Records | Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 24) |
5/24 | HJR 1056 | Prohibits Use of International and Sharia Law in State Courts | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 2) |
5/21 | HJR 1054 | Prohibiting Federal Health Care Mandates | Veto Override Failed - Senate (29 - 16) |
5/12 | SB 348 | Smoking in Public Places | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
5/10 | SB 63 | English Only Requirement for Driver's License Examinations | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
5/10 | HB 270 | Citizenship Status for Voting and Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12) |
5/08 | HB 2130 | Amending Seat Belt Laws | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 8) |
4/27 | SR 17 | Requesting Congressional Waiver From Federal Drinking Age Requirement | Resolution Passed - Senate (14 - 13) |
4/21 | HB 5428 | Limiting Adoption Records Disclosure Restrictions for Adoptees | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 16) |
4/21 | SB 9 | Classifying Text Messaging While Driving as a Primary Offense | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 9) |
4/15 | SB 4 | Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
4/05 | LD 1611 | State Prison Solitary Confinement Review | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
3/29 | H 729 | Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 4) |
3/25 | HB 4394 | Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
3/24 | H 496 | Requiring Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6) |
3/24 | SB 321 | Prohibiting Hand-Held Cell Phone Use While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 23) |
3/23 | HF 2456 | Texting While Driving Ban | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 12) |
3/10 | SB 1891 | Allowing Health Services Employees to Refuse Participation in Abortion and Other Procedures | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 11) |
3/10 | S 1352 | Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 5) |
3/04 | HB 1065 | Authorizing Firearms at Workplace | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 9) |
2/12 | SB 254 | Eliminating Criminal Conviction Disclosure on State Employment Applications | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 4) |
2/08 | SB 66 | Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination in State Government Employment | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 17) |
2/04 | SB 235 | Ban on Required Human Microchip Implantation | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 2) |
1/28 | SJR 13 | Defining Marriage as Being Between One Man and One Woman | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (38 - 10) |
1/27 | SB 9 | Enforcing Seat Belt Violations as Primary Offenses | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
1/25 | SB 3 | Omnibus Constitutional Amendment | Bill Failed - Senate (21 - 0) |
1/22 | HB 444 | Legalizing Same-Sex Civil Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 7) |
1/07 | S 1967 | Legalizing Same Sex Marriage | Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 20) |