Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Nov. 17, 2010 National S 3772 Paycheck Fairness Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 41)
Aug. 5, 2010 National PN 1768 Elena Kagan, Associate Justice Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 37)
June 7, 2010 LA SB 731 Authorizing Attorney General Contingency Fee Contracts. Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
June 3, 2010 CA SB 1113 Income Tax Appeal Modifications Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 20)
June 2, 2010 CA SB 399 Authorizing Youth Offenders to Appeal Life Without Parole Sentences Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15)
June 1, 2010 CA SB 1168 Grand Juries for Misdemeanors in the County of Los Angeles Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9)
May 24, 2010 OK HJR 1056 Prohibits Use of International and Sharia Law in State Courts Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 2)
May 12, 2010 MN SF 341 Domestic Partner Death Rights Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 24)
May 12, 2010 CO HB 1360 Parole Violation Punishment Reduction Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11)
May 11, 2010 CO HB 1408 Criteria for Judicial Determinations of Congressional Districts Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
May 5, 2010 CT HJ 106 Nomination of Laura Flynn Baldini to Judge of the Superior Court Nomination Confirmed - Senate (25 - 9)
April 8, 2010 NE LB 842 Repealing Special Prosecutor Requirement for In-Custody Deaths Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 4)
March 30, 2010 KS HB 2115 Late-Term/Partial Birth Abortion Reporting Requirements Conference Report Adopted - Senate (24 - 15)
March 5, 2010 MD SB 248 Increasing Civil Court Case Surcharges Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 11)
Feb. 11, 2010 NM SB 216 Repeal "Guilty but Mentally Ill" Plea Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 19)
Feb. 9, 2010 NY R 3904 Expelling Senator Hiram Monserrate from the Senate Resolution Passed - Senate (53 - 8)
Jan. 28, 2010 WI SB 263 Expanding Access to Public Defenders Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12)
Date No. Title Outcome
11/17 S 3772 Paycheck Fairness Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 41)
8/05 PN 1768 Elena Kagan, Associate Justice Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 37)
6/07 SB 731 Authorizing Attorney General Contingency Fee Contracts. Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
6/03 SB 1113 Income Tax Appeal Modifications Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 20)
6/02 SB 399 Authorizing Youth Offenders to Appeal Life Without Parole Sentences Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15)
6/01 SB 1168 Grand Juries for Misdemeanors in the County of Los Angeles Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9)
5/24 HJR 1056 Prohibits Use of International and Sharia Law in State Courts Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 2)
5/12 SF 341 Domestic Partner Death Rights Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 24)
5/12 HB 1360 Parole Violation Punishment Reduction Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11)
5/11 HB 1408 Criteria for Judicial Determinations of Congressional Districts Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
5/05 HJ 106 Nomination of Laura Flynn Baldini to Judge of the Superior Court Nomination Confirmed - Senate (25 - 9)
4/08 LB 842 Repealing Special Prosecutor Requirement for In-Custody Deaths Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 4)
3/30 HB 2115 Late-Term/Partial Birth Abortion Reporting Requirements Conference Report Adopted - Senate (24 - 15)
3/05 SB 248 Increasing Civil Court Case Surcharges Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 11)
2/11 SB 216 Repeal "Guilty but Mentally Ill" Plea Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 19)
2/09 R 3904 Expelling Senator Hiram Monserrate from the Senate Resolution Passed - Senate (53 - 8)
1/28 SB 263 Expanding Access to Public Defenders Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12)

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