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
June 12, 2013 NC SB 306 Repeals the Racial Justice Act Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 16)
June 12, 2013 NC SB 306 Repeals the Racial Justice Act Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 16)
June 11, 2013 ME LD 1286 Prohibits Slaughter of Horses for Human Consumption "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (94 - 49)
June 6, 2013 National HR 2217 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2014 Bill Passed - House (245 - 182)
June 5, 2013 NC SB 306 Repeals the Racial Justice Act Bill Passed - House (77 - 39)
June 5, 2013 NC SB 306 Repeals the Racial Justice Act Bill Passed - House (77 - 39)
June 4, 2013 National H Amdt 84 Authorizes Funds for the Construction of United States Prison for Prisoners from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Amendment Rejected - House (170 - 254)
June 3, 2013 NV SB 221 Requires Background Checks Prior to the Purchase of Firearms Bill Passed - House (23 - 19)
June 2, 2013 LA SB 162 Authorizes Surrogacy Contracts Conference Report Adopted - House (85 - 12)
May 30, 2013 LA SB 162 Authorizes Surrogacy Contracts Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 3)
May 30, 2013 NJ A 3659 Amends the Definition of Destructive Devices Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 16)
May 29, 2013 CA AB 48 Prohibits Large Capacity Magazines Bill Passed - House (46 - 26)
May 29, 2013 CA SB 53 Requires Ammunition Purchasers to Undergo a Background Check Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15)
May 29, 2013 CA AB 375 Amends Teacher Dismissal Requirements Bill Passed - House (64 - 11)
May 29, 2013 CA AB 48 Prohibits Large Capacity Magazines Bill Passed - House (46 - 26)
May 28, 2013 IL HB 1247 Prohibits Using a Hand-Held Cell Phone While Driving Concurrence Vote Passed - House (69 - 48)
May 28, 2013 OR SB 154 Requires Signature Gathering Firms to Meet Certain Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 14)
May 26, 2013 TX HB 912 Limits the Private Use of Unmanned Aircrafts Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 5)
May 26, 2013 TX HB 912 Limits the Private Use of Unmanned Aircrafts Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 5)
May 24, 2013 TX HB 950 Requires Equal Pay for Women Concurrence Vote Passed - House (78 - 61)
May 23, 2013 IL HB 1247 Prohibits Using a Hand-Held Cell Phone While Driving Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 20)
May 22, 2013 AZ SB 1178 Authorizes Individuals to use Potential Infringements of Religious Freedom as a Claim or Defense Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 12)
May 22, 2013 TX HB 950 Requires Equal Pay for Women Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
May 22, 2013 TX SB 21 Requires Drug Testing for Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - House (104 - 42)
May 22, 2013 TX HB 1009 Establishes "School Marshal" as a New Category of Law Enforcement for Schools Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/12 SB 306 Repeals the Racial Justice Act Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 16)
6/12 SB 306 Repeals the Racial Justice Act Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 16)
6/11 LD 1286 Prohibits Slaughter of Horses for Human Consumption "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - House (94 - 49)
6/06 HR 2217 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2014 Bill Passed - House (245 - 182)
6/05 SB 306 Repeals the Racial Justice Act Bill Passed - House (77 - 39)
6/05 SB 306 Repeals the Racial Justice Act Bill Passed - House (77 - 39)
6/04 H Amdt 84 Authorizes Funds for the Construction of United States Prison for Prisoners from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Amendment Rejected - House (170 - 254)
6/03 SB 221 Requires Background Checks Prior to the Purchase of Firearms Bill Passed - House (23 - 19)
6/02 SB 162 Authorizes Surrogacy Contracts Conference Report Adopted - House (85 - 12)
5/30 SB 162 Authorizes Surrogacy Contracts Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 3)
5/30 A 3659 Amends the Definition of Destructive Devices Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 16)
5/29 AB 48 Prohibits Large Capacity Magazines Bill Passed - House (46 - 26)
5/29 SB 53 Requires Ammunition Purchasers to Undergo a Background Check Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15)
5/29 AB 375 Amends Teacher Dismissal Requirements Bill Passed - House (64 - 11)
5/29 AB 48 Prohibits Large Capacity Magazines Bill Passed - House (46 - 26)
5/28 HB 1247 Prohibits Using a Hand-Held Cell Phone While Driving Concurrence Vote Passed - House (69 - 48)
5/28 SB 154 Requires Signature Gathering Firms to Meet Certain Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 14)
5/26 HB 912 Limits the Private Use of Unmanned Aircrafts Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 5)
5/26 HB 912 Limits the Private Use of Unmanned Aircrafts Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 5)
5/24 HB 950 Requires Equal Pay for Women Concurrence Vote Passed - House (78 - 61)
5/23 HB 1247 Prohibits Using a Hand-Held Cell Phone While Driving Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 20)
5/22 SB 1178 Authorizes Individuals to use Potential Infringements of Religious Freedom as a Claim or Defense Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 12)
5/22 HB 950 Requires Equal Pay for Women Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
5/22 SB 21 Requires Drug Testing for Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - House (104 - 42)
5/22 HB 1009 Establishes "School Marshal" as a New Category of Law Enforcement for Schools Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4)

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