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
Dec. 3, 2014 MI HB 4118 Requires Drug Testing For Certain Welfare Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - House (74 - 35)
Dec. 3, 2014 MI SB 275 Requires Drug Testing of Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - House (75 - 34)
Aug. 14, 2014 CA SB 1010 Amends Penalties for Cocaine Possession Bill Passed - House (50 - 19)
July 16, 2014 National H Amdt 1086 Prohibits States from Penalizing a Bank for Providing Financial Services to Marijuana Businesses Amendment Adopted - House (231 - 192)
June 19, 2014 NY A 6357E Authorizes Medical Marijuana Bill Passed - House (117 - 13)
May 30, 2014 National H Amdt 748 Prohibits Federal Agencies from Preventing States from Authorizing the Use of Medical Marijuana Amendment Adopted - House (219 - 189)
May 29, 2014 CA AB 1894 Establishes a State Entity to Oversee Medical Cannabis Bill Failed - House (26 - 33)
May 16, 2014 MN SF 2470 Establishes a Patient Registry for Medical Marijuana Conference Report Adopted - House (89 - 40)
April 30, 2014 IA SF 2360 Authorizes Medical Marijuana Oil Bill Passed - House (77 - 20)
April 15, 2014 KY SB 5 Increases Penalties for Drug-Dealers Bill Failed - House (42 - 51)
April 9, 2014 TN SB 1391 Prohibits Women from Using Illegal Substances While Pregnant Bill Passed - House (64 - 30)
April 9, 2014 OH HB 369 Requires Local Boards to Offer Certain Addiction Treatments Bill Passed - House (71 - 20)
April 5, 2014 MD SB 364 Reduces Penalties for Possession of Marijuana Bill Passed - House (78 - 55)
April 3, 2014 AL SB 63 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - House (73 - 27)
March 26, 2014 NH HB 492 Authorizes the Recreational Use of Marijuana "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (192 - 140)
March 26, 2014 NH HB 492 Authorizes the Recreational Use of Marijuana "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (192 - 140)
March 13, 2014 IN HB 1351 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Conference Report Adopted - House (81 - 17)
March 12, 2014 NH HB 1625 Classifies Personal Possession of Marijuana as a Civil Violation Bill Passed - House (215 - 92)
March 8, 2014 WV SB 6 Authorizes Pharmacists to Refuse to Dispense Pseudophedrine without a Prescription Bill Passed - House (63 - 34)
March 7, 2014 MD HB 354 Amends the Sterile Needle and Syringe Exchange Program Bill Passed - House (84 - 51)
March 3, 2014 GA HB 772 Requires Drug Testing For Certain Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - House (107 - 66)
Feb. 17, 2014 WA HB 2149 Amends Medical Marijuana Program Bill Passed - House (67 - 29)
Jan. 28, 2014 IN HB 1351 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - House (71 - 22)
Jan. 15, 2014 NH HB 492 Authorizes the Recreational Use of Marijuana Bill Passed - House (170 - 162)
Jan. 15, 2014 NH HB 492 Authorizes the Recreational Use of Marijuana Bill Passed - House (170 - 162)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/03 HB 4118 Requires Drug Testing For Certain Welfare Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - House (74 - 35)
12/03 SB 275 Requires Drug Testing of Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - House (75 - 34)
8/14 SB 1010 Amends Penalties for Cocaine Possession Bill Passed - House (50 - 19)
7/16 H Amdt 1086 Prohibits States from Penalizing a Bank for Providing Financial Services to Marijuana Businesses Amendment Adopted - House (231 - 192)
6/19 A 6357E Authorizes Medical Marijuana Bill Passed - House (117 - 13)
5/30 H Amdt 748 Prohibits Federal Agencies from Preventing States from Authorizing the Use of Medical Marijuana Amendment Adopted - House (219 - 189)
5/29 AB 1894 Establishes a State Entity to Oversee Medical Cannabis Bill Failed - House (26 - 33)
5/16 SF 2470 Establishes a Patient Registry for Medical Marijuana Conference Report Adopted - House (89 - 40)
4/30 SF 2360 Authorizes Medical Marijuana Oil Bill Passed - House (77 - 20)
4/15 SB 5 Increases Penalties for Drug-Dealers Bill Failed - House (42 - 51)
4/09 SB 1391 Prohibits Women from Using Illegal Substances While Pregnant Bill Passed - House (64 - 30)
4/09 HB 369 Requires Local Boards to Offer Certain Addiction Treatments Bill Passed - House (71 - 20)
4/05 SB 364 Reduces Penalties for Possession of Marijuana Bill Passed - House (78 - 55)
4/03 SB 63 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - House (73 - 27)
3/26 HB 492 Authorizes the Recreational Use of Marijuana "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (192 - 140)
3/26 HB 492 Authorizes the Recreational Use of Marijuana "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (192 - 140)
3/13 HB 1351 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Conference Report Adopted - House (81 - 17)
3/12 HB 1625 Classifies Personal Possession of Marijuana as a Civil Violation Bill Passed - House (215 - 92)
3/08 SB 6 Authorizes Pharmacists to Refuse to Dispense Pseudophedrine without a Prescription Bill Passed - House (63 - 34)
3/07 HB 354 Amends the Sterile Needle and Syringe Exchange Program Bill Passed - House (84 - 51)
3/03 HB 772 Requires Drug Testing For Certain Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - House (107 - 66)
2/17 HB 2149 Amends Medical Marijuana Program Bill Passed - House (67 - 29)
1/28 HB 1351 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - House (71 - 22)
1/15 HB 492 Authorizes the Recreational Use of Marijuana Bill Passed - House (170 - 162)
1/15 HB 492 Authorizes the Recreational Use of Marijuana Bill Passed - House (170 - 162)

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