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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 16, 2017 | IA | HF 518 | Requires Certain Restrictions Regarding Worker's Compensation | Bill Passed - House (55 - 38) |
March 9, 2017 | National | HR 985 | Fairness in Class Action Litigation and Furthering Asbestos Claim Transparency Act of 2017 | Bill Passed - House (220 - 201) |
Oct. 17, 2017 | NC | S 656 | Prohibits Part Primaries for Certain 2018 Court Elections | Veto Override Passed - House (72 - 40) |
Oct. 16, 2017 | NC | S 656 | Prohibits Part Primaries for Certain 2018 Court Elections | Veto Override Passed - Senate (26 - 15) |
April 26, 2017 | NC | H 239 | Reduces Court of Appeals Caseload | Veto Override Passed - Senate (34 - 15) |
April 26, 2017 | NC | H 239 | Reduces Court of Appeals Caseload | Veto Override Passed - House (73 - 44) |
May 31, 2017 | IL | SB 31 | Establishes the Illinois TRUST Act. | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 17) |
March 8, 2017 | NC | H 100 | Restores Partisan Court Elections | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (74 - 43) |
June 6, 2017 | LA | SB 139 | Establishes New Parole Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
June 6, 2017 | LA | SB 139 | Establishes New Parole Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
April 7, 2017 | National | PN 55 | Nomination of Neil M. Gorsuch to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States | (54 - 45) |
Feb. 8, 2017 | National | PN 30 | Nomination of Jeff Sessions to be Attorney General | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (52 - 47) |
April 7, 2017 | National | PN 55 | Nomination of Neil M. Gorsuch to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States | (54 - 45) |
May 29, 2017 | IL | SB 31 | Establishes the Illinois TRUST Act. | Bill Passed - House (62 - 49) |
April 4, 2017 | AL | SB 16 | Prohibits Judicial Override of Sentencing Decisions | Bill Passed - House (78 - 19) |
May 31, 2017 | IL | SB 1761 | Prohibits "Gay Panic" Defense | Bill Passed - House |
May 31, 2017 | IL | SB 639 | Authorizes Drug Crime Prosecutions Across State Lines | Bill Passed - House (105 - 2) |
May 30, 2017 | LA | HB 27 | Extends Domestic Abuse Laws to Dating Partners | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
May 18, 2017 | NV | SB 176 | Requires Police Officers to Wear Body Cameras | Bill Passed - House (33 - 9) |
March 9, 2017 | UT | HB 99 | Amends Bigamy Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 14) |
April 20, 2017 | WA | SB 5037 | Classifies 4th DUI as a Felony | Bill Passed - House (85 - 11) |
March 27, 2017 | IA | HF 518 | Requires Certain Restrictions Regarding Worker's Compensation | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21) |
April 4, 2017 | AL | SB 16 | Prohibits Judicial Override of Sentencing Decisions | Bill Passed - House (78 - 19) |
Feb. 7, 2017 | National | PN 30 | Nomination of Jeff Sessions to be Attorney General | Cloture Invoked - Senate (52 - 47) |
April 6, 2017 | National | PN 55 | Nomination of Neil M. Gorsuch to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States | Cloture Invoked - Senate (55 - 45) |
April 6, 2017 | National | PN 55 | Nomination of Neil M. Gorsuch to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States | Cloture Invoked - Senate (55 - 45) |
April 11, 2017 | NC | H 239 | Reduces Court of Appeals Caseload | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (69 - 43) |
April 13, 2017 | AZ | SB 1236 | Establishes Regulations for Statewide Initiatives and Referendum Petitions | Bill Passed - House (35 - 23) |
March 23, 2017 | NJ | A 4243 | Requires "Whistleblower" Settlements to be Public Record | Bill Passed - House (73 - 0) |
March 20, 2017 | IA | HF 539 | Reduces the Deadline to File Discrimination Lawsuits | Bill Passed - House (58 - 39) |
April 10, 2017 | NC | H 467 | Limits Penalties for Agricultural Operations | Bill Passed - House (68 - 47) |
April 11, 2017 | TX | SB 75 | Requires Parental Consent for Minors to Join Labor Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11) |
April 11, 2017 | AL | SB 193 | Authorizes Briarwood Presbyterian Church to Form a Police Force | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 4) |
April 12, 2017 | CO | SB 192 | Authorizes Transfers of Retail Marijuana to Medical Marijuana Licensees | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
March 15, 2017 | FL | SB 128 | Authorizes Immunity for Self-Defense | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
March 10, 2017 | National | HR 720 | Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2017 | Bill Passed - House (230 - 188) |
March 7, 2017 | WA | HB 1371 | Prohibits Texting While Driving | Bill Passed - House (52 - 45) |
April 27, 2017 | NC | HB 330 | Limits Liability for Motorists Involved in Accidents with Protesters | Bill Passed - House (67 - 48) |
May 1, 2017 | OR | HB 2597 | Increases Penalties for Distracted Driving | Bill Passed - House (46 - 13) |
May 4, 2017 | IL | SB 31 | Establishes the Illinois TRUST Act. | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 21) |
May 5, 2017 | IL | SB 1761 | Prohibits "Gay Panic" Defense | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 0) |
May 8, 2017 | NE | LB 259 | Authorizes Release Options for Inmates Unable to Pay for Bail | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 3) |
May 10, 2017 | PA | SB 560 | Establishes Provisions for Police Use of Body Cameras | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 0) |
May 16, 2017 | NE | LB 289 | Authorizes Life Prison Terms for Sex Traffickers and Solicitors | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 0) |
March 2, 2017 | UT | HB 259 | Authorizes the Discharge of Firearm for Self-Defense | Bill Passed - House (53 - 15) |
May 24, 2017 | MA | H 3034 | Limits the Use of Prison Labor | Bill Passed - House (120 - 35) |
March 2, 2017 | ID | HB 202 | Amends Civil Asset Forfeiture Law | Bill Passed - House (58 - 10) |
Feb. 23, 2017 | UT | HB 99 | Amends Bigamy Laws | Bill Passed - House (48 - 25) |
Jan. 19, 2017 | MT | SB 29 | Defines Consent and Aggravated Sexual Assault | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 0) |
Feb. 6, 2017 | ND | HB 1426 | Classifies Riots Involving More than 100 Individuals as a Class B Felony | Bill Passed - House (63 - 27) |
Feb. 6, 2017 | ND | HB 1304 | Prohibits Wearing a Mask During the Commission of a Crime | Bill Passed - House (69 - 22) |
April 5, 2017 | DE | SB 27 | Establishes Bipartisan Commission for Drawing Legislative Districts | Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 7) |
Nov. 7, 2017 | WI | SB 54 | Requires Department of Corrections to Revoke Parole under Certain Circumstances | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12) |
Jan. 26, 2017 | MS | SB 2469 | Classifies the Targeting of Law Enforcement as a Hate Crime | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 13) |
Feb. 6, 2017 | ND | HB 1293 | Authorizes Law Enforcement to Issue Citations for Trespassing | Bill Passed - House (85 - 6) |
Feb. 6, 2017 | ND | HB 1193 | Classifies Economic Harm as a Class C Felony | Bill Passed - House (72 - 19) |
June 15, 2017 | RI | S 237A | Authorizes Parole Eligibility for Juveniles with Life Sentences | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 8) |
June 28, 2017 | National | HR 1215 | Protecting Access to Care Act of 2017 | Bill Passed - House (218 - 210) |
June 29, 2017 | National | HR 3003 | No Sanctuary for Criminals Act | Bill Passed - House (228 - 195) |
Feb. 6, 2017 | MS | HB 645 | Classifies Killing of First Responders as First-Degree Murder | Bill Passed - House (85 - 31) |
March 28, 2017 | MN | SF 803 | Appropriates Funds to Various Agencies | Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 15) |
June 1, 2017 | CA | AB 42 | Amends Money Bail Procedures | Bill Failed - House (35 - 37) |