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. 7, 2017 WI SB 54 Requires Department of Corrections to Revoke Parole under Certain Circumstances Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12)
June 6, 2017 LA SB 139 Establishes New Parole Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 13)
May 30, 2017 LA HB 27 Extends Domestic Abuse Laws to Dating Partners Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13)
May 5, 2017 IL SB 1761 Prohibits "Gay Panic" Defense Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 0)
April 12, 2017 CO SB 192 Authorizes Transfers of Retail Marijuana to Medical Marijuana Licensees Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7)
April 11, 2017 TX SB 75 Requires Parental Consent for Minors to Join Labor Unions Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11)
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)
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)
March 28, 2017 MN SF 803 Appropriates Funds to Various Agencies Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 15)
March 27, 2017 IA HF 518 Requires Certain Restrictions Regarding Worker's Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21)
March 9, 2017 UT HB 99 Amends Bigamy Laws Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 14)
Feb. 8, 2017 National PN 30 Nomination of Jeff Sessions to be Attorney General Nomination Confirmed - Senate (52 - 47)
Feb. 7, 2017 National PN 30 Nomination of Jeff Sessions to be Attorney General Cloture Invoked - Senate (52 - 47)
Jan. 26, 2017 MS SB 2469 Classifies the Targeting of Law Enforcement as a Hate Crime Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 13)
Jan. 19, 2017 MT SB 29 Defines Consent and Aggravated Sexual Assault Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 0)
Date No. Title Outcome
11/07 SB 54 Requires Department of Corrections to Revoke Parole under Certain Circumstances Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12)
6/06 SB 139 Establishes New Parole Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 13)
5/30 HB 27 Extends Domestic Abuse Laws to Dating Partners Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13)
5/05 SB 1761 Prohibits "Gay Panic" Defense Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 0)
4/12 SB 192 Authorizes Transfers of Retail Marijuana to Medical Marijuana Licensees Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7)
4/11 SB 75 Requires Parental Consent for Minors to Join Labor Unions Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11)
4/07 PN 55 Nomination of Neil M. Gorsuch to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (54 - 45)
4/06 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)
3/28 SF 803 Appropriates Funds to Various Agencies Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 15)
3/27 HF 518 Requires Certain Restrictions Regarding Worker's Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21)
3/09 HB 99 Amends Bigamy Laws Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 14)
2/08 PN 30 Nomination of Jeff Sessions to be Attorney General Nomination Confirmed - Senate (52 - 47)
2/07 PN 30 Nomination of Jeff Sessions to be Attorney General Cloture Invoked - Senate (52 - 47)
1/26 SB 2469 Classifies the Targeting of Law Enforcement as a Hate Crime Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 13)
1/19 SB 29 Defines Consent and Aggravated Sexual Assault Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 0)

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