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. 20, 2018 MI SB 1238 Authorizes State Absentee Ballot Voting Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 12)
July 31, 2018 MA H 4857 Increases State Clean Energy Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 0)
July 30, 2018 MA H 4834 Establishes Automatic Voter Registration Conference Report Adopted - Senate (36 - 0)
July 18, 2018 MA H 4546 Authorizes Creation of Community Benefit Districts Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)
June 28, 2018 CA AB 1838 Prohibits Local Grocery Taxes Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 7)
June 27, 2018 OH SB 255 Increases Occupational Licensing Board Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8)
June 25, 2018 NJ A 4249 Increases the Use of Hospital Admission Fees Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15)
June 20, 2018 ME LD 1584 Expands Local Food Economy by Promoting Local Foods Procurement Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 11)
May 31, 2018 IL SB 3109 Amends the Department of Professional Regulation Law Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 10)
May 29, 2018 MI SB 872 Amends Statue of Limitations for Sexual Misconduct Cases Going Back until 1997 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 2)
May 29, 2018 MI SB 871 Increases the Statute of Limitations for Sexual Assault Offenses Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 0)
May 14, 2018 MN HF 2802 Requires Municipalities That Contract Public Treatment Works to Comply with New State Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 26)
May 2, 2018 IL SB 2213 Requires State Agencies to Adhere to Federal Regulations as of 2017 Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 21)
April 26, 2018 OK HB 3036 Authorizes the Governor power to appoint the State Commissioner of Health Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 11)
April 18, 2018 NE LB 496 Amends and Establishes Requirements for Redevelopment Projects Under the Community Development Law Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 8)
April 12, 2018 MI SB 741 Prohibits Breed-Specific Ordinances Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)
April 10, 2018 CO SB 18-043 Specifies Rules of Nominee Rejections Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16)
March 23, 2018 National HR 1625 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 32)
March 8, 2018 WA HB 3003 Amends Various Police 'Use of Force' Laws Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 24)
March 6, 2018 WY HB 70 Authorizes Cryptocurrency Regulations and Securities Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 3)
March 6, 2018 WA HB 2595 Authorizes Automatic Voter Registration Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 21)
Feb. 22, 2018 IN SB 1 Authorizes Sunday Alcohol Sales Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 10)
Feb. 20, 2018 WV SB 415 Authorizes Casino Sports Betting Upon Federal Approval Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 9)
Feb. 12, 2018 MD SB 138 Requires Governor to Include Maryland as a Member of US Climate Alliance Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 10)
Feb. 9, 2018 WV SJR 12 Prohibits a Constitutional Right to Abortion Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 9)
Feb. 1, 2018 NJ S 598 Requires New Jersey to Join US Climate Alliance Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12)
Jan. 31, 2018 MS SB 2570 Prohibits Government Bans on Storage Containers Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 15)
Jan. 18, 2018 National S 139 FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act of 2017 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 34)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/20 SB 1238 Authorizes State Absentee Ballot Voting Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 12)
7/31 H 4857 Increases State Clean Energy Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 0)
7/30 H 4834 Establishes Automatic Voter Registration Conference Report Adopted - Senate (36 - 0)
7/18 H 4546 Authorizes Creation of Community Benefit Districts Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)
6/28 AB 1838 Prohibits Local Grocery Taxes Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 7)
6/27 SB 255 Increases Occupational Licensing Board Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8)
6/25 A 4249 Increases the Use of Hospital Admission Fees Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15)
6/20 LD 1584 Expands Local Food Economy by Promoting Local Foods Procurement Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 11)
5/31 SB 3109 Amends the Department of Professional Regulation Law Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 10)
5/29 SB 872 Amends Statue of Limitations for Sexual Misconduct Cases Going Back until 1997 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 2)
5/29 SB 871 Increases the Statute of Limitations for Sexual Assault Offenses Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 0)
5/14 HF 2802 Requires Municipalities That Contract Public Treatment Works to Comply with New State Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 26)
5/02 SB 2213 Requires State Agencies to Adhere to Federal Regulations as of 2017 Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 21)
4/26 HB 3036 Authorizes the Governor power to appoint the State Commissioner of Health Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 11)
4/18 LB 496 Amends and Establishes Requirements for Redevelopment Projects Under the Community Development Law Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 8)
4/12 SB 741 Prohibits Breed-Specific Ordinances Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)
4/10 SB 18-043 Specifies Rules of Nominee Rejections Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16)
3/23 HR 1625 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 Bill Passed - Senate (65 - 32)
3/08 HB 3003 Amends Various Police 'Use of Force' Laws Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 24)
3/06 HB 70 Authorizes Cryptocurrency Regulations and Securities Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 3)
3/06 HB 2595 Authorizes Automatic Voter Registration Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 21)
2/22 SB 1 Authorizes Sunday Alcohol Sales Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 10)
2/20 SB 415 Authorizes Casino Sports Betting Upon Federal Approval Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 9)
2/12 SB 138 Requires Governor to Include Maryland as a Member of US Climate Alliance Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 10)
2/09 SJR 12 Prohibits a Constitutional Right to Abortion Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 9)
2/01 S 598 Requires New Jersey to Join US Climate Alliance Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12)
1/31 SB 2570 Prohibits Government Bans on Storage Containers Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 15)
1/18 S 139 FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act of 2017 Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (65 - 34)

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