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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Feb. 12, 2019 | National | S 47 | Natural Resources Management Act | Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 8) |
Feb. 12, 2019 | National | S 47 | Natural Resources Management Act | Bill Passed - Senate (92 - 8) |
Feb. 28, 2019 | National | PN 22 | Nomination of Andrew Wheeler to be Administrator of Environmental Protection Agency | (52 - 47) |
Feb. 27, 2019 | National | PN 22 | Nomination of Andrew Wheeler to be Administrator of Environmental Protection Agency | Cloture Invoked - Senate (52 - 46) |
Feb. 25, 2019 | IN | SB 553 | Authorizes Public Use of Shore of Lake Michigan | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 16) |
Feb. 20, 2019 | KS | SB 32 | Authorizes The Farm Bureau To Offer Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 11) |
March 5, 2019 | HI | SB 522 | Prohibits Certain Plastics | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 1) |
March 6, 2019 | NM | SB 489 | Authorizes State Investment in Renewable Energies | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 9) |
March 6, 2019 | NM | SB 489 | Authorizes State Investment in Renewable Energies | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 9) |
Feb. 19, 2019 | ND | SB 2315 | Establishes Hunters Access Advisory Group | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 18) |
April 3, 2019 | CO | SB 19-181 | Amends Local Environmental Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
March 13, 2019 | CO | SB 19-181 | Amends Local Environmental Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 15) |
March 12, 2019 | IA | SF 519 | Establishes Trespass Charges for Undercover Investigators at Certain Agricultural Facilities | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 8) |
April 5, 2019 | MD | SB 285 | Prohibits Use of Foam Containers | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 13) |
March 5, 2019 | MD | SB 285 | Prohibits Use of Foam Containers | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 13) |
Feb. 19, 2019 | OR | SB 256 | Prohibits Oil and Gas Exploration In Coastal Waters | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 6) |
March 20, 2019 | IA | SF 548 | Amends Land Purchase Regulations for Water Quality Testing | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
March 26, 2019 | National | S J Res 8 | A joint resolution recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (0 - 57) |
March 26, 2019 | National | S J Res 8 | A joint resolution recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (0 - 57) |
March 1, 2019 | WA | SB 5116 | Increases State Clean Energy Efforts to be 100 Percent Carbon Free by 2045 | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 19) |
March 1, 2019 | WA | SB 5116 | Increases State Clean Energy Efforts to be 100 Percent Carbon Free by 2045 | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 19) |
March 12, 2019 | SD | HB 1191 | Authorizes the Cultivation of Industrial Hemp | Veto Override Failed - Senate (20 - 13) |
April 25, 2019 | ME | LD 289 | Prohibits Use of Foam Containers | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
April 11, 2019 | National | PN 503 | Nomination of David Bernhardt as the Secretary of the Interior | (56 - 41) |
April 11, 2019 | OR | SB 90 | Prohibits Single-Use Plastic Straws at Restaurants Unless Asked For | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 6) |
March 31, 2019 | NY | S 1508 | Prohibits Retail Stores from Using Plastic Bags | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 22) |
May 1, 2019 | CO | HB 19-1261 | Authorizes Regulations on Greenhouse Gases | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
May 2, 2019 | MO | SB 391 | Prohibits Local Officials from Regulating Industrial Farms | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
March 29, 2019 | MT | SB 331 | Restructures Electric Utility Cost Recovery for Certain Coal-Fired Power Plants | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
June 6, 2019 | DE | HB 130 | Prohibits Plastic Bags | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 8) |
April 19, 2019 | WA | SB 5001 | Authorizes Composting of Human Remains | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 11) |
May 7, 2019 | PA | SB 588 | Exempts Milk Haulers from Travel Bans Imposed During Emergency Disasters | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 15) |
May 7, 2019 | PA | SB 453 | Authorizes Annual Farming Construction Code Building Exemptions | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20) |
July 17, 2019 | OH | HB 6 | Amends Clean Energy Standards | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
July 17, 2019 | OH | HB 6 | Amends Clean Energy Standards | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
June 4, 2019 | NY | S 5532 | Prohibits Declawing Cats | Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 12) |
May 2, 2019 | NC | SB 559 | Authorizes Rate Changes to Public Electric Utilities for Storm Recovery Costs | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 21) |
June 12, 2019 | NC | SB 377 | Establishes Restrictions on State Wind Energy Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 19) |
March 28, 2019 | NH | SB 168 | Authorizes Solar Energy Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 10) |
May 27, 2019 | AZ | HB 2753 | Authorizes Environmental State Budget for Fiscal Year 2020 | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13) |
May 26, 2019 | TX | HB 3557 | Increases Penalties for Pipeline Protesting | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 12) |
June 17, 2019 | NC | SB 315 | Establishes Regulations on Hemp and Other Farming Industries | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 14) |
June 18, 2019 | NY | S 6599 | Increases Renewable Energy Goals | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 21) |
June 18, 2019 | NY | S 6599 | Increases Renewable Energy Goals | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 21) |
April 3, 2019 | IL | HB 2988 | Prohibits Townships from Regulating Wind Farms Outside of City Zoning Areas | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 7) |
April 3, 2019 | IL | HB 2988 | Prohibits Townships from Regulating Wind Farms Outside of City Zoning Areas | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 7) |
June 27, 2019 | NH | HB 582 | Establishes a Greenhouse Gas Rebate Program | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 10) |
June 27, 2019 | NH | HB 582 | Establishes a Greenhouse Gas Rebate Program | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 10) |
July 8, 2019 | CA | AB 1054 | Establishes Wildfire Victim Compensation Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 7) |
June 27, 2019 | NJ | A 3726 | Requires Food Waste Recycling Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
June 30, 2019 | OR | HB 2007 | Reduces Number of Diesel Trucks Allowed in Specified Counties | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 11) |
June 11, 2019 | OR | HB 2509 | Prohibits Single-Use Plastic Checkout Bags | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12) |
May 29, 2019 | OR | HB 2623 | Establishes Temporary Ban on Fracking | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 11) |
June 10, 2019 | ME | LD 1282 | Establishes a "Green New Deal" | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
June 4, 2019 | ME | LD 1532 | Prohibits Single-Use Plastic Bags | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
May 9, 2019 | IL | SB 9 | Establishes Coal-Ash Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 9) |
June 27, 2019 | NH | HB 326 | Expands Protections for Wetlands | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 8) |
June 27, 2019 | NH | HB 326 | Expands Protections for Wetlands | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 8) |
Sept. 11, 2019 | CA | AB 936 | Amends Environmental Protections Relating to Heavy Crude Oils | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 7) |
Sept. 5, 2019 | CA | AB 1162 | Prohibits Single-Use Plastics for Personal Care Products at Lodging Establishments | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
Sept. 13, 2019 | CA | AB 792 | Increases Recycled Plastics Percentages Used in Plastic Beverage Bottles | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 7) |
May 21, 2019 | CA | SB 307 | Prohibits Water Transfers from Desert Groundwater Basins | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11) |
May 21, 2019 | CA | SB 307 | Prohibits Water Transfers from Desert Groundwater Basins | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11) |
May 29, 2019 | CA | SB 54 | Requires Single-Use Plastics be made from Recyclable Materials | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 8) |
May 29, 2019 | CA | SB 1 | Rescinds Federal Freeze of Environmental Deregulations | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
May 29, 2019 | CA | SB 1 | Rescinds Federal Freeze of Environmental Deregulations | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
Sept. 3, 2019 | CA | AB 454 | Establishes Protections for Migratory Birds | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9) |
May 29, 2019 | CA | SB 210 | Establishes a Smog-Check Program for Diesel Trucks | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
May 28, 2019 | CA | SB 43 | Establishes the Feasibility and Practicality of Assessing the Carbon Intensity of Retail Products Subject to the Sales and Use Tax Law | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
Sept. 9, 2019 | CA | AB 1254 | Prohibits Hunting of Bobcats | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 8) |
Aug. 12, 2019 | CA | AB 273 | Prohibits Recreational and Commercial Fur Trapping Licenses | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 9) |
Sept. 10, 2019 | CA | AB 44 | Prohibits the Sale and Manufacturing of Fur Products | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
May 23, 2019 | CA | SB 627 | Authorizes Prescription of Medical Cannabis for Animals | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 0) |
May 3, 2019 | CO | HB 19-1298 | Prohibits Drivers of Fossil Fuel-Powered Cars and Non-Charging Electric Vehicles to Park in Front of Charging Stations | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
April 25, 2019 | WA | SB 5993 | Increases the State Hazardous Substance Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |