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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
April 18, 2010 | AK | SJR 21 | State Legislature Expansion | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 4) |
March 31, 2010 | AK | SJR 21 | State Legislature Expansion | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (14 - 5) |
June 2, 2011 | AL | SB 484 | 2011 Congressional Redistricting | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 15) |
March 28, 2018 | AL | HB 317 | Exempts Certain Individuals from Registering as Lobbyists | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 14) |
April 1, 2021 | AL | SB 97 | Reduces the Power of the Public Health Officer During a Public Health Emergency | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
May 24, 2012 | AL | HB 19 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
May 22, 2012 | AL | SB 25 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
April 12, 2011 | AR | SB 972 | Congressional Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
April 6, 2011 | AR | SB 871 | Congressional Redistricting Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
April 23, 2008 | AZ | HB 2017 | Legislative Approval for Regulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
May 8, 2013 | AZ | HB 2608 | Amends Retirement Plans for Elected Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13) |
May 27, 2019 | AZ | SB 1558 | Increases Stipends for State Legislators | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 7) |
March 1, 2010 | AZ | SCR 1007 | Repealing Legislative Term Limits | Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
May 29, 2014 | CA | SB 1253 | Amends Legislative Initiative Measure Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8) |
Jan. 24, 2008 | CO | GN Baker | Matt Baker to the Public Utilities Commission | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (21 - 13) |
March 18, 2008 | CO | HB 1297 | Supplemental Department of Public Safety Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9) |
Jan. 27, 2015 | CO | SB 52 | Expands Legislative Oversight of the Colorado Health Benefit Exchange | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
Feb. 29, 2012 | CO | HB 1301 | Authorizes Legislative Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
March 16, 2010 | CO | SB 87 | Increasing Lobbyist Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
Jan. 16, 2020 | DE | HB 73 | Amends the Delaware Constitution to Authorize the General Assembly to Pass Laws On Absentee Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 5) |
July 1, 2019 | DE | HB 73 | Amends the Delaware Constitution to Authorize the General Assembly to Pass Laws On Absentee Voting | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 8) |
April 5, 2017 | DE | SB 27 | Establishes Bipartisan Commission for Drawing Legislative Districts | Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 7) |
Aug. 11, 2014 | FL | SB 2-A | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
March 22, 2012 | FL | SJR 2B | State Senate Redistricting | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (31 - 6) |
Aug. 31, 2011 | GA | HB 20EX | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 21) |
Aug. 23, 2011 | GA | HB 1EX | House Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 16) |
March 5, 2009 | GA | SB 200 | Reorganization of State Transportation Authorities | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 25) |
Aug. 18, 2011 | GA | SB 1EX | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 18) |
Feb. 18, 2010 | GA | SR 1120 | Temporary Legislative Adjournment | Resolution Passed - Senate (35 - 17) |
Oct. 28, 2021 | IA | SF 621 | Establishes Congressional and Legislative Districts | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 1) |
April 14, 2011 | IA | HF 682 | Congressional and Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 1) |
Jan. 28, 2021 | ID | S 1022 | Transfers $4 Million from the General Fund to the Legislative Legal Defense Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
March 28, 2012 | ID | H 695 | Establishes a Legislative Legal Defense Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
May 30, 2014 | IL | SB 274 | Requires Salary Payments to State Legislators | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (39 - 18) |
May 31, 2011 | IL | SB 1178 | Congressional Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 25) |
May 27, 2011 | IL | SB 1177 | General Assembly Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 22) |
Oct. 28, 2021 | IL | HB 1291 | Amends State Congressional Districts | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 18) |
April 14, 2010 | IL | SJR 121 | Redistricting Process Modifications | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (36 - 22) |
Oct. 1, 2021 | IN | HB 1581 | Amends Redistricting Maps | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 12) |
April 27, 2011 | IN | HB 1601 | Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 12) |
March 13, 2013 | KS | HB 2019 | Authorizes Governor to Appoint Judges to Kansas Court of Appeals | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 12) |
March 23, 2022 | KS | HCR 5014 | Establishes a Constitutional Amendment to Provide Legislative Oversight to the Executive Branch | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (27 - 12) |
March 22, 2016 | KS | SB 439 | Specifies Qualifications for Impeachment | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19) |
Jan. 30, 2013 | KS | SCR 1601 | Authorizes the Governor to Nominate Judges | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 12) |
March 12, 2008 | KY | HB 600 | State Retirement System | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 3) |
March 11, 2021 | KY | SB 3 | Amends Laws Related to Declaring an Emergency Related to the Agricultural Industry | Veto Override Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
Feb. 2, 2021 | KY | SB 2 | Increases Legislative Oversight Over Executive Orders Related to Emergencies | Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 6) |
April 13, 2022 | KY | HB 248 | Limits the Governor's Power to Challenge the Constitutionality of Bills Passed by the General Assembly | Veto Override Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
Aug. 23, 2013 | KY | HB 1 | State Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 2) |
Jan. 9, 2021 | KY | HB 1 | Authorizes Businesses, Organizations, and Schools to Remain Open if they are Following CDC Guidelines Regardless of Governor Mandate | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |