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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Oct. 18, 2005 National S Amdt 2062 Congressional Pay Raise Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (92 - 6)
July 29, 2005 National HR 2985 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2006 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 4)
July 1, 1994 National HR 4454 Legislative Branch FY95 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (73 - 27)
July 21, 1998 National HR 4112 Legislative Branch FY99 Appropriations bill Bill Passed - Senate (90 - 9)
Feb. 6, 2007 SD SJR 7 Extension of Term Limits Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (17 - 18)
April 23, 1996 National S J Res 21 Term Limits bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 42)
April 5, 2007 SC S 355 Restructuring the Department of Transportation Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 18)
Aug. 2, 2007 National S 1 Lobbying and Donation Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (83 - 14)
Sept. 18, 2007 National S 1257 District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 42)
Oct. 31, 2007 MI SB 229 2007-2008 Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 8)
Jan. 24, 2008 CO GN Baker Matt Baker to the Public Utilities Commission Nomination Confirmed - Senate (21 - 13)
Feb. 21, 2008 SD HB 1250 Legislative Pay Raise Bill Tabled - Senate (29 - 4)
March 24, 2008 MS HB 859 Salary Adjustments for State Officials Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 3)
March 12, 2008 KY HB 600 State Retirement System Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 3)
March 13, 2008 National S Amdt 4347 Earmark Moratorium Motion Rejected - Senate (29 - 71)
March 18, 2008 CO HB 1297 Supplemental Department of Public Safety Funding Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9)
April 23, 2008 AZ HB 2017 Legislative Approval for Regulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7)
May 29, 2008 LA S Amdt 3870 Legislator Financial Disclosures Amendment Rejected - Senate (5 - 29)
June 10, 2008 LA SB 672 Legislative Pay Increase Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16)
June 23, 2008 NJ S 1962 State Worker Retirement and Health Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 8)
Sept. 14, 2005 National S Amdt 1670 Special Committee on Contracts in Afghanistan and Iraq Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
Jan. 5, 1995 National S Amdt 1 Filibuster Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (76 - 19)
July 25, 2002 National HR 5121 Legislative Branch Appropriation, FY2003 Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 14)
July 11, 2003 National HR 2657 Emergency Supplemental Appropriation, FY 2003 bill Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 7)
June 16, 1999 National HR 1905 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2000 Bill Passed - Senate (95 - 4)
June 25, 1998 National S Amdt 2981 Military Closure Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (48 - 45)
Sept. 15, 2005 National S Amdt 1678 Hurricane Katrina Relief Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (43 - 52)
Sept. 21, 2004 National HR 4755 Legislative Branch FY2005 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 2)
Oct. 23, 2003 National S Amdt 1904 Congressional Pay Raise Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (60 - 34)
July 23, 1993 National HR 2348 Legislative Branch FY94 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 7)
Jan. 14, 2009 TX SR 14 Majority Vote Requirement for Voter ID Bill Consideration Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
Feb. 2, 2009 MT SJ 7 Statement of Opposition to Expansion of EPA Jurisdiction (H.R. 2421) Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (32 - 18)
Feb. 6, 2009 MT SB 187 Limitations on Redistricting Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23)
Feb. 9, 2009 SD SJR 3 Extending Senate Terms and Legislative Term-Limits Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
Feb. 26, 2009 National S 160 Washington DC Voting Act Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37)
Feb. 19, 2009 NC SB 15 Limiting Per Diem Payments to Legislators Motion Agreed - Senate (37 - 11)
March 5, 2009 GA SB 200 Reorganization of State Transportation Authorities Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 25)
March 19, 2009 NM HB 393 Opening Conference Committees to the Public Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 8)
Feb. 25, 2009 NM SB 141 Allowing Increase of Penalties for Convicted Public Officials Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 12)
March 11, 2009 UT HB 345 Regulating Former Lawmakers in Lobbying Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13)
Sept. 23, 2009 OH SJR 5 Redistricting Commission Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (21 - 12)
Sept. 30, 2009 National HR 2918 Continuing Appropriations Resolution and 2009-2010 Legislative Appropriations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (62 - 38)
Oct. 9, 2009 PA HB 1614 Fiscal Code Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 14)
Dec. 17, 2009 OH HB 318 Tax Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15)
Feb. 8, 2010 NM SB 531 Legislative Finance Committee Review of Confidential Information Veto Override Passed - Senate (34 - 8)
Jan. 13, 2010 KY SB 51 Legislator Pension Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17)
Jan. 11, 2010 NJ A 4378 Exception to the Ban on Former State Employees Working for the Casino Industry Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)
Jan. 26, 2010 National S Amdt 3302 Establishing a Federal Budget Deficit Commission Amendment Rejected - Senate (53 - 46)
Feb. 15, 2010 WA SB 6562 Expanding State University Tuition Authority Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 19)
Feb. 9, 2010 NY R 3904 Expelling Senator Hiram Monserrate from the Senate Resolution Passed - Senate (53 - 8)
Date No. Title Outcome
10/18 S Amdt 2062 Congressional Pay Raise Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (92 - 6)
7/29 HR 2985 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2006 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (96 - 4)
7/01 HR 4454 Legislative Branch FY95 Appropriations bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (73 - 27)
7/21 HR 4112 Legislative Branch FY99 Appropriations bill Bill Passed - Senate (90 - 9)
2/06 SJR 7 Extension of Term Limits Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (17 - 18)
4/23 S J Res 21 Term Limits bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 42)
4/05 S 355 Restructuring the Department of Transportation Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 18)
8/02 S 1 Lobbying and Donation Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (83 - 14)
9/18 S 1257 District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 42)
10/31 SB 229 2007-2008 Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 8)
1/24 GN Baker Matt Baker to the Public Utilities Commission Nomination Confirmed - Senate (21 - 13)
2/21 HB 1250 Legislative Pay Raise Bill Tabled - Senate (29 - 4)
3/24 HB 859 Salary Adjustments for State Officials Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 3)
3/12 HB 600 State Retirement System Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 3)
3/13 S Amdt 4347 Earmark Moratorium Motion Rejected - Senate (29 - 71)
3/18 HB 1297 Supplemental Department of Public Safety Funding Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9)
4/23 HB 2017 Legislative Approval for Regulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7)
5/29 S Amdt 3870 Legislator Financial Disclosures Amendment Rejected - Senate (5 - 29)
6/10 SB 672 Legislative Pay Increase Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16)
6/23 S 1962 State Worker Retirement and Health Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 8)
9/14 S Amdt 1670 Special Committee on Contracts in Afghanistan and Iraq Motion Rejected - Senate (44 - 53)
1/05 S Amdt 1 Filibuster Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (76 - 19)
7/25 HR 5121 Legislative Branch Appropriation, FY2003 Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 14)
7/11 HR 2657 Emergency Supplemental Appropriation, FY 2003 bill Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 7)
6/16 HR 1905 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2000 Bill Passed - Senate (95 - 4)
6/25 S Amdt 2981 Military Closure Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (48 - 45)
9/15 S Amdt 1678 Hurricane Katrina Relief Amendment Motion Rejected - Senate (43 - 52)
9/21 HR 4755 Legislative Branch FY2005 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (94 - 2)
10/23 S Amdt 1904 Congressional Pay Raise Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (60 - 34)
7/23 HR 2348 Legislative Branch FY94 Appropriations Bill Bill Passed - Senate (85 - 7)
1/14 SR 14 Majority Vote Requirement for Voter ID Bill Consideration Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
2/02 SJ 7 Statement of Opposition to Expansion of EPA Jurisdiction (H.R. 2421) Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (32 - 18)
2/06 SB 187 Limitations on Redistricting Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23)
2/09 SJR 3 Extending Senate Terms and Legislative Term-Limits Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
2/26 S 160 Washington DC Voting Act Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37)
2/19 SB 15 Limiting Per Diem Payments to Legislators Motion Agreed - Senate (37 - 11)
3/05 SB 200 Reorganization of State Transportation Authorities Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 25)
3/19 HB 393 Opening Conference Committees to the Public Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 8)
2/25 SB 141 Allowing Increase of Penalties for Convicted Public Officials Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 12)
3/11 HB 345 Regulating Former Lawmakers in Lobbying Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13)
9/23 SJR 5 Redistricting Commission Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (21 - 12)
9/30 HR 2918 Continuing Appropriations Resolution and 2009-2010 Legislative Appropriations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (62 - 38)
10/09 HB 1614 Fiscal Code Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 14)
12/17 HB 318 Tax Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15)
2/08 SB 531 Legislative Finance Committee Review of Confidential Information Veto Override Passed - Senate (34 - 8)
1/13 SB 51 Legislator Pension Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17)
1/11 A 4378 Exception to the Ban on Former State Employees Working for the Casino Industry Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)
1/26 S Amdt 3302 Establishing a Federal Budget Deficit Commission Amendment Rejected - Senate (53 - 46)
2/15 SB 6562 Expanding State University Tuition Authority Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 19)
2/09 R 3904 Expelling Senator Hiram Monserrate from the Senate Resolution Passed - Senate (53 - 8)

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