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
Nov. 19, 2009 National PN 187 David F. Hamilton, Seventh Circuit Judge Nomination Confirmed - Senate (59 - 39)
Nov. 7, 2009 National H Amdt 510 Substitute Health Care and Insurance Law Amendments Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 258)
Oct. 6, 2009 National S Amdt 2588 Prohibiting Federal Funding of Mandatory Arbitration Contracts Amendment Adopted - Senate (68 - 30)
Sept. 11, 2009 CA SBx3 18 Correctional Law Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
Sept. 10, 2009 CA AB 2 Health Care Law Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 26)
Sept. 9, 2009 CA SB 54 Recognizing Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
Sept. 8, 2009 CA AB 2 Health Care Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13)
Sept. 4, 2009 CA AB 793 Clarifying Statute of Limitations for Wage Discrimination Lawsuits Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16)
Sept. 3, 2009 CA SB 54 Recognizing Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages Bill Passed - House (47 - 29)
Aug. 31, 2009 CA SBx3 18 Correctional Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (41 - 37)
Aug. 6, 2009 National PN 506 Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice Nomination Confirmed - Senate (68 - 31)
July 23, 2009 NC HB 524 Changing Local Annexation Laws Bill Passed - House (83 - 31)
July 6, 2009 NC SB 870 Making General Statutes Gender Neutral Motion Agreed - House (79 - 33)
June 21, 2009 LA HB 866 Publishing Legal Records Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 8)
June 12, 2009 OR SB 284 Extension of Statute of Ultimate Repose Bill Passed - House (34 - 24)
June 9, 2009 LA HB 866 Publishing Legal Records Bill Passed - House (53 - 40)
May 27, 2009 CT HB 6385 Probate Court System Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 7)
May 26, 2009 OR SB 284 Extension of Statute of Ultimate Repose Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13)
May 12, 2009 LA HB 60 Birth Certificates for Adoption Bill Passed - House (78 - 17)
May 11, 2009 TX HB 1736 Increasing Wrongful Conviction Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4)
May 4, 2009 VT Transportation Amendment to S 67 Selective Service Registration by Drivers License Amendment Rejected - House (60 - 68)
May 4, 2009 MN SF 341 Domestic Partner Death Rights Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 24)
May 1, 2009 FL HB 903 Capping Attorney Fees in Workers' Compensation Lawsuits Motion Agreed - Senate (22 - 16)
April 29, 2009 IN HB 1491 St. Joseph Superior Court Judges Conference Report Adopted - House (68 - 22)
April 29, 2009 IN HB 1491 St. Joseph Superior Court Judges Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 18)
Date No. Title Outcome
11/19 PN 187 David F. Hamilton, Seventh Circuit Judge Nomination Confirmed - Senate (59 - 39)
11/07 H Amdt 510 Substitute Health Care and Insurance Law Amendments Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 258)
10/06 S Amdt 2588 Prohibiting Federal Funding of Mandatory Arbitration Contracts Amendment Adopted - Senate (68 - 30)
9/11 SBx3 18 Correctional Law Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
9/10 AB 2 Health Care Law Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 26)
9/09 SB 54 Recognizing Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
9/08 AB 2 Health Care Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13)
9/04 AB 793 Clarifying Statute of Limitations for Wage Discrimination Lawsuits Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16)
9/03 SB 54 Recognizing Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages Bill Passed - House (47 - 29)
8/31 SBx3 18 Correctional Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (41 - 37)
8/06 PN 506 Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice Nomination Confirmed - Senate (68 - 31)
7/23 HB 524 Changing Local Annexation Laws Bill Passed - House (83 - 31)
7/06 SB 870 Making General Statutes Gender Neutral Motion Agreed - House (79 - 33)
6/21 HB 866 Publishing Legal Records Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 8)
6/12 SB 284 Extension of Statute of Ultimate Repose Bill Passed - House (34 - 24)
6/09 HB 866 Publishing Legal Records Bill Passed - House (53 - 40)
5/27 HB 6385 Probate Court System Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 7)
5/26 SB 284 Extension of Statute of Ultimate Repose Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13)
5/12 HB 60 Birth Certificates for Adoption Bill Passed - House (78 - 17)
5/11 HB 1736 Increasing Wrongful Conviction Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4)
5/04 Transportation Amendment to S 67 Selective Service Registration by Drivers License Amendment Rejected - House (60 - 68)
5/04 SF 341 Domestic Partner Death Rights Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 24)
5/01 HB 903 Capping Attorney Fees in Workers' Compensation Lawsuits Motion Agreed - Senate (22 - 16)
4/29 HB 1491 St. Joseph Superior Court Judges Conference Report Adopted - House (68 - 22)
4/29 HB 1491 St. Joseph Superior Court Judges Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 18)

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