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
Feb. 10, 2010 WA HB 1956 Limiting Local Regulations of Homeless Shelters Bill Passed - House (57 - 39)
Jan. 28, 2010 CA SB 810 Statewide Single Payer Health Care System Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14)
Jan. 28, 2010 WI SB 263 Expanding Access to Public Defenders Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12)
Feb. 8, 2010 UT HB 18 Expanding Unemployment Insurance Eligibility Bill Passed - House (46 - 28)
Feb. 13, 2010 NM SB 10 Limiting Food Tax Deduction to Staple Foods Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 19)
March 10, 2010 National HR 4213 Extending Unemployment Benefits and Certain Tax Credits Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 36)
Feb. 24, 2010 IL HB 4654 Limiting Free Mass Transit for Seniors Bill Passed - House (83 - 27)
March 3, 2010 WY SF 61 Establishing Health Care Demonstration Project Bill Passed - House (42 - 16)
March 22, 2010 WA HB 2782 Limiting Disability Benefits Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 40)
March 22, 2010 WA HB 2782 Limiting Disability Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 16)
April 15, 2010 National HR 4851 Unemployment Benefits Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - House (289 - 112)
April 15, 2010 National HR 4851 Unemployment Benefits Extension Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 38)
April 19, 2010 FL HB 7223 HMO Plans for Medicaid Coverage Bill Passed - House (80 - 34)
April 20, 2010 WI SB 484 BadgerCare Plus Basic Health Plan Bill Passed - House (50 - 47)
April 21, 2010 GA HB 1198 Tax Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16)
April 28, 2010 LA HB 617 Expanding Drug Testing Requirements for Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - House (61 - 27)
April 21, 2010 VA Amdt 28 Reducing Funding for Comprehensive Services for At Risk Youth and Families Amendment Rejected - House (25 - 69)
May 28, 2010 National HR 4213 Unemployment Benefits Extension and Tax Law Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (215 - 204)
May 13, 2010 CA AB 1756 Food Stamps for Drug Felons Bill Passed - House (44 - 31)
April 29, 2010 MO HB 2011 2010-2011 Department of Social Services Budget Conference Report Adopted - House (93 - 63)
July 22, 2010 National HR 4213 Unemployment Benefits Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - House (272 - 152)
July 21, 2010 National HR 4213 Unemployment Benefits Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (59 - 39)
July 20, 2010 National HR 4213 Unemployment Benefits Extension Cloture Invoked - Senate (60 - 40)
July 1, 2010 National HR 5618 Unemployment Benefits Extension Bill Passed - House (270 - 153)
April 28, 2010 MA Sánchez Amdt Sending Public Benefits Amendment to Study Amendment Adopted - House (83 - 75)
Nov. 18, 2010 National HR 6419 Extension of Certain Unemployment Benefits Bill Failed - House (258 - 154)
Dec. 13, 2010 NJ S 1 Low-Income Housing Amendments and Abolishing the Council on Affordable Housing Bill Passed - House (43 - 32)
Date No. Title Outcome
2/10 HB 1956 Limiting Local Regulations of Homeless Shelters Bill Passed - House (57 - 39)
1/28 SB 810 Statewide Single Payer Health Care System Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14)
1/28 SB 263 Expanding Access to Public Defenders Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12)
2/08 HB 18 Expanding Unemployment Insurance Eligibility Bill Passed - House (46 - 28)
2/13 SB 10 Limiting Food Tax Deduction to Staple Foods Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 19)
3/10 HR 4213 Extending Unemployment Benefits and Certain Tax Credits Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 36)
2/24 HB 4654 Limiting Free Mass Transit for Seniors Bill Passed - House (83 - 27)
3/03 SF 61 Establishing Health Care Demonstration Project Bill Passed - House (42 - 16)
3/22 HB 2782 Limiting Disability Benefits Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 40)
3/22 HB 2782 Limiting Disability Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 16)
4/15 HR 4851 Unemployment Benefits Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - House (289 - 112)
4/15 HR 4851 Unemployment Benefits Extension Bill Passed - Senate (59 - 38)
4/19 HB 7223 HMO Plans for Medicaid Coverage Bill Passed - House (80 - 34)
4/20 SB 484 BadgerCare Plus Basic Health Plan Bill Passed - House (50 - 47)
4/21 HB 1198 Tax Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16)
4/28 HB 617 Expanding Drug Testing Requirements for Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - House (61 - 27)
4/21 Amdt 28 Reducing Funding for Comprehensive Services for At Risk Youth and Families Amendment Rejected - House (25 - 69)
5/28 HR 4213 Unemployment Benefits Extension and Tax Law Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (215 - 204)
5/13 AB 1756 Food Stamps for Drug Felons Bill Passed - House (44 - 31)
4/29 HB 2011 2010-2011 Department of Social Services Budget Conference Report Adopted - House (93 - 63)
7/22 HR 4213 Unemployment Benefits Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - House (272 - 152)
7/21 HR 4213 Unemployment Benefits Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (59 - 39)
7/20 HR 4213 Unemployment Benefits Extension Cloture Invoked - Senate (60 - 40)
7/01 HR 5618 Unemployment Benefits Extension Bill Passed - House (270 - 153)
4/28 Sánchez Amdt Sending Public Benefits Amendment to Study Amendment Adopted - House (83 - 75)
11/18 HR 6419 Extension of Certain Unemployment Benefits Bill Failed - House (258 - 154)
12/13 S 1 Low-Income Housing Amendments and Abolishing the Council on Affordable Housing Bill Passed - House (43 - 32)

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