Key Votes

Chamber

Keyword Search

Search string must be longer than 3 characters.

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
July 5, 2011 CA SB 48 Requires Teaching Gay History Bill Passed - House (50 - 26)
May 31, 2011 IL HB 1490 Regulates Full-Contact Martial Arts Events Concurrence Vote Passed - House (69 - 45)
May 26, 2011 IL HB 1490 Regulates Full-Contact Martial Arts Events Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 8)
May 23, 2011 NY S 1707 Authorizes Mixed Martial Arts Events Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 18)
May 9, 2011 NJ A 3699 Prohibiting the Burial of Petty's Run Archaeological Excavation Site Bill Passed - House (45 - 29)
April 26, 2011 GA HB 234 Reduces Sales Taxes for Tourism Projects Concurrence Vote Passed - House (90 - 73)
April 20, 2011 WA SB 5622 Recreation Access on State Lands Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14)
April 14, 2011 CA SB 48 Requires Teaching Gay History Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
April 12, 2011 GA HB 234 Reduces Sales Taxes for Tourism Projects Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 10)
April 1, 2011 TX H Amdt 6 Appropriations for the Department of Aging and Disability Services Amendment Adopted - House (67 - 61)
March 17, 2011 National HR 1076 Prohibiting Federal Funding of National Public Radio Bill Passed - House (228 - 192)
March 2, 2011 NM HB 607 Film Production Tax Credit Bill Passed - House (53 - 17)
Feb. 18, 2011 National H Amdt 92 Prohibiting the Use of Federal Funds for NASCAR Sponsorships Amendment Rejected - House (148 - 281)
Feb. 4, 2011 WV HB 2562 Legalizing Mixed Martial Arts Bill Passed - House (55 - 37)
Date No. Title Outcome
7/05 SB 48 Requires Teaching Gay History Bill Passed - House (50 - 26)
5/31 HB 1490 Regulates Full-Contact Martial Arts Events Concurrence Vote Passed - House (69 - 45)
5/26 HB 1490 Regulates Full-Contact Martial Arts Events Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 8)
5/23 S 1707 Authorizes Mixed Martial Arts Events Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 18)
5/09 A 3699 Prohibiting the Burial of Petty's Run Archaeological Excavation Site Bill Passed - House (45 - 29)
4/26 HB 234 Reduces Sales Taxes for Tourism Projects Concurrence Vote Passed - House (90 - 73)
4/20 SB 5622 Recreation Access on State Lands Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14)
4/14 SB 48 Requires Teaching Gay History Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
4/12 HB 234 Reduces Sales Taxes for Tourism Projects Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 10)
4/01 H Amdt 6 Appropriations for the Department of Aging and Disability Services Amendment Adopted - House (67 - 61)
3/17 HR 1076 Prohibiting Federal Funding of National Public Radio Bill Passed - House (228 - 192)
3/02 HB 607 Film Production Tax Credit Bill Passed - House (53 - 17)
2/18 H Amdt 92 Prohibiting the Use of Federal Funds for NASCAR Sponsorships Amendment Rejected - House (148 - 281)
2/04 HB 2562 Legalizing Mixed Martial Arts Bill Passed - House (55 - 37)

arrow_upward