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
Aug. 31, 2020 CA SB 629 Establishes Legal Protection for Journalists Attending Protest Demonstrations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 2)
Aug. 31, 2020 CA SB 1102 Requires Employers to Provide H-2A Employees with a Written Notice of their Rights Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 10)
Aug. 31, 2020 CA AB 2542 Prohibits Racial Discrimination in Criminal Courts Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 10)
Aug. 29, 2020 CA AB 979 Requires Corporations to Have Directors From Under-Represented Groups Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8)
June 18, 2020 CA AB 1460 Requires Ethnic Studies Course Completion in State Universities Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5)
Aug. 29, 2020 CA AB 3121 Establishes a Task Force for Reparations to African Americans Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 3)
Aug. 30, 2020 CA AB 1196 Prohibits Law Enforcement Agencies from Authorizing the Use of Carotid Restraints or Choke Holds Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 1)
June 24, 2020 CA ACA 5 Establishes Constitutional Amendment Repealing Prohibition on Affirmative Action Policies Amendment Adopted - Senate (30 - 10)
Feb. 28, 2020 CO HB 20-1048 Establishes the CROWN Act Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
Feb. 4, 2020 CO SB 20-83 Prohibits Civil Arrests on Courthouse Grounds Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 13)
June 25, 2020 DE SB 260 Appropriates Funding for Nonprofit Grants-In-Aid Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 0)
March 11, 2020 FL HB 1213 Requires Adding Ocoee Riots to School Curriculum Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0)
June 23, 2020 GA HB 426 Increase Penalties for Bias-Motivated Crime Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 6)
Feb. 3, 2020 GA SR 554 Expresses Support for Iranian People Resolution Passed - Senate (31 - 17)
March 3, 2020 IA SF 2348 Requires Restitution Payment from Felons for Restoration of Voting Rights Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 11)
Feb. 27, 2020 KY SB 62 Authorizes the Restoration of Voting Rights 5 Years After Completion of Sentence for Certain Felonies Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 7)
July 14, 2020 MA S 2800 Amends Police Standards and Restructures Policing Resources Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 7)
July 28, 2020 MA S 2844 Repeals Previous Restrictions on Students with Disabilities Attending Universities of Higher Education Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 0)
March 16, 2020 MD HB 1444 Prohibits Race-Based Hairstyle Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 0)
Dec. 9, 2020 MI SB 1252 Appropriates $600 Million to the Flint Water Settlement Trust Fund Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 0)
June 4, 2020 MI SB 945 Requires Implicit Bias and De-Escalation Training for Law Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 0)
June 17, 2020 MS HB 1295 Prohibits Abortions for Reasons of Race, Sex, or Genetic Abnormality Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 11)
Aug. 11, 2020 NE LB 1060 Prohibits Racial Discrimination in the Workplace Based on Certain Hair Textures and Styles Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 12)
March 12, 2020 NH HB 1660 Establishes a Protective Order for Vulnerable Adults "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 10)
June 16, 2020 NH HB 1582 Establishes the Veterans Bill of Rights Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 0)
Date No. Title Outcome
8/31 SB 629 Establishes Legal Protection for Journalists Attending Protest Demonstrations Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 2)
8/31 SB 1102 Requires Employers to Provide H-2A Employees with a Written Notice of their Rights Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 10)
8/31 AB 2542 Prohibits Racial Discrimination in Criminal Courts Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 10)
8/29 AB 979 Requires Corporations to Have Directors From Under-Represented Groups Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8)
6/18 AB 1460 Requires Ethnic Studies Course Completion in State Universities Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5)
8/29 AB 3121 Establishes a Task Force for Reparations to African Americans Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 3)
8/30 AB 1196 Prohibits Law Enforcement Agencies from Authorizing the Use of Carotid Restraints or Choke Holds Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 1)
6/24 ACA 5 Establishes Constitutional Amendment Repealing Prohibition on Affirmative Action Policies Amendment Adopted - Senate (30 - 10)
2/28 HB 20-1048 Establishes the CROWN Act Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
2/04 SB 20-83 Prohibits Civil Arrests on Courthouse Grounds Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 13)
6/25 SB 260 Appropriates Funding for Nonprofit Grants-In-Aid Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 0)
3/11 HB 1213 Requires Adding Ocoee Riots to School Curriculum Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0)
6/23 HB 426 Increase Penalties for Bias-Motivated Crime Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 6)
2/03 SR 554 Expresses Support for Iranian People Resolution Passed - Senate (31 - 17)
3/03 SF 2348 Requires Restitution Payment from Felons for Restoration of Voting Rights Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 11)
2/27 SB 62 Authorizes the Restoration of Voting Rights 5 Years After Completion of Sentence for Certain Felonies Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 7)
7/14 S 2800 Amends Police Standards and Restructures Policing Resources Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 7)
7/28 S 2844 Repeals Previous Restrictions on Students with Disabilities Attending Universities of Higher Education Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 0)
3/16 HB 1444 Prohibits Race-Based Hairstyle Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 0)
12/09 SB 1252 Appropriates $600 Million to the Flint Water Settlement Trust Fund Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 0)
6/04 SB 945 Requires Implicit Bias and De-Escalation Training for Law Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 0)
6/17 HB 1295 Prohibits Abortions for Reasons of Race, Sex, or Genetic Abnormality Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 11)
8/11 LB 1060 Prohibits Racial Discrimination in the Workplace Based on Certain Hair Textures and Styles Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 12)
3/12 HB 1660 Establishes a Protective Order for Vulnerable Adults "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 10)
6/16 HB 1582 Establishes the Veterans Bill of Rights Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 0)

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