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:
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.
Date | State | Bill No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|---|
Jan. 12, 2006 | MS | HB 409 | Seat Belt Law | Bill Passed - House (95 - 25) |
Jan. 12, 2006 | MS | HB 409 | Seat Belt Law | Bill Passed - House (95 - 25) |
Jan. 27, 2006 | MS | HB 409 | Seat Belt Law | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 4) |
Jan. 27, 2006 | MS | HB 409 | Seat Belt Law | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 4) |
March 8, 2006 | MS | SB 2511 | Parole Eligibility for First-Time Nonviolent Offenders Under Twenty-Five | Bill Passed - House (67 - 51) |
March 8, 2006 | MS | SB 2511 | Parole Eligibility for First-Time Nonviolent Offenders Under Twenty-Five | Bill Passed - House (67 - 51) |
Feb. 7, 2006 | MS | SB 2511 | Parole Eligibility for First-Time Nonviolent Offenders Under Twenty-Five | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18) |
Feb. 7, 2006 | MS | SB 2511 | Parole Eligibility for First-Time Nonviolent Offenders Under Twenty-Five | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18) |
Feb. 3, 2006 | MS | HB 1089 | Deer Baiting | Bill Passed - House (63 - 46) |
Feb. 7, 2006 | MS | HB 300 - Amendment 1 | Marriage Counseling Requirement | Amendment Rejected - House (45 - 74) |
Feb. 7, 2006 | MS | HB 1090 | Juvenile Sentencing | Bill Passed - House (74 - 48) |
Feb. 7, 2006 | MS | HB 1090 | Juvenile Sentencing | Bill Passed - House (74 - 48) |
March 8, 2006 | MS | HB 1089 | Wildlife Feeding Regulation | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 12) |
Feb. 7, 2007 | MS | SB 2617 | Voter Identification Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 15) |
March 31, 2008 | MS | HB 1089 | Legalizing Deer Baiting | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 51) |
March 19, 2008 | MS | HB 1089 | Legalizing Deer Baiting | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 24) |
Feb. 21, 2008 | MS | HB 1089 | Legalizing Deer Baiting | Bill Passed - House (74 - 47) |
Feb. 21, 2008 | MS | SB 2468 | Voter Identification | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 18) |
Feb. 25, 2008 | MS | HB 729 | Parole Eligibility for Non-Violent Offenders | Bill Passed - House (69 - 52) |
Feb. 25, 2008 | MS | HB 729 | Parole Eligibility for Non-Violent Offenders | Bill Passed - House (69 - 52) |
Feb. 27, 2008 | MS | SB 2206 | Radar Speed Detection | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
March 5, 2008 | MS | SB 2988 | Prohibiting Employment of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (112 - 8) |
March 19, 2008 | MS | SB 2264 | Authorizing Wire-tapping Out of State | Bill Passed - House (97 - 21) |
March 27, 2008 | MS | HB 520 | Reporting Sexual Activity of Minors | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 41) |
May 22, 2008 | MS | SB 2004 | Voter Identification Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
Feb. 11, 2009 | MS | HB 1533 | Election Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (78 - 44) |
Feb. 4, 2009 | MS | SB 2548 | Identification Requirements to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
March 14, 2012 | MS | HB 488 | Immigration Enforcement | Bill Passed - House (70 - 47) |
April 10, 2012 | MS | SB 2771 | Expands Penalties for Child Homicide | Bill Passed - House (83 - 34) |
April 26, 2012 | MS | HB 921 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 39) |
April 10, 2012 | MS | HB 921 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14) |
April 3, 2013 | MS | SB 2659 | Establishes a Grant for School Resource Officers in Schools | Conference Report Adopted - House (80 - 36) |
Feb. 13, 2014 | MS | H Amdt 1 | Exempts Pregnancies that Result from Rape or Incest from 20 Week Abortion Prohibition | Amendment Rejected - House (40 - 73) |
March 31, 2015 | MS | SB 2804 | Authorizes Dismissal of Department of Corrections Employees | Conference Report Adopted - House (62 - 58) |
Feb. 12, 2015 | MS | HB 1338 | Authorizes Lawsuits for "Wrongful Death" of a Fetus | Bill Passed - House (78 - 37) |
Feb. 17, 2016 | MS | HB 786 | Authorizes Designated Individuals to Carry Firearms in Church | Bill Passed - House (85 - 33) |
Feb. 16, 2016 | MS | HB 578 | Establishes Civil and Criminal Immunity for Individuals who Report Suspicious Terrorist Activity | Bill Passed - House (89 - 30) |
Feb. 29, 2016 | MS | HB 782 | Prohibits Enforcement of Certain Law Relating to Firearms | Bill Passed - House (75 - 46) |
March 1, 2016 | MS | HB 738 | Amends Attorney General Hiring and Filing Oversight Processes | Bill Passed - House (61 - 60) |
March 3, 2016 | MS | SB 2306 | Prohibits Establishment of Sanctuary Cities | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 14) |
March 25, 2016 | MS | SB 2237 | Establishes Identity Protections for Execution Teams | Bill Passed - House (79 - 40) |
March 1, 2016 | MS | SB 2237 | Establishes Identity Protections for Execution Teams | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
Jan. 26, 2017 | MS | SB 2469 | Classifies the Targeting of Law Enforcement as a Hate Crime | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 13) |
Jan. 26, 2017 | MS | SB 2469 | Classifies the Targeting of Law Enforcement as a Hate Crime | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 13) |
Feb. 6, 2017 | MS | HB 645 | Classifies Killing of First Responders as First-Degree Murder | Bill Passed - House (85 - 31) |
Feb. 6, 2017 | MS | HB 645 | Classifies Killing of First Responders as First-Degree Murder | Bill Passed - House (85 - 31) |
March 28, 2017 | MS | HB 638 | Authorizes Alternative Methods of Execution | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 10) |
March 26, 2017 | MS | HB 638 | Authorizes Alternative Methods of Execution | Conference Report Adopted - House (78 - 43) |
March 2, 2017 | MS | HB 638 | Authorizes Alternative Methods of Execution | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 13) |
Feb. 8, 2017 | MS | HB 638 | Authorizes Alternative Methods of Execution | Bill Passed - House (74 - 44) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
1/12 | HB 409 | Seat Belt Law | Bill Passed - House (95 - 25) |
1/12 | HB 409 | Seat Belt Law | Bill Passed - House (95 - 25) |
1/27 | HB 409 | Seat Belt Law | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 4) |
1/27 | HB 409 | Seat Belt Law | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 4) |
3/08 | SB 2511 | Parole Eligibility for First-Time Nonviolent Offenders Under Twenty-Five | Bill Passed - House (67 - 51) |
3/08 | SB 2511 | Parole Eligibility for First-Time Nonviolent Offenders Under Twenty-Five | Bill Passed - House (67 - 51) |
2/07 | SB 2511 | Parole Eligibility for First-Time Nonviolent Offenders Under Twenty-Five | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18) |
2/07 | SB 2511 | Parole Eligibility for First-Time Nonviolent Offenders Under Twenty-Five | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18) |
2/03 | HB 1089 | Deer Baiting | Bill Passed - House (63 - 46) |
2/07 | HB 300 - Amendment 1 | Marriage Counseling Requirement | Amendment Rejected - House (45 - 74) |
2/07 | HB 1090 | Juvenile Sentencing | Bill Passed - House (74 - 48) |
2/07 | HB 1090 | Juvenile Sentencing | Bill Passed - House (74 - 48) |
3/08 | HB 1089 | Wildlife Feeding Regulation | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 12) |
2/07 | SB 2617 | Voter Identification Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 15) |
3/31 | HB 1089 | Legalizing Deer Baiting | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 51) |
3/19 | HB 1089 | Legalizing Deer Baiting | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 24) |
2/21 | HB 1089 | Legalizing Deer Baiting | Bill Passed - House (74 - 47) |
2/21 | SB 2468 | Voter Identification | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 18) |
2/25 | HB 729 | Parole Eligibility for Non-Violent Offenders | Bill Passed - House (69 - 52) |
2/25 | HB 729 | Parole Eligibility for Non-Violent Offenders | Bill Passed - House (69 - 52) |
2/27 | SB 2206 | Radar Speed Detection | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
3/05 | SB 2988 | Prohibiting Employment of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (112 - 8) |
3/19 | SB 2264 | Authorizing Wire-tapping Out of State | Bill Passed - House (97 - 21) |
3/27 | HB 520 | Reporting Sexual Activity of Minors | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 41) |
5/22 | SB 2004 | Voter Identification Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
2/11 | HB 1533 | Election Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (78 - 44) |
2/04 | SB 2548 | Identification Requirements to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
3/14 | HB 488 | Immigration Enforcement | Bill Passed - House (70 - 47) |
4/10 | SB 2771 | Expands Penalties for Child Homicide | Bill Passed - House (83 - 34) |
4/26 | HB 921 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 39) |
4/10 | HB 921 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14) |
4/03 | SB 2659 | Establishes a Grant for School Resource Officers in Schools | Conference Report Adopted - House (80 - 36) |
2/13 | H Amdt 1 | Exempts Pregnancies that Result from Rape or Incest from 20 Week Abortion Prohibition | Amendment Rejected - House (40 - 73) |
3/31 | SB 2804 | Authorizes Dismissal of Department of Corrections Employees | Conference Report Adopted - House (62 - 58) |
2/12 | HB 1338 | Authorizes Lawsuits for "Wrongful Death" of a Fetus | Bill Passed - House (78 - 37) |
2/17 | HB 786 | Authorizes Designated Individuals to Carry Firearms in Church | Bill Passed - House (85 - 33) |
2/16 | HB 578 | Establishes Civil and Criminal Immunity for Individuals who Report Suspicious Terrorist Activity | Bill Passed - House (89 - 30) |
2/29 | HB 782 | Prohibits Enforcement of Certain Law Relating to Firearms | Bill Passed - House (75 - 46) |
3/01 | HB 738 | Amends Attorney General Hiring and Filing Oversight Processes | Bill Passed - House (61 - 60) |
3/03 | SB 2306 | Prohibits Establishment of Sanctuary Cities | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 14) |
3/25 | SB 2237 | Establishes Identity Protections for Execution Teams | Bill Passed - House (79 - 40) |
3/01 | SB 2237 | Establishes Identity Protections for Execution Teams | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
1/26 | SB 2469 | Classifies the Targeting of Law Enforcement as a Hate Crime | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 13) |
1/26 | SB 2469 | Classifies the Targeting of Law Enforcement as a Hate Crime | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 13) |
2/06 | HB 645 | Classifies Killing of First Responders as First-Degree Murder | Bill Passed - House (85 - 31) |
2/06 | HB 645 | Classifies Killing of First Responders as First-Degree Murder | Bill Passed - House (85 - 31) |
3/28 | HB 638 | Authorizes Alternative Methods of Execution | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 10) |
3/26 | HB 638 | Authorizes Alternative Methods of Execution | Conference Report Adopted - House (78 - 43) |
3/02 | HB 638 | Authorizes Alternative Methods of Execution | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 13) |
2/08 | HB 638 | Authorizes Alternative Methods of Execution | Bill Passed - House (74 - 44) |