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. 31, 2012 | NY | S 5560-A | Requires DNA Testing of All Persons Convicted of Certain Crimes | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 10) |
July 1, 2010 | NY | S 1523 | Allowing Unmarried Partners to Adopt a Child | Bill Passed - House (95 - 44) |
June 29, 2010 | NY | S 5620 | Reducing Drug Penalties for Offenders with Hypodermic Syringes | Bill Passed - House (93 - 52) |
June 29, 2010 | NY | S 5620 | Reducing Drug Penalties for Offenders with Hypodermic Syringes | Bill Passed - House (93 - 52) |
June 24, 2010 | NY | S 1523 | Allowing Unmarried Partners to Adopt a Child | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 21) |
June 15, 2010 | NY | S 5620 | Reducing Drug Penalties for Offenders with Hypodermic Syringes | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 18) |
June 15, 2010 | NY | S 5620 | Reducing Drug Penalties for Offenders with Hypodermic Syringes | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 18) |
March 16, 2010 | NY | A 7575 | Prohibiting Domestic Violence Offenders from Possessing Firearms | Bill Passed - House (89 - 53) |
March 16, 2010 | NY | A 7575 | Prohibiting Domestic Violence Offenders from Possessing Firearms | Bill Passed - House (89 - 53) |
March 2, 2010 | NY | A 5710 | Prohibiting Gender Identity Discrimination | Bill Passed - House (100 - 43) |
Dec. 2, 2009 | NY | A 40003 | Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (88 - 51) |
Dec. 2, 2009 | NY | A 40003 | Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 38) |
May 20, 2009 | NY | S 1290 | Anti-Shackling Bill | Bill Passed - House (119 - 21) |
May 12, 2009 | NY | A 7732 | Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (89 - 52) |
April 28, 2009 | NY | A 801 | Renewal Requirement for Pistol and Revolver Licenses | Bill Passed - House (87 - 58) |
April 28, 2009 | NY | A 6468 | Microstamping Requirement for Semiautomatic Pistols | Bill Passed - House (94 - 47) |
June 18, 2008 | NY | S 4632 | Reinstate the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 21) |
June 12, 2008 | NY | S 2375 | DNA Database Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 9) |
June 12, 2008 | NY | S 2375 | DNA Database Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 9) |
June 19, 2007 | NY | A 8590 | Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (85 - 61) |
May 14, 2007 | NY | S 319 | Death Penalty For Certain Murders | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 24) |
May 14, 2007 | NY | S 319 | Death Penalty For Certain Murders | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 24) |
March 6, 2007 | NY | S 3318 | Sex Offender Management and Treatment Act | Bill Passed - House (127 - 19) |
March 5, 2007 | NY | S 3318 | Sex Offender Management and Treatment Act | Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 8) |
June 21, 2006 | NY | S 8446 | DNA Database Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 2) |
June 21, 2006 | NY | S 8446 | DNA Database Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 2) |
June 13, 2006 | NY | S 6771 | Death Penalty and Life Imprisonment Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 23) |
May 8, 2006 | NY | A 8098 | Drug Law Reform and Drug Treatment | Bill Passed - House (81 - 59) |
May 8, 2006 | NY | A 8098 | Drug Law Reform and Drug Treatment | Bill Passed - House (81 - 59) |
May 8, 2006 | NY | A 8098 | Drug Law Reform and Drug Treatment | Bill Passed - House (81 - 59) |
Jan. 9, 2006 | NY | A 2302 | Childproof Firearms Sales | Bill Passed - House (91 - 44) |
Jan. 9, 2006 | NY | A 2466 | Assault Weapon Definition Amendments | Bill Passed - House (87 - 47) |
Jan. 9, 2006 | NY | A 2466 | Assault Weapon Definition Amendments | Bill Passed - House (87 - 47) |
Jan. 9, 2006 | NY | A 2302 | Childproof Firearms Sales | Bill Passed - House (91 - 44) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
1/31 | S 5560-A | Requires DNA Testing of All Persons Convicted of Certain Crimes | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 10) |
7/01 | S 1523 | Allowing Unmarried Partners to Adopt a Child | Bill Passed - House (95 - 44) |
6/29 | S 5620 | Reducing Drug Penalties for Offenders with Hypodermic Syringes | Bill Passed - House (93 - 52) |
6/29 | S 5620 | Reducing Drug Penalties for Offenders with Hypodermic Syringes | Bill Passed - House (93 - 52) |
6/24 | S 1523 | Allowing Unmarried Partners to Adopt a Child | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 21) |
6/15 | S 5620 | Reducing Drug Penalties for Offenders with Hypodermic Syringes | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 18) |
6/15 | S 5620 | Reducing Drug Penalties for Offenders with Hypodermic Syringes | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 18) |
3/16 | A 7575 | Prohibiting Domestic Violence Offenders from Possessing Firearms | Bill Passed - House (89 - 53) |
3/16 | A 7575 | Prohibiting Domestic Violence Offenders from Possessing Firearms | Bill Passed - House (89 - 53) |
3/02 | A 5710 | Prohibiting Gender Identity Discrimination | Bill Passed - House (100 - 43) |
12/02 | A 40003 | Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (88 - 51) |
12/02 | A 40003 | Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 38) |
5/20 | S 1290 | Anti-Shackling Bill | Bill Passed - House (119 - 21) |
5/12 | A 7732 | Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (89 - 52) |
4/28 | A 801 | Renewal Requirement for Pistol and Revolver Licenses | Bill Passed - House (87 - 58) |
4/28 | A 6468 | Microstamping Requirement for Semiautomatic Pistols | Bill Passed - House (94 - 47) |
6/18 | S 4632 | Reinstate the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 21) |
6/12 | S 2375 | DNA Database Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 9) |
6/12 | S 2375 | DNA Database Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 9) |
6/19 | A 8590 | Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (85 - 61) |
5/14 | S 319 | Death Penalty For Certain Murders | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 24) |
5/14 | S 319 | Death Penalty For Certain Murders | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 24) |
3/06 | S 3318 | Sex Offender Management and Treatment Act | Bill Passed - House (127 - 19) |
3/05 | S 3318 | Sex Offender Management and Treatment Act | Bill Passed - Senate (53 - 8) |
6/21 | S 8446 | DNA Database Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 2) |
6/21 | S 8446 | DNA Database Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (56 - 2) |
6/13 | S 6771 | Death Penalty and Life Imprisonment Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 23) |
5/08 | A 8098 | Drug Law Reform and Drug Treatment | Bill Passed - House (81 - 59) |
5/08 | A 8098 | Drug Law Reform and Drug Treatment | Bill Passed - House (81 - 59) |
5/08 | A 8098 | Drug Law Reform and Drug Treatment | Bill Passed - House (81 - 59) |
1/09 | A 2302 | Childproof Firearms Sales | Bill Passed - House (91 - 44) |
1/09 | A 2466 | Assault Weapon Definition Amendments | Bill Passed - House (87 - 47) |
1/09 | A 2466 | Assault Weapon Definition Amendments | Bill Passed - House (87 - 47) |
1/09 | A 2302 | Childproof Firearms Sales | Bill Passed - House (91 - 44) |