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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dec. 17, 2010 | National | HR 5510 | Aiding Those Facing Foreclosure Act | Bill Failed - House (210 - 145) |
Nov. 17, 2010 | National | HR 3808 | Interstate Recognition of Notarizations Act of 2010 2 | Veto Override Failed - House (185 - 235) |
Nov. 17, 2010 | National | S 3772 | Paycheck Fairness Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 41) |
Aug. 24, 2010 | CA | SB 399 | Authorizing Youth Offenders to Appeal a Sentence of Life Without Parole | Bill Failed - House (34 - 38) |
Aug. 5, 2010 | National | PN 1768 | Elena Kagan, Associate Justice | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 37) |
July 30, 2010 | National | HR 5851 | "Whistleblower Protection" for Offshore Oil Workers | Bill Passed - House (315 - 93) |
July 21, 2010 | National | HR 725 | Tribal Law Enforcement Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (326 - 92) |
June 7, 2010 | LA | SB 731 | Authorizing Attorney General Contingency Fee Contracts. | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
June 3, 2010 | CA | SB 1113 | Income Tax Appeal Modifications | Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 20) |
June 2, 2010 | CA | SB 399 | Authorizing Youth Offenders to Appeal Life Without Parole Sentences | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
June 1, 2010 | CA | SB 1168 | Grand Juries for Misdemeanors in the County of Los Angeles | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
May 24, 2010 | OK | HJR 1056 | Prohibits Use of International and Sharia Law in State Courts | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 2) |
May 18, 2010 | OK | HJR 1056 | Prohibits Use of International and Sharia Law in State Courts | Conference Report Adopted - House (82 - 10) |
May 12, 2010 | CO | HB 1360 | Parole Violation Punishment Reduction | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (43 - 18) |
May 12, 2010 | MN | SF 341 | Domestic Partner Death Rights | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 24) |
May 12, 2010 | CO | HB 1360 | Parole Violation Punishment Reduction | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
May 11, 2010 | CO | HB 1408 | Criteria for Judicial Determinations of Congressional Districts | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
May 11, 2010 | MN | SF 341 | Domestic Partner Death Rights | Bill Passed - House (78 - 55) |
May 5, 2010 | CT | HJ 106 | Nomination of Laura Flynn Baldini to Judge of the Superior Court | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (25 - 9) |
May 5, 2010 | CT | HJ 106 | Nomination of Laura Flynn Baldini to Judge of the Superior Court | Nomination Confirmed - House (110 - 40) |
April 30, 2010 | CO | HB 1408 | Criteria for Judicial Determinations of Congressional Districts | Bill Passed - House (35 - 28) |
April 8, 2010 | AZ | HB 2650 | Authorizing Extension of Divorce Waiting Period | Bill Failed - House (27 - 28) |
April 8, 2010 | NE | LB 842 | Repealing Special Prosecutor Requirement for In-Custody Deaths | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 4) |
March 30, 2010 | KS | HB 2115 | Late-Term/Partial Birth Abortion Reporting Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - House (83 - 36) |
March 30, 2010 | KS | HB 2115 | Late-Term/Partial Birth Abortion Reporting Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (24 - 15) |
March 17, 2010 | GA | HB 982 | Amending Wage Garnishment Procedures for Late Taxpayers | Bill Passed - House (95 - 68) |
March 5, 2010 | MD | SB 248 | Increasing Civil Court Case Surcharges | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 11) |
Feb. 24, 2010 | WV | HB 4292 | Changes in Required Magistrate Qualifications | Bill Passed - House (61 - 37) |
Feb. 16, 2010 | NM | SB 216 | Repeal "Guilty but Mentally Ill" Plea | Bill Passed - House (40 - 21) |
Feb. 11, 2010 | NM | SB 216 | Repeal "Guilty but Mentally Ill" Plea | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 19) |
Feb. 9, 2010 | VA | HB 629 | Asbestos Lawsuit Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (49 - 48) |
Feb. 9, 2010 | NY | R 3904 | Expelling Senator Hiram Monserrate from the Senate | Resolution Passed - Senate (53 - 8) |
Feb. 3, 2010 | VA | HB 502 | Expanding Death Penalty Eligibility to Accomplices | Bill Passed - House (74 - 24) |
Jan. 28, 2010 | WI | SB 263 | Expanding Access to Public Defenders | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
12/17 | HR 5510 | Aiding Those Facing Foreclosure Act | Bill Failed - House (210 - 145) |
11/17 | HR 3808 | Interstate Recognition of Notarizations Act of 2010 2 | Veto Override Failed - House (185 - 235) |
11/17 | S 3772 | Paycheck Fairness Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 41) |
8/24 | SB 399 | Authorizing Youth Offenders to Appeal a Sentence of Life Without Parole | Bill Failed - House (34 - 38) |
8/05 | PN 1768 | Elena Kagan, Associate Justice | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (63 - 37) |
7/30 | HR 5851 | "Whistleblower Protection" for Offshore Oil Workers | Bill Passed - House (315 - 93) |
7/21 | HR 725 | Tribal Law Enforcement Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (326 - 92) |
6/07 | SB 731 | Authorizing Attorney General Contingency Fee Contracts. | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
6/03 | SB 1113 | Income Tax Appeal Modifications | Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 20) |
6/02 | SB 399 | Authorizing Youth Offenders to Appeal Life Without Parole Sentences | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
6/01 | SB 1168 | Grand Juries for Misdemeanors in the County of Los Angeles | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
5/24 | HJR 1056 | Prohibits Use of International and Sharia Law in State Courts | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 2) |
5/18 | HJR 1056 | Prohibits Use of International and Sharia Law in State Courts | Conference Report Adopted - House (82 - 10) |
5/12 | HB 1360 | Parole Violation Punishment Reduction | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (43 - 18) |
5/12 | SF 341 | Domestic Partner Death Rights | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 24) |
5/12 | HB 1360 | Parole Violation Punishment Reduction | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
5/11 | HB 1408 | Criteria for Judicial Determinations of Congressional Districts | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
5/11 | SF 341 | Domestic Partner Death Rights | Bill Passed - House (78 - 55) |
5/05 | HJ 106 | Nomination of Laura Flynn Baldini to Judge of the Superior Court | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (25 - 9) |
5/05 | HJ 106 | Nomination of Laura Flynn Baldini to Judge of the Superior Court | Nomination Confirmed - House (110 - 40) |
4/30 | HB 1408 | Criteria for Judicial Determinations of Congressional Districts | Bill Passed - House (35 - 28) |
4/08 | HB 2650 | Authorizing Extension of Divorce Waiting Period | Bill Failed - House (27 - 28) |
4/08 | LB 842 | Repealing Special Prosecutor Requirement for In-Custody Deaths | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 4) |
3/30 | HB 2115 | Late-Term/Partial Birth Abortion Reporting Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - House (83 - 36) |
3/30 | HB 2115 | Late-Term/Partial Birth Abortion Reporting Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (24 - 15) |
3/17 | HB 982 | Amending Wage Garnishment Procedures for Late Taxpayers | Bill Passed - House (95 - 68) |
3/05 | SB 248 | Increasing Civil Court Case Surcharges | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 11) |
2/24 | HB 4292 | Changes in Required Magistrate Qualifications | Bill Passed - House (61 - 37) |
2/16 | SB 216 | Repeal "Guilty but Mentally Ill" Plea | Bill Passed - House (40 - 21) |
2/11 | SB 216 | Repeal "Guilty but Mentally Ill" Plea | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 19) |
2/09 | HB 629 | Asbestos Lawsuit Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (49 - 48) |
2/09 | R 3904 | Expelling Senator Hiram Monserrate from the Senate | Resolution Passed - Senate (53 - 8) |
2/03 | HB 502 | Expanding Death Penalty Eligibility to Accomplices | Bill Passed - House (74 - 24) |
1/28 | SB 263 | Expanding Access to Public Defenders | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |