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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 24, 2012 | CA | AB 1081 | Prohibits Excessive Detention of Undocumented Immigrants | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (48 - 26) |
| Aug. 16, 2012 | CA | SB 9 | Sentence Reconsideration for Juvenile Offenders | Bill Passed - House (41 - 34) |
| May 31, 2012 | CA | AB 1436 | Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - House (47 - 26) |
| May 31, 2012 | CA | AB 1436 | Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - House (47 - 26) |
| May 29, 2012 | CA | AB 1447 | Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Sellers to Provide a Limited Warranty | Bill Passed - House (49 - 25) |
| May 3, 2012 | CA | AB 1527 | Prohibits Open Carry of Certain Unloaded Firearms | Bill Passed - House (44 - 29) |
| May 3, 2012 | CA | AB 1527 | Prohibits Open Carry of Certain Unloaded Firearms | Bill Passed - House (44 - 29) |
| April 12, 2012 | CA | AB 2127 | Authorizes Work Release for Certain Offenders | Bill Passed - House (48 - 24) |
| Jan. 30, 2012 | CA | AB 327 | Amends Three Strikes Law | Bill Failed - House (33 - 35) |
| July 14, 2011 | CA | SB 249 | Prohibits Firearms with Detachable Magazines | Bill Passed - House (48 - 21) |
| May 16, 2011 | CA | AB 144 | Concealed Weapons Bill | Bill Passed - House (46 - 29) |
| March 17, 2011 | CA | AB 109 | Criminal Justice Realignment | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 27) |
| Aug. 31, 2010 | CA | AB 2479 | Penalties for Violations Committed with the Intent to Capture Images or Recordings of a Person | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 21) |
| Aug. 31, 2010 | CA | AB 2479 | Penalties for Violations Committed with the Intent to Capture Images or Recordings of a Person | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 21) |
| Aug. 24, 2010 | CA | SB 399 | Authorizing Youth Offenders to Appeal a Sentence of Life Without Parole | Bill Failed - House (34 - 38) |
| Aug. 24, 2010 | CA | SB 399 | Authorizing Youth Offenders to Appeal a Sentence of Life Without Parole | Bill Failed - House (34 - 38) |
| June 3, 2010 | CA | AB 2479 | Penalties for Violations Committed with the Intent to Capture Images or Recordings of a Person | Bill Passed - House (56 - 16) |
| June 3, 2010 | CA | AB 2479 | Penalties for Violations Committed with the Intent to Capture Images or Recordings of a Person | Bill Passed - House (56 - 16) |
| June 3, 2010 | CA | AB 1810 | Expanded Firearm Registration | Bill Passed - House (42 - 29) |
| June 1, 2010 | CA | AB 1934 | Amendments to the Penal Code Regarding Firearms | Bill Passed - House (46 - 30) |
| May 13, 2010 | CA | AB 1756 | Food Stamps for Drug Felons | Bill Passed - House (44 - 31) |
| March 22, 2010 | CA | SB 4 | Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches | Bill Passed - House (42 - 27) |
| Sept. 10, 2009 | CA | AB 524 | Privacy Law Expansion | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 20) |
| Sept. 3, 2009 | CA | SB 572 | Harvey Milk Day | Bill Passed - House (46 - 28) |
| Sept. 3, 2009 | CA | SB 54 | Recognizing Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages | Bill Passed - House (47 - 29) |
| Aug. 31, 2009 | CA | SBx3 18 | Correctional Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (41 - 37) |
| July 24, 2009 | CA | ABX4 19 | Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Revisions: In-Home Supportive Services Fraud | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (42 - 33) |
| Aug. 29, 2008 | CA | SB 1407 | Financing Courthouse Construction | Bill Passed - House (45 - 20) |
| Aug. 13, 2008 | CA | SB 1171 | Expanding Loaded Firearm Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (45 - 32) |
| Aug. 13, 2008 | CA | SB 28 | Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving | Bill Passed - House (52 - 24) |
| Aug. 12, 2008 | CA | SB 1589 | Uncorroborated Jailhouse Informant Testimony Ban | Bill Passed - House (41 - 37) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | AB 2062 | Regulation Of Ammunition Sales | Bill Passed - House (42 - 32) |
| May 28, 2008 | CA | AB 2279 | Prohibiting Employment Discrimination Against Medical Marijuana Patients | Bill Passed - House (41 - 35) |
| May 28, 2008 | CA | AB 2747 | Disclosing End-of-Life Care Options | Bill Passed - House (42 - 34) |
| May 27, 2008 | CA | AB 1996 | Food Stamps for Convicted Drug Felons | Bill Passed - House (42 - 35) |
| May 27, 2008 | CA | AB 2654 | Expanding Anti-Discrimination Laws | Bill Passed - House (48 - 30) |
| May 5, 2008 | CA | AB 2233 | Ban on Holding Pets While Driving | Bill Passed - House (44 - 20) |
| Aug. 27, 2007 | CA | SB 33 | Underage Driver Cellphone Ban | Bill Passed - House (67 - 7) |
| June 5, 2007 | CA | AB 43 | Same Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (42 - 34) |
| May 29, 2007 | CA | AB 1471 | Crime Gun Identification Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - House (44 - 31) |
| May 7, 2007 | CA | AB 102 | Name Equality Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - House (46 - 26) |
| Aug. 31, 2006 | CA | SB 1578 | Dog Restraint Regulations | Bill Passed - House (46 - 32) |
| Aug. 30, 2006 | CA | AB 352 | Microstamping of Bullets Fired from Semi-Automatic Guns | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (40 - 37) |
| June 27, 2006 | CA | SB 1137 | Sentences for Non-Violent Drug Offenders | Bill Passed - House (64 - 8) |
| June 27, 2006 | CA | SB 1137 | Sentences for Non-Violent Drug Offenders | Bill Passed - House (64 - 8) |
| May 31, 2006 | CA | AB 2076 | Needle Exchange Program | Bill Passed - House (45 - 34) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/24 | AB 1081 | Prohibits Excessive Detention of Undocumented Immigrants | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (48 - 26) |
| 8/16 | SB 9 | Sentence Reconsideration for Juvenile Offenders | Bill Passed - House (41 - 34) |
| 5/31 | AB 1436 | Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - House (47 - 26) |
| 5/31 | AB 1436 | Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - House (47 - 26) |
| 5/29 | AB 1447 | Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Sellers to Provide a Limited Warranty | Bill Passed - House (49 - 25) |
| 5/03 | AB 1527 | Prohibits Open Carry of Certain Unloaded Firearms | Bill Passed - House (44 - 29) |
| 5/03 | AB 1527 | Prohibits Open Carry of Certain Unloaded Firearms | Bill Passed - House (44 - 29) |
| 4/12 | AB 2127 | Authorizes Work Release for Certain Offenders | Bill Passed - House (48 - 24) |
| 1/30 | AB 327 | Amends Three Strikes Law | Bill Failed - House (33 - 35) |
| 7/14 | SB 249 | Prohibits Firearms with Detachable Magazines | Bill Passed - House (48 - 21) |
| 5/16 | AB 144 | Concealed Weapons Bill | Bill Passed - House (46 - 29) |
| 3/17 | AB 109 | Criminal Justice Realignment | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 27) |
| 8/31 | AB 2479 | Penalties for Violations Committed with the Intent to Capture Images or Recordings of a Person | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 21) |
| 8/31 | AB 2479 | Penalties for Violations Committed with the Intent to Capture Images or Recordings of a Person | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 21) |
| 8/24 | SB 399 | Authorizing Youth Offenders to Appeal a Sentence of Life Without Parole | Bill Failed - House (34 - 38) |
| 8/24 | SB 399 | Authorizing Youth Offenders to Appeal a Sentence of Life Without Parole | Bill Failed - House (34 - 38) |
| 6/03 | AB 2479 | Penalties for Violations Committed with the Intent to Capture Images or Recordings of a Person | Bill Passed - House (56 - 16) |
| 6/03 | AB 2479 | Penalties for Violations Committed with the Intent to Capture Images or Recordings of a Person | Bill Passed - House (56 - 16) |
| 6/03 | AB 1810 | Expanded Firearm Registration | Bill Passed - House (42 - 29) |
| 6/01 | AB 1934 | Amendments to the Penal Code Regarding Firearms | Bill Passed - House (46 - 30) |
| 5/13 | AB 1756 | Food Stamps for Drug Felons | Bill Passed - House (44 - 31) |
| 3/22 | SB 4 | Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches | Bill Passed - House (42 - 27) |
| 9/10 | AB 524 | Privacy Law Expansion | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 20) |
| 9/03 | SB 572 | Harvey Milk Day | Bill Passed - House (46 - 28) |
| 9/03 | SB 54 | Recognizing Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages | Bill Passed - House (47 - 29) |
| 8/31 | SBx3 18 | Correctional Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (41 - 37) |
| 7/24 | ABX4 19 | Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Revisions: In-Home Supportive Services Fraud | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (42 - 33) |
| 8/29 | SB 1407 | Financing Courthouse Construction | Bill Passed - House (45 - 20) |
| 8/13 | SB 1171 | Expanding Loaded Firearm Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (45 - 32) |
| 8/13 | SB 28 | Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving | Bill Passed - House (52 - 24) |
| 8/12 | SB 1589 | Uncorroborated Jailhouse Informant Testimony Ban | Bill Passed - House (41 - 37) |
| 5/29 | AB 2062 | Regulation Of Ammunition Sales | Bill Passed - House (42 - 32) |
| 5/28 | AB 2279 | Prohibiting Employment Discrimination Against Medical Marijuana Patients | Bill Passed - House (41 - 35) |
| 5/28 | AB 2747 | Disclosing End-of-Life Care Options | Bill Passed - House (42 - 34) |
| 5/27 | AB 1996 | Food Stamps for Convicted Drug Felons | Bill Passed - House (42 - 35) |
| 5/27 | AB 2654 | Expanding Anti-Discrimination Laws | Bill Passed - House (48 - 30) |
| 5/05 | AB 2233 | Ban on Holding Pets While Driving | Bill Passed - House (44 - 20) |
| 8/27 | SB 33 | Underage Driver Cellphone Ban | Bill Passed - House (67 - 7) |
| 6/05 | AB 43 | Same Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (42 - 34) |
| 5/29 | AB 1471 | Crime Gun Identification Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - House (44 - 31) |
| 5/07 | AB 102 | Name Equality Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - House (46 - 26) |
| 8/31 | SB 1578 | Dog Restraint Regulations | Bill Passed - House (46 - 32) |
| 8/30 | AB 352 | Microstamping of Bullets Fired from Semi-Automatic Guns | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (40 - 37) |
| 6/27 | SB 1137 | Sentences for Non-Violent Drug Offenders | Bill Passed - House (64 - 8) |
| 6/27 | SB 1137 | Sentences for Non-Violent Drug Offenders | Bill Passed - House (64 - 8) |
| 5/31 | AB 2076 | Needle Exchange Program | Bill Passed - House (45 - 34) |