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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 17, 2013 | MT | SB 175 | Increases Public Education Funding | Bill Passed - House (58 - 41) |
| April 17, 2013 | IA | SF 295 | Establishes a Business Property Tax Credit Fund | Bill Passed - House (54 - 45) |
| April 17, 2013 | IA | SF 447 | 2013-2014 Justice Department Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
| April 17, 2013 | MN | SF 1236 | Increases Funds for Higher Education | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 18) |
| April 16, 2013 | IA | SF 430 | 2013-2014 Economic Development Budget | Bill Passed - House (52 - 46) |
| April 16, 2013 | MT | HB 2 | 2013-2015 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20) |
| April 16, 2013 | MT | HB 13 | Appropriates Funds for State Employee Pay Raises | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 13) |
| April 16, 2013 | AR | HB 1219 | Appropriates Funds for Private Health Insurance Purchases | Bill Passed - House (77 - 23) |
| April 16, 2013 | NV | AB 60 | Requires Certain Information From Donation-Seeking Charities | Bill Passed - House (25 - 15) |
| April 16, 2013 | IA | SF 440 | Appropriates Funds for Mental Health Services | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| April 16, 2013 | MN | SF 1589 | Increases Legislator Salaries | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 32) |
| April 16, 2013 | MO | SB 112 | Extends the New Markets Tax Credit Program | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| April 16, 2013 | IA | SF 439 | Establishes a Tax Credit for Farmers Who Donate to Food Banks | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 15) |
| April 16, 2013 | IA | SF 439 | Establishes a Tax Credit for Farmers Who Donate to Food Banks | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 15) |
| April 15, 2013 | IN | SB 487 | Establishes Regulations for Hunting Preserves | Bill Passed - House (52 - 39) |
| April 15, 2013 | National | HR 249 | Federal Employee Tax Accountability Act of 2013 | Bill Failed - House (250 - 159) |
| April 14, 2013 | AK | SB 21 | Amends the Oil Industry Tax Rate Structure | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (12 - 8) |
| April 13, 2013 | AK | SB 21 | Amends the Oil Industry Tax Rate Structure | Bill Passed - House (27 - 12) |
| April 13, 2013 | AK | SB 21 | Amends the Oil Industry Tax Rate Structure | Bill Passed - House (24 - 15) |
| April 11, 2013 | OR | SB 822 | Amends the Public Employee Retirement System | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13) |
| April 10, 2013 | IN | HB 1003 | Expands School Scholarship Program | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23) |
| April 10, 2013 | TX | SB 1467 | Requires Facilitation of Expansion of Firearms Manufacturers | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 7) |
| April 9, 2013 | IN | HB 1001 | 2013-2015 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 12) |
| April 9, 2013 | IN | HB 1001 | 2013-2015 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 12) |
| April 9, 2013 | WI | AB 15 | Authorizes Work-Share Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/17 | SB 175 | Increases Public Education Funding | Bill Passed - House (58 - 41) |
| 4/17 | SF 295 | Establishes a Business Property Tax Credit Fund | Bill Passed - House (54 - 45) |
| 4/17 | SF 447 | 2013-2014 Justice Department Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
| 4/17 | SF 1236 | Increases Funds for Higher Education | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 18) |
| 4/16 | SF 430 | 2013-2014 Economic Development Budget | Bill Passed - House (52 - 46) |
| 4/16 | HB 2 | 2013-2015 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20) |
| 4/16 | HB 13 | Appropriates Funds for State Employee Pay Raises | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 13) |
| 4/16 | HB 1219 | Appropriates Funds for Private Health Insurance Purchases | Bill Passed - House (77 - 23) |
| 4/16 | AB 60 | Requires Certain Information From Donation-Seeking Charities | Bill Passed - House (25 - 15) |
| 4/16 | SF 440 | Appropriates Funds for Mental Health Services | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| 4/16 | SF 1589 | Increases Legislator Salaries | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 32) |
| 4/16 | SB 112 | Extends the New Markets Tax Credit Program | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| 4/16 | SF 439 | Establishes a Tax Credit for Farmers Who Donate to Food Banks | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 15) |
| 4/16 | SF 439 | Establishes a Tax Credit for Farmers Who Donate to Food Banks | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 15) |
| 4/15 | SB 487 | Establishes Regulations for Hunting Preserves | Bill Passed - House (52 - 39) |
| 4/15 | HR 249 | Federal Employee Tax Accountability Act of 2013 | Bill Failed - House (250 - 159) |
| 4/14 | SB 21 | Amends the Oil Industry Tax Rate Structure | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (12 - 8) |
| 4/13 | SB 21 | Amends the Oil Industry Tax Rate Structure | Bill Passed - House (27 - 12) |
| 4/13 | SB 21 | Amends the Oil Industry Tax Rate Structure | Bill Passed - House (24 - 15) |
| 4/11 | SB 822 | Amends the Public Employee Retirement System | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13) |
| 4/10 | HB 1003 | Expands School Scholarship Program | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23) |
| 4/10 | SB 1467 | Requires Facilitation of Expansion of Firearms Manufacturers | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 7) |
| 4/09 | HB 1001 | 2013-2015 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 12) |
| 4/09 | HB 1001 | 2013-2015 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 12) |
| 4/09 | AB 15 | Authorizes Work-Share Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |