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 11, 2012 | WA | HB 2565 | Roll-Your-Own Cigarette Tax Requirements | Bill Passed - House (66 - 32) |
| April 10, 2012 | HI | SB 2115 | Amends Charter School System | Bill Passed - House (40 - 11) |
| April 10, 2012 | CO | SB 68 | Prohibits Food with Trans Fat in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| April 7, 2012 | WA | SB 6636 | Requires a Balanced Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 16) |
| March 29, 2012 | GA | HB 347 | Reduces Unemployment Benefits | Conference Report Adopted - House (98 - 60) |
| March 29, 2012 | GA | HB 347 | Reduces Unemployment Benefits | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 17) |
| March 29, 2012 | GA | HB 797 | Establishes a State Charter School Commission | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (117 - 55) |
| March 29, 2012 | ID | H 563 | Reduces Income Tax Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| March 29, 2012 | National | S 2204 | Amends Energy-Related Tax Credits | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 47) |
| March 29, 2012 | National | H Con Res 112 | Limits Federal Appropriations for Fiscal Years 2013-2022 ("Ryan Budget") | Joint Resolution Passed - House (228 - 191) |
| March 29, 2012 | NH | HB 1607 | Establishes a Tax Credit for Businesses that Donate to Certain Scholarship Funds | Bill Passed - House (173 - 127) |
| March 29, 2012 | National | H Con Res 112 | Limits Federal Appropriations for Fiscal Years 2013-2022 ("Ryan Budget") | Joint Resolution Passed - House (228 - 191) |
| March 29, 2012 | SC | H 4894 | Authorizes Income Tax Credit for Tuition Payments | Bill Passed - House (62 - 38) |
| March 28, 2012 | AZ | SB 1118 | Appropriates Funds for Forest Restoration | Bill Failed - House (18 - 40) |
| March 28, 2012 | ID | H 660 | Amends the Judicial Retirement Fund | Bill Passed - House (46 - 22) |
| March 28, 2012 | ID | H 695 | Establishes a Legislative Legal Defense Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| March 28, 2012 | NH | H Amdt 917h | Authorizing the Establishment of 4 Casinos | Amendment Rejected - House (154 - 195) |
| March 27, 2012 | LA | HB 969 | Establishes Tax Deductions for Donating to Scholarship Programs | Bill Passed - House (66 - 37) |
| March 26, 2012 | MN | HF 545 | Requires State Budget to Include Federal Insolvency Contingency Plan | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (70 - 60) |
| March 26, 2012 | GA | HB 797 | Establishes a State Charter School Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 14) |
| March 26, 2012 | ID | H 695 | Establishes a Legislative Legal Defense Fund | Bill Passed - House (53 - 16) |
| March 26, 2012 | IL | HB 5789 | Establishes State Park Fees | Bill Passed - House (81 - 29) |
| March 22, 2012 | ID | HJR 1 | Requires a 2/3 Vote for Tax Increases | Motion Rejected - House (37 - 33) |
| March 21, 2012 | KS | HB 2117 | Reduces Income Tax Rate | Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 20) |
| March 21, 2012 | MN | HF 2337 | Amends Property Taxes | Bill Passed - House (72 - 62) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/11 | HB 2565 | Roll-Your-Own Cigarette Tax Requirements | Bill Passed - House (66 - 32) |
| 4/10 | SB 2115 | Amends Charter School System | Bill Passed - House (40 - 11) |
| 4/10 | SB 68 | Prohibits Food with Trans Fat in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| 4/07 | SB 6636 | Requires a Balanced Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 16) |
| 3/29 | HB 347 | Reduces Unemployment Benefits | Conference Report Adopted - House (98 - 60) |
| 3/29 | HB 347 | Reduces Unemployment Benefits | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 17) |
| 3/29 | HB 797 | Establishes a State Charter School Commission | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (117 - 55) |
| 3/29 | H 563 | Reduces Income Tax Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| 3/29 | S 2204 | Amends Energy-Related Tax Credits | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 47) |
| 3/29 | H Con Res 112 | Limits Federal Appropriations for Fiscal Years 2013-2022 ("Ryan Budget") | Joint Resolution Passed - House (228 - 191) |
| 3/29 | HB 1607 | Establishes a Tax Credit for Businesses that Donate to Certain Scholarship Funds | Bill Passed - House (173 - 127) |
| 3/29 | H Con Res 112 | Limits Federal Appropriations for Fiscal Years 2013-2022 ("Ryan Budget") | Joint Resolution Passed - House (228 - 191) |
| 3/29 | H 4894 | Authorizes Income Tax Credit for Tuition Payments | Bill Passed - House (62 - 38) |
| 3/28 | SB 1118 | Appropriates Funds for Forest Restoration | Bill Failed - House (18 - 40) |
| 3/28 | H 660 | Amends the Judicial Retirement Fund | Bill Passed - House (46 - 22) |
| 3/28 | H 695 | Establishes a Legislative Legal Defense Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| 3/28 | H Amdt 917h | Authorizing the Establishment of 4 Casinos | Amendment Rejected - House (154 - 195) |
| 3/27 | HB 969 | Establishes Tax Deductions for Donating to Scholarship Programs | Bill Passed - House (66 - 37) |
| 3/26 | HF 545 | Requires State Budget to Include Federal Insolvency Contingency Plan | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (70 - 60) |
| 3/26 | HB 797 | Establishes a State Charter School Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 14) |
| 3/26 | H 695 | Establishes a Legislative Legal Defense Fund | Bill Passed - House (53 - 16) |
| 3/26 | HB 5789 | Establishes State Park Fees | Bill Passed - House (81 - 29) |
| 3/22 | HJR 1 | Requires a 2/3 Vote for Tax Increases | Motion Rejected - House (37 - 33) |
| 3/21 | HB 2117 | Reduces Income Tax Rate | Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 20) |
| 3/21 | HF 2337 | Amends Property Taxes | Bill Passed - House (72 - 62) |