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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 1, 2011 | ID | H 26 | Increment in fees for felonies and misdemeanors | Bill Failed - House (31 - 35) |
| Jan. 31, 2011 | IN | HB 1450 | Unemployment Insurance Amendments | Bill Passed - House (61 - 38) |
| Jan. 27, 2011 | MN | HF 130 | 2010-2013 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - House (68 - 63) |
| Jan. 25, 2011 | WI | AB 5 | Requiring a Two-Thirds Vote in the Legislature for Tax Increases | Bill Passed - House (57 - 36) |
| Jan. 25, 2011 | WI | AB 7 | Small Business Tax Credit | Bill Passed - House (60 - 33) |
| Jan. 25, 2011 | National | H Res 38 | Reducing Spending to Fiscal Year 2008 Levels | Resolution Passed - House (256 - 165) |
| Jan. 24, 2011 | WA | HB 1086 | 2011-2012 Supplemental Budget | Bill Passed - House (55 - 43) |
| Jan. 20, 2011 | WI | SB 2 | Tax Benefits for Health Savings Accounts | Bill Passed - House (66 - 28) |
| Jan. 13, 2011 | MT | HB 1 | Funding for Legislative Session | Bill Passed - House (67 - 32) |
| Jan. 11, 2011 | IL | SB 2505 | Amends Property Tax Code | Bill Passed - House (60 - 57) |
| Jan. 7, 2011 | ND | HB 1189 | Corporate Income Tax Reductions | |
| Dec. 21, 2010 | National | HR 3082 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (193 - 165) |
| Dec. 17, 2010 | National | HR 4853 | Temporary Extension of Tax Relief | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (277 - 148) |
| Dec. 16, 2010 | National | H Amdt 786 | Amending the Estate Tax | Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 233) |
| Dec. 2, 2010 | National | HR 4853 | Temporary Extension of Tax Relief | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (234 - 188) |
| Nov. 15, 2010 | PA | HB 101 | Education Law Amendments | Veto Override Passed - House (171 - 24) |
| Oct. 7, 2010 | CA | SB 870 | 2010-2011 Budget | Bill Passed - House (57 - 13) |
| Sept. 30, 2010 | NJ | A 1678 | Establishing a New Jersey Homebuyer Tax Credit Program | Veto Override Failed - House (42 - 32) |
| Sept. 30, 2010 | National | HR 3081 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (228 - 194) |
| Sept. 29, 2010 | PA | SB 1155 | Establishing a Natural Gas Severance Tax | Bill Passed - House (104 - 94) |
| Sept. 23, 2010 | National | HR 5297 | Small Business Lending Fund and Tax Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (237 - 187) |
| Sept. 23, 2010 | MI | SB 1226 | State Retirement Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (60 - 45) |
| Sept. 22, 2010 | MI | SB 884 | Tax Amnesty Period | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 48) |
| Sept. 21, 2010 | MI | SB 1152 | 2010-2011 Department of Community Health Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (68 - 39) |
| Sept. 15, 2010 | MI | SB 1151 | Community College Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - House (56 - 49) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/01 | H 26 | Increment in fees for felonies and misdemeanors | Bill Failed - House (31 - 35) |
| 1/31 | HB 1450 | Unemployment Insurance Amendments | Bill Passed - House (61 - 38) |
| 1/27 | HF 130 | 2010-2013 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - House (68 - 63) |
| 1/25 | AB 5 | Requiring a Two-Thirds Vote in the Legislature for Tax Increases | Bill Passed - House (57 - 36) |
| 1/25 | AB 7 | Small Business Tax Credit | Bill Passed - House (60 - 33) |
| 1/25 | H Res 38 | Reducing Spending to Fiscal Year 2008 Levels | Resolution Passed - House (256 - 165) |
| 1/24 | HB 1086 | 2011-2012 Supplemental Budget | Bill Passed - House (55 - 43) |
| 1/20 | SB 2 | Tax Benefits for Health Savings Accounts | Bill Passed - House (66 - 28) |
| 1/13 | HB 1 | Funding for Legislative Session | Bill Passed - House (67 - 32) |
| 1/11 | SB 2505 | Amends Property Tax Code | Bill Passed - House (60 - 57) |
| 1/07 | HB 1189 | Corporate Income Tax Reductions | |
| 12/21 | HR 3082 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (193 - 165) |
| 12/17 | HR 4853 | Temporary Extension of Tax Relief | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (277 - 148) |
| 12/16 | H Amdt 786 | Amending the Estate Tax | Amendment Rejected - House (194 - 233) |
| 12/02 | HR 4853 | Temporary Extension of Tax Relief | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (234 - 188) |
| 11/15 | HB 101 | Education Law Amendments | Veto Override Passed - House (171 - 24) |
| 10/07 | SB 870 | 2010-2011 Budget | Bill Passed - House (57 - 13) |
| 9/30 | A 1678 | Establishing a New Jersey Homebuyer Tax Credit Program | Veto Override Failed - House (42 - 32) |
| 9/30 | HR 3081 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (228 - 194) |
| 9/29 | SB 1155 | Establishing a Natural Gas Severance Tax | Bill Passed - House (104 - 94) |
| 9/23 | HR 5297 | Small Business Lending Fund and Tax Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (237 - 187) |
| 9/23 | SB 1226 | State Retirement Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (60 - 45) |
| 9/22 | SB 884 | Tax Amnesty Period | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 48) |
| 9/21 | SB 1152 | 2010-2011 Department of Community Health Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (68 - 39) |
| 9/15 | SB 1151 | Community College Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - House (56 - 49) |