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. 27, 2013 | WY | HB 41 | Reduces Limitations on Hunting Bison | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 11) |
| Feb. 27, 2013 | WI | SB 1 | Amends Wisconsin's Iron-Ore Mining Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 16) |
| Feb. 27, 2013 | WI | SB 1 | Amends Wisconsin's Iron-Ore Mining Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 16) |
| Feb. 26, 2013 | WY | HB 41 | Reduces Limitations on Hunting Bison | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 14) |
| Feb. 26, 2013 | NM | HB 316 | Prohibits Animal Killing Contests | Bill Failed - House (30 - 38) |
| Feb. 26, 2013 | UT | SB 109 | Authorizes the State Engineer to Manage Water Usage | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 9) |
| Feb. 25, 2013 | MS | HB 844 | Exempts Certain Sales Taxes for Agricultural Businesses | Bill Passed - House (75 - 43) |
| Feb. 25, 2013 | MT | HB 396 | Requires County Board Approval for Bison Relocation | Bill Passed - House (61 - 37) |
| Feb. 25, 2013 | MS | HB 844 | Exempts Certain Sales Taxes for Agricultural Businesses | Bill Passed - House (75 - 43) |
| Feb. 22, 2013 | MT | HB 205 | Authorizes Use of Suppressors for Hunting | Bill Passed - House (61 - 37) |
| Feb. 22, 2013 | MD | HB 226 | Establishes Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Credits | Bill Passed - House (86 - 48) |
| Feb. 20, 2013 | OK | HB 1999 | Authorizes the Slaughter of Horses | Bill Passed - House (82 - 14) |
| Feb. 20, 2013 | OK | SB 375 | Authorizes the International Sale of Horse Meat for Human Consumption | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 6) |
| Feb. 19, 2013 | AK | HB 80 | Amends Cruise Ship Wastewater Discharge Permits | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 5) |
| Feb. 19, 2013 | AK | HB 80 | Amends Cruise Ship Wastewater Discharge Permits | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 6) |
| Feb. 19, 2013 | SD | SB 195 | Establishes Incentives for Wind Energy Facilities | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| Feb. 18, 2013 | NM | SB 73 | Amends Game and Fish License Suspension Periods | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| Feb. 18, 2013 | NM | HB 63 | Prohibits Breed-Specific Dog Regulations | Bill Passed - House (48 - 14) |
| Feb. 14, 2013 | KY | SB 50 | Authorizes Industrial Hemp Farming | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6) |
| Feb. 14, 2013 | MI | SB 48 | Authorizes Businesses to Allow Contact Between Customers and Small Bears | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
| Feb. 13, 2013 | WY | SF 132 | Authorizes the Use of Silencers While Hunting | Bill Passed - House (44 - 14) |
| Feb. 13, 2013 | NC | HB 66 | Authorizes the Use and Display of Wild Animals in Cultural Activities | Bill Passed - House (98 - 20) |
| Feb. 11, 2013 | IN | SJR 7 | Guarantees Right to Hunt and Fish | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (38 - 10) |
| Feb. 11, 2013 | IN | SJR 7 | Guarantees Right to Hunt and Fish | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (38 - 10) |
| Feb. 6, 2013 | AK | HB 80 | Amends Cruise Ship Wastewater Discharge Permits | Bill Passed - House (27 - 10) |
| Feb. 6, 2013 | MT | HB 27 | Authorizes the Use of Silencers While Hunting | Bill Passed - House (63 - 33) |
| Jan. 28, 2013 | WY | SF 132 | Authorizes the Use of Silencers While Hunting | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 7) |
| Nov. 28, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2985 | Repeals the Limit on the Use of Funds to Procure Alternative Fuel | Amendment Adopted - Senate (62 - 37) |
| Oct. 25, 2012 | NJ | S 1816 | Authorizes Delaware Port Authority to Inspect Hazardous Materials | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
| Oct. 18, 2012 | NJ | S 1816 | Authorizes Delaware Port Authority to Inspect Hazardous Materials | Bill Passed - House (53 - 23) |
| Oct. 18, 2012 | NJ | A 2641 | Stormwater Management | Bill Passed - House (48 - 31) |
| Sept. 25, 2012 | PA | SB 367 | Authorizes Natural Resource Development | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (136 - 62) |
| Sept. 21, 2012 | National | HR 3409 | Stop the War on Coal Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (233 - 175) |
| Sept. 21, 2012 | National | HR 3409 | Stop the War on Coal Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (233 - 175) |
| Sept. 14, 2012 | National | HR 6213 | No More Solyndras Act | Bill Passed - House (245 - 161) |
| Aug. 31, 2012 | CA | AB 1313 | Requires Overtime Wages for Agricultural Workers | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (35 - 33) |
| Aug. 30, 2012 | CA | AB 1478 | Appropriates Funds for State Parks for 2 Years | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 20) |
| Aug. 30, 2012 | CA | AB 1478 | Appropriates Funds for State Parks for 2 Years | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| Aug. 30, 2012 | CA | ACR 161 | Establishes September as "Food Literacy Awareness Month" | Resolution Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| Aug. 27, 2012 | CA | SB 1221 | Prohibits the Use of Dogs to Hunt Bears or Bobcats | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| Aug. 22, 2012 | CA | SB 1221 | Prohibits the Use of Dogs to Hunt Bears or Bobcats | Bill Passed - House (46 - 30) |
| Aug. 22, 2012 | CA | ACR 161 | Establishes September as "Food Literacy Awareness Month" | Resolution Passed - House (53 - 21) |
| Aug. 20, 2012 | CA | AB 1313 | Requires Overtime Wages for Agricultural Workers | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| Aug. 2, 2012 | National | HR 6233 | Agricultural Disaster Assistance Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (223 - 197) |
| July 18, 2012 | MI | SB 1130 | Amends Permit Requirements for Sand Dune Use | Bill Passed - House (63 - 40) |
| July 18, 2012 | MI | SB 1130 | Amends Permit Requirements for Sand Dune Use | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
| July 12, 2012 | National | HR 4402 | National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (256 - 160) |
| July 12, 2012 | National | HR 4402 | National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (256 - 160) |
| June 30, 2012 | PA | HB 761 | Exempts Certain Transfers from the Realty Transfer Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (140 - 56) |
| June 27, 2012 | MA | S 2214 | Amends Renewable Energy Contract Requirements | Bill Passed - House (135 - 16) |