Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
June 7, 2012 MI HB 5223 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - House (71 - 37)
June 6, 2012 NH CACR 12 Legislative Authority of Education Requirements Conference Report Rejected - House (224 - 144)
June 6, 2012 NH CACR 6 Requires a Supermajority for Budget Increases Conference Report Rejected - House (220 - 132)
June 6, 2012 NH HB 1666 Requires Legislative Approval of Collective Bargaining Agreements Conference Report Adopted - House (203 - 77)
June 6, 2012 NH HB 1666 Requires Legislative Approval of Collective Bargaining Agreements Conference Report Adopted - House (203 - 77)
June 6, 2012 NH CACR 6 Requires a Supermajority for Budget Increases Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 9)
June 6, 2012 NH CACR 12 Legislative Authority of Education Requirements Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 6)
June 6, 2012 PA SB 1310 Authorizes Repayment of Unemployment Debt to the Federal Government Concurrence Vote Passed - House (129 - 67)
June 5, 2012 PA SB 1310 Authorizes Repayment of Unemployment Debt to the Federal Government Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 19)
June 5, 2012 NC SB 582 Expands Casino Gambling Bill Passed - House (68 - 49)
June 5, 2012 National S 3220 Paycheck Fairness Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47)
May 31, 2012 IL HB 1447 Pension Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24)
May 31, 2012 National H Amdt 1160 Project Labor Agreements Amendment Adopted - House (218 - 198)
May 31, 2012 CA SB 1140 Exempts Religious Institutions from Performing Same-Sex Marriages Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
May 31, 2012 NJ S 1599 Amends Surrogacy Laws Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11)
May 31, 2012 CA SB 1140 Exempts Religious Institutions from Performing Same-Sex Marriages Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
May 30, 2012 CA SB 1172 Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
May 30, 2012 MA H 3986 Authorizes Child Care Workers to Form Labor Organizations Bill Passed - House (117 - 32)
May 30, 2012 MA H 3986 Authorizes Child Care Workers to Form Labor Organizations Bill Passed - House (117 - 32)
May 30, 2012 CA SB 1476 Authorizes Courts to Designate More than 2 Individuals as Parents of a Child Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13)
May 30, 2012 CA AB 1450 Prohibits Discrimination Against Unemployed Workers Bill Passed - House (51 - 26)
May 24, 2012 IL SB 2840 Limits Medicaid Funding Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 13)
May 24, 2012 IL SB 2840 Limits Medicaid Funding Bill Passed - House (94 - 22)
May 24, 2012 AL SB 25 State Senate Redistricting Bill Passed - House (65 - 36)
May 24, 2012 AL HB 19 State House Redistricting Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/07 HB 5223 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - House (71 - 37)
6/06 CACR 12 Legislative Authority of Education Requirements Conference Report Rejected - House (224 - 144)
6/06 CACR 6 Requires a Supermajority for Budget Increases Conference Report Rejected - House (220 - 132)
6/06 HB 1666 Requires Legislative Approval of Collective Bargaining Agreements Conference Report Adopted - House (203 - 77)
6/06 HB 1666 Requires Legislative Approval of Collective Bargaining Agreements Conference Report Adopted - House (203 - 77)
6/06 CACR 6 Requires a Supermajority for Budget Increases Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 9)
6/06 CACR 12 Legislative Authority of Education Requirements Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 6)
6/06 SB 1310 Authorizes Repayment of Unemployment Debt to the Federal Government Concurrence Vote Passed - House (129 - 67)
6/05 SB 1310 Authorizes Repayment of Unemployment Debt to the Federal Government Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 19)
6/05 SB 582 Expands Casino Gambling Bill Passed - House (68 - 49)
6/05 S 3220 Paycheck Fairness Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47)
5/31 HB 1447 Pension Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24)
5/31 H Amdt 1160 Project Labor Agreements Amendment Adopted - House (218 - 198)
5/31 SB 1140 Exempts Religious Institutions from Performing Same-Sex Marriages Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
5/31 S 1599 Amends Surrogacy Laws Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11)
5/31 SB 1140 Exempts Religious Institutions from Performing Same-Sex Marriages Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
5/30 SB 1172 Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
5/30 H 3986 Authorizes Child Care Workers to Form Labor Organizations Bill Passed - House (117 - 32)
5/30 H 3986 Authorizes Child Care Workers to Form Labor Organizations Bill Passed - House (117 - 32)
5/30 SB 1476 Authorizes Courts to Designate More than 2 Individuals as Parents of a Child Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13)
5/30 AB 1450 Prohibits Discrimination Against Unemployed Workers Bill Passed - House (51 - 26)
5/24 SB 2840 Limits Medicaid Funding Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 13)
5/24 SB 2840 Limits Medicaid Funding Bill Passed - House (94 - 22)
5/24 SB 25 State Senate Redistricting Bill Passed - House (65 - 36)
5/24 HB 19 State House Redistricting Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)

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