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 | NE | LB 599 | Prenatal Care for Children of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15) |
| April 11, 2012 | NE | LB 599 | Prenatal Care for Children of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15) |
| April 11, 2012 | NE | LB 599 | Prenatal Care for Children of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15) |
| April 10, 2012 | WA | SB 6378 | Amends State Employee Pension System | (56 - 42) |
| April 10, 2012 | WA | SB 6378 | Amends State Employee Pension System | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| April 10, 2012 | AL | HB 433 | 2012-2013 Budget | Bill Passed - House (56 - 47) |
| April 10, 2012 | AL | SB 388 | Amends State Employee Pensions | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| April 10, 2012 | AL | SB 388 | Amends State Employee Pensions | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| April 9, 2012 | AK | SB 203 | Establishes an Energy Assistance Program | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 4) |
| April 9, 2012 | CO | SB 15 | College Tuition Rates for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14) |
| April 4, 2012 | PA | HB 153 | Reduces the Number of Members in the General Assembly | Bill Passed - House (140 - 49) |
| 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 861 | Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (110 - 56) |
| March 29, 2012 | GA | HB 861 | Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (110 - 56) |
| 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 | IL | HB 5531 | Limits Tuition Waivers for State University Employees | Bill Failed - House (26 - 75) |
| March 29, 2012 | IL | HB 5531 | Limits Tuition Waivers for State University Employees | Bill Failed - House (26 - 75) |
| March 29, 2012 | SC | H 4894 | Authorizes Income Tax Credit for Tuition Payments | Bill Passed - House (62 - 38) |
| March 28, 2012 | NH | HB 592 | State House Redistricting | Veto Override Passed - Senate (17 - 7) |
| March 28, 2012 | NH | HB 592 | State House Redistricting | Veto Override Passed - House (246 - 112) |
| March 28, 2012 | AZ | HB 2519 | Expands the Requirements for Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| March 28, 2012 | ID | H 695 | Establishes a Legislative Legal Defense Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| March 28, 2012 | ID | H 660 | Amends the Judicial Retirement Fund | Bill Passed - House (46 - 22) |
| March 28, 2012 | NH | HB 1658 | Establishes a Verification System to Detect Welfare Fraud | Bill Passed - House (245 - 84) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/11 | LB 599 | Prenatal Care for Children of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15) |
| 4/11 | LB 599 | Prenatal Care for Children of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15) |
| 4/11 | LB 599 | Prenatal Care for Children of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15) |
| 4/10 | SB 6378 | Amends State Employee Pension System | (56 - 42) |
| 4/10 | SB 6378 | Amends State Employee Pension System | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| 4/10 | HB 433 | 2012-2013 Budget | Bill Passed - House (56 - 47) |
| 4/10 | SB 388 | Amends State Employee Pensions | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| 4/10 | SB 388 | Amends State Employee Pensions | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| 4/09 | SB 203 | Establishes an Energy Assistance Program | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 4) |
| 4/09 | SB 15 | College Tuition Rates for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14) |
| 4/04 | HB 153 | Reduces the Number of Members in the General Assembly | Bill Passed - House (140 - 49) |
| 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 861 | Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (110 - 56) |
| 3/29 | HB 861 | Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (110 - 56) |
| 3/29 | HB 1607 | Establishes a Tax Credit for Businesses that Donate to Certain Scholarship Funds | Bill Passed - House (173 - 127) |
| 3/29 | HB 5531 | Limits Tuition Waivers for State University Employees | Bill Failed - House (26 - 75) |
| 3/29 | HB 5531 | Limits Tuition Waivers for State University Employees | Bill Failed - House (26 - 75) |
| 3/29 | H 4894 | Authorizes Income Tax Credit for Tuition Payments | Bill Passed - House (62 - 38) |
| 3/28 | HB 592 | State House Redistricting | Veto Override Passed - Senate (17 - 7) |
| 3/28 | HB 592 | State House Redistricting | Veto Override Passed - House (246 - 112) |
| 3/28 | HB 2519 | Expands the Requirements for Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| 3/28 | H 695 | Establishes a Legislative Legal Defense Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| 3/28 | H 660 | Amends the Judicial Retirement Fund | Bill Passed - House (46 - 22) |
| 3/28 | HB 1658 | Establishes a Verification System to Detect Welfare Fraud | Bill Passed - House (245 - 84) |