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. 28, 2011 | NM | SB 319 | Eliminating Corporal Punishment | Bill Failed - Senate (18 - 18) |
| Feb. 24, 2011 | ID | S 1108 | Education Provisions and Teacher Entitlements | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| Feb. 23, 2011 | UT | SJR 9 | Supervision of Public Education | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (22 - 6) |
| Feb. 23, 2011 | MD | SB 116 | Civil Marriage Protection Act | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 22) |
| Feb. 23, 2011 | SD | SB 156 | Prohibits Employment of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| Feb. 22, 2011 | VT | S 31 | Electing the President by Popular Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| Feb. 22, 2011 | UT | SB 96 | Alimony Amendments | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 17) |
| Feb. 18, 2011 | WY | HB 74 | Prohibiting the Recognition of Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 14) |
| Feb. 18, 2011 | MT | SB 268 | Election of Supreme Court Justices by District | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20) |
| Feb. 18, 2011 | MT | SB 97 | Parental Notice of Abortion | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21) |
| Feb. 17, 2011 | AZ | SB 1187 | Extends Waiting Period for Divorce | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
| Feb. 17, 2011 | IN | SB 575 | Collective Bargaining for School Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 19) |
| Feb. 16, 2011 | HI | SB 232 | Civil Unions for All Couples | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 5) |
| Feb. 15, 2011 | National | S Amdt 14 | Prohibiting Transportation Security Administration Employees from Collective Bargaining | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51) |
| Feb. 10, 2011 | AZ | SB 1086 | Tobacco Prohibitions | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 16) |
| Feb. 10, 2011 | MA | S 9 | Establishing a Redistricting Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 4) |
| Feb. 4, 2011 | ID | S 1007 | Labor Organizations | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 8) |
| Feb. 2, 2011 | VA | SB 747 | Prohibits Discrimination in State Employment Based on Sexual Orientation | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| Feb. 1, 2011 | ID | S 1006 | Right to Work Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
| Jan. 28, 2011 | HI | SB 232 | Civil Unions for All Couples | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 6) |
| Jan. 28, 2011 | WY | HB 244 | Unemployment Insurance Amendments | |
| Jan. 27, 2011 | WY | SJ 5 | Definition of Marriage | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| Jan. 19, 2011 | NH | SB 1 | Repeal of Automatic Continuation Requirement for Public Employee Collective Bargaining Agreements | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 5) |
| Jan. 18, 2011 | MS | SB 2179 | Restrictions on Employers of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 15) |
| Jan. 18, 2011 | WI | SB 1 | Tort Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/28 | SB 319 | Eliminating Corporal Punishment | Bill Failed - Senate (18 - 18) |
| 2/24 | S 1108 | Education Provisions and Teacher Entitlements | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 2/23 | SJR 9 | Supervision of Public Education | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (22 - 6) |
| 2/23 | SB 116 | Civil Marriage Protection Act | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 22) |
| 2/23 | SB 156 | Prohibits Employment of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 2/22 | S 31 | Electing the President by Popular Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| 2/22 | SB 96 | Alimony Amendments | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 17) |
| 2/18 | HB 74 | Prohibiting the Recognition of Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 14) |
| 2/18 | SB 268 | Election of Supreme Court Justices by District | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20) |
| 2/18 | SB 97 | Parental Notice of Abortion | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21) |
| 2/17 | SB 1187 | Extends Waiting Period for Divorce | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
| 2/17 | SB 575 | Collective Bargaining for School Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 19) |
| 2/16 | SB 232 | Civil Unions for All Couples | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 5) |
| 2/15 | S Amdt 14 | Prohibiting Transportation Security Administration Employees from Collective Bargaining | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51) |
| 2/10 | SB 1086 | Tobacco Prohibitions | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 16) |
| 2/10 | S 9 | Establishing a Redistricting Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 4) |
| 2/04 | S 1007 | Labor Organizations | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 8) |
| 2/02 | SB 747 | Prohibits Discrimination in State Employment Based on Sexual Orientation | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| 2/01 | S 1006 | Right to Work Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
| 1/28 | SB 232 | Civil Unions for All Couples | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 6) |
| 1/28 | HB 244 | Unemployment Insurance Amendments | |
| 1/27 | SJ 5 | Definition of Marriage | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| 1/19 | SB 1 | Repeal of Automatic Continuation Requirement for Public Employee Collective Bargaining Agreements | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 5) |
| 1/18 | SB 2179 | Restrictions on Employers of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 15) |
| 1/18 | SB 1 | Tort Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |