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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 31, 2011 | IL | SB 1178 | Congressional Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 25) |
| May 31, 2011 | IL | SB 145 | Nursing Home Infection Control | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 24) |
| May 27, 2011 | IL | SB 1177 | General Assembly Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 22) |
| May 27, 2011 | CT | HB 6650 | Appropriations for Judicial Branch and Other Agencies | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| May 26, 2011 | NE | LB 704 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 11) |
| May 26, 2011 | NE | LB 703 | Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 9) |
| May 25, 2011 | NV | AB 566 | Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10) |
| May 24, 2011 | CT | HB 6390 | Access to Postsecondary Education | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| May 21, 2011 | TX | HB 150 | 2011-2012 Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 7) |
| May 20, 2011 | TN | SB 113 | Teachers' Unions Negotiations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 12) |
| May 20, 2011 | TN | SB 49 | Prohibits Instruction of Non-Heterosexual Human Sexuality in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 10) |
| May 18, 2011 | MI | SB 7 | Employee Contribution to Health Care Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| May 17, 2011 | MN | HF 1426 | Congressional Redistricting Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 28) |
| May 16, 2011 | OK | HB 2145 | State House Redistricting | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (43 - 4) |
| May 12, 2011 | MI | HB 4484 | State Tax on Retirement Distributions for Judges and State Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 19) |
| May 11, 2011 | NV | AB 211 | Prohibiting Discriminatory Employment Practices Based On Gender or Expression | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10) |
| May 11, 2011 | MN | SF 1308 | Prohibiting Same-Sex Marriage | Amendment Adopted - Senate (38 - 27) |
| May 10, 2011 | NV | SB 497 | Congressional and Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10) |
| May 6, 2011 | FL | HB 7107 | Medicaid Managed Care Program | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 11) |
| May 4, 2011 | MO | HB 193 | Congressional Redistricting Plan | Veto Override Passed - Senate (28 - 6) |
| May 4, 2011 | IL | SB 2185 | Establishes the DREAM Fund Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 11) |
| May 3, 2011 | OK | HB 1527 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 5) |
| May 2, 2011 | TN | SB 113 | Teachers' Unions Negotiations | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
| April 28, 2011 | MO | HB 73 | Drug Testing Of Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 5) |
| April 27, 2011 | IN | HB 1601 | Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 12) |
| April 26, 2011 | MT | HB 627 | Requiring Parental Notification for Abortions | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 22) |
| April 25, 2011 | NV | SB 368 | Prohibits Discrimination in Housing | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 8) |
| April 25, 2011 | NV | SB 180 | Criminal and Civil Liability for Gender Identity Crimes | Bill Failed - Senate (10 - 11) |
| April 25, 2011 | NV | SB 331 | Prohibits Sex and Gender Identity Discrimination in Places of Public Accommodation | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10) |
| April 21, 2011 | WA | HB 1267 | Definition of Parenthood | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 21) |
| April 21, 2011 | WA | HB 1267 | Definition of Parenthood | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 21) |
| April 21, 2011 | AL | SB 256 | Undocumented Immigrant Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate |
| April 21, 2011 | TN | SB 485 | Equal Opportunity Scholarship Act | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10) |
| April 20, 2011 | NH | HB 474 | Labor Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8) |
| April 20, 2011 | IA | SF 525 | Revises the Iowa Mental Health System | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23) |
| April 19, 2011 | IN | SB 575 | Collective Bargaining for School Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 19) |
| April 19, 2011 | AZ | SB 1406 | Interstate Compact to Build a Border Fence | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| April 19, 2011 | IN | HB 1210 | Repealing Medicaid Funding for Planned Parenthood | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 13) |
| April 19, 2011 | OK | HB 1593 | Repealing Collective Bargaining Requirement for Cities | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 19) |
| April 18, 2011 | AZ | SB 1609 | Public Workers' Pensions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| April 18, 2011 | CO | SB 126 | In-State Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| April 14, 2011 | GA | HB 87 | Immigration Enforcement Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 19) |
| April 14, 2011 | NC | HB 383 | Relating to Unemployment Insurance Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| April 14, 2011 | IA | HF 682 | Congressional and Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 1) |
| April 14, 2011 | CA | SB 48 | Requires Teaching Gay History | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| April 13, 2011 | LA | HB 6 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| April 13, 2011 | MO | HB 193 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
| April 13, 2011 | AZ | HB 2177 | Requiring Proof of Citizenship for Presidential Candidates | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9) |
| April 12, 2011 | OK | S Amdt 1 | Removes Provision Authorizing Legislators to Carry Firearms | Amendment Adopted - Senate (29 - 19) |
| April 12, 2011 | AR | SB 972 | Congressional Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/31 | SB 1178 | Congressional Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 25) |
| 5/31 | SB 145 | Nursing Home Infection Control | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 24) |
| 5/27 | SB 1177 | General Assembly Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 22) |
| 5/27 | HB 6650 | Appropriations for Judicial Branch and Other Agencies | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 5/26 | LB 704 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 11) |
| 5/26 | LB 703 | Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 9) |
| 5/25 | AB 566 | Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10) |
| 5/24 | HB 6390 | Access to Postsecondary Education | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 5/21 | HB 150 | 2011-2012 Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 7) |
| 5/20 | SB 113 | Teachers' Unions Negotiations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 12) |
| 5/20 | SB 49 | Prohibits Instruction of Non-Heterosexual Human Sexuality in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 10) |
| 5/18 | SB 7 | Employee Contribution to Health Care Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| 5/17 | HF 1426 | Congressional Redistricting Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 28) |
| 5/16 | HB 2145 | State House Redistricting | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (43 - 4) |
| 5/12 | HB 4484 | State Tax on Retirement Distributions for Judges and State Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 19) |
| 5/11 | AB 211 | Prohibiting Discriminatory Employment Practices Based On Gender or Expression | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10) |
| 5/11 | SF 1308 | Prohibiting Same-Sex Marriage | Amendment Adopted - Senate (38 - 27) |
| 5/10 | SB 497 | Congressional and Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10) |
| 5/06 | HB 7107 | Medicaid Managed Care Program | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 11) |
| 5/04 | HB 193 | Congressional Redistricting Plan | Veto Override Passed - Senate (28 - 6) |
| 5/04 | SB 2185 | Establishes the DREAM Fund Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 11) |
| 5/03 | HB 1527 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 5) |
| 5/02 | SB 113 | Teachers' Unions Negotiations | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
| 4/28 | HB 73 | Drug Testing Of Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 5) |
| 4/27 | HB 1601 | Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 12) |
| 4/26 | HB 627 | Requiring Parental Notification for Abortions | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 22) |
| 4/25 | SB 368 | Prohibits Discrimination in Housing | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 8) |
| 4/25 | SB 180 | Criminal and Civil Liability for Gender Identity Crimes | Bill Failed - Senate (10 - 11) |
| 4/25 | SB 331 | Prohibits Sex and Gender Identity Discrimination in Places of Public Accommodation | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10) |
| 4/21 | HB 1267 | Definition of Parenthood | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 21) |
| 4/21 | HB 1267 | Definition of Parenthood | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 21) |
| 4/21 | SB 256 | Undocumented Immigrant Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate |
| 4/21 | SB 485 | Equal Opportunity Scholarship Act | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10) |
| 4/20 | HB 474 | Labor Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8) |
| 4/20 | SF 525 | Revises the Iowa Mental Health System | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23) |
| 4/19 | SB 575 | Collective Bargaining for School Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 19) |
| 4/19 | SB 1406 | Interstate Compact to Build a Border Fence | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| 4/19 | HB 1210 | Repealing Medicaid Funding for Planned Parenthood | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 13) |
| 4/19 | HB 1593 | Repealing Collective Bargaining Requirement for Cities | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 19) |
| 4/18 | SB 1609 | Public Workers' Pensions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| 4/18 | SB 126 | In-State Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 4/14 | HB 87 | Immigration Enforcement Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 19) |
| 4/14 | HB 383 | Relating to Unemployment Insurance Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| 4/14 | HF 682 | Congressional and Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (48 - 1) |
| 4/14 | SB 48 | Requires Teaching Gay History | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| 4/13 | HB 6 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| 4/13 | HB 193 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
| 4/13 | HB 2177 | Requiring Proof of Citizenship for Presidential Candidates | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9) |
| 4/12 | S Amdt 1 | Removes Provision Authorizing Legislators to Carry Firearms | Amendment Adopted - Senate (29 - 19) |
| 4/12 | SB 972 | Congressional Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |