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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 29, 2012 | IL | HB 3782 | Prohibits Employers from Asking for Internet Login Information | Bill Passed - House (78 - 30) |
| March 26, 2012 | TN | HB 368 | Scientific Theories in the Classroom | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (72 - 23) |
| March 23, 2012 | ID | S 1274 | Prohibits Texting While Driving | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 5) |
| March 21, 2012 | AZ | HB 2757 | Authorizes Electronic Billboards | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8) |
| March 21, 2012 | IL | HB 3944 | Authorizing the Recording of Police | Bill Failed - House (45 - 59) |
| March 20, 2012 | ID | S 1274 | Prohibits Texting While Driving | Bill Passed - House (53 - 17) |
| March 19, 2012 | SD | SB 157 | Prohibits Cities From Limiting Outdoor Digital Billboards | Veto Override Failed - House (43 - 24) |
| March 19, 2012 | SD | SB 157 | Prohibits Cities From Limiting Outdoor Digital Billboards | Veto Override Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| March 19, 2012 | TN | HB 368 | Scientific Theories in the Classroom | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| March 15, 2012 | OK | HB 1551 | Authorizes the Instruction of Various Scientific Theories | Bill Passed - House (56 - 12) |
| March 15, 2012 | MI | SB 756 | Prohibits Teens from Using Cell Phones While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| March 15, 2012 | ID | S 1358 | Amends Bullying Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| March 14, 2012 | NY | S 6733 | Expands DNA Database to Include Misdemeanors | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 0) |
| March 13, 2012 | IA | HF 2380 | Amends Education Provisions | Bill Passed - House (53 - 46) |
| March 13, 2012 | IA | SF 2275 | Authorizes Internet Gambling | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 20) |
| March 13, 2012 | IA | HF 2385 | Authorizes Professionals to Teach Certain High School Courses | Bill Passed - House (61 - 36) |
| March 9, 2012 | IL | HB 5099 | Prohibits the Use of Cell Phones Near Emergency Scenes | Bill Passed - House (62 - 38) |
| March 8, 2012 | AZ | SB 1338 | Requires Online Retailers to Pay Sales Taxes | Bill Failed - Senate (8 - 20) |
| March 7, 2012 | UT | HB 187 | Prohibits Recording of Agricultural Operations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (62 - 13) |
| March 7, 2012 | UT | HB 187 | Prohibits Recording of Agricultural Operations | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
| Feb. 29, 2012 | SD | HB 1234 | Eliminates Teacher Tenure | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (36 - 33) |
| Feb. 29, 2012 | AZ | HB 2757 | Authorizes Electronic Billboards | Bill Passed - House (34 - 20) |
| Feb. 27, 2012 | SD | HB 1234 | Eliminates Teacher Tenure | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| Feb. 21, 2012 | ID | S 1274 | Prohibits Texting While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 6) |
| Feb. 15, 2012 | AK | HB 311 | Amends Requirements for Electronic Campaign Finance Disclosure | Conference Report Adopted - House (26 - 5) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/29 | HB 3782 | Prohibits Employers from Asking for Internet Login Information | Bill Passed - House (78 - 30) |
| 3/26 | HB 368 | Scientific Theories in the Classroom | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (72 - 23) |
| 3/23 | S 1274 | Prohibits Texting While Driving | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 5) |
| 3/21 | HB 2757 | Authorizes Electronic Billboards | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8) |
| 3/21 | HB 3944 | Authorizing the Recording of Police | Bill Failed - House (45 - 59) |
| 3/20 | S 1274 | Prohibits Texting While Driving | Bill Passed - House (53 - 17) |
| 3/19 | SB 157 | Prohibits Cities From Limiting Outdoor Digital Billboards | Veto Override Failed - House (43 - 24) |
| 3/19 | SB 157 | Prohibits Cities From Limiting Outdoor Digital Billboards | Veto Override Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| 3/19 | HB 368 | Scientific Theories in the Classroom | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| 3/15 | HB 1551 | Authorizes the Instruction of Various Scientific Theories | Bill Passed - House (56 - 12) |
| 3/15 | SB 756 | Prohibits Teens from Using Cell Phones While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| 3/15 | S 1358 | Amends Bullying Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| 3/14 | S 6733 | Expands DNA Database to Include Misdemeanors | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 0) |
| 3/13 | HF 2380 | Amends Education Provisions | Bill Passed - House (53 - 46) |
| 3/13 | SF 2275 | Authorizes Internet Gambling | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 20) |
| 3/13 | HF 2385 | Authorizes Professionals to Teach Certain High School Courses | Bill Passed - House (61 - 36) |
| 3/09 | HB 5099 | Prohibits the Use of Cell Phones Near Emergency Scenes | Bill Passed - House (62 - 38) |
| 3/08 | SB 1338 | Requires Online Retailers to Pay Sales Taxes | Bill Failed - Senate (8 - 20) |
| 3/07 | HB 187 | Prohibits Recording of Agricultural Operations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (62 - 13) |
| 3/07 | HB 187 | Prohibits Recording of Agricultural Operations | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
| 2/29 | HB 1234 | Eliminates Teacher Tenure | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (36 - 33) |
| 2/29 | HB 2757 | Authorizes Electronic Billboards | Bill Passed - House (34 - 20) |
| 2/27 | HB 1234 | Eliminates Teacher Tenure | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| 2/21 | S 1274 | Prohibits Texting While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 6) |
| 2/15 | HB 311 | Amends Requirements for Electronic Campaign Finance Disclosure | Conference Report Adopted - House (26 - 5) |