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
Feb. 20, 2013 OK HB 1999 Authorizes the Slaughter of Horses Bill Passed - House (82 - 14)
Feb. 20, 2013 OK HB 1999 Authorizes the Slaughter of Horses Bill Passed - House (82 - 14)
Feb. 20, 2013 GA HB 178 Requires Pain Management Clinics to be Licensed Bill Passed - House (150 - 15)
Feb. 20, 2013 NH HB 370 Repeals the Education Tax Credit Program Bill Passed - House (188 - 151)
Feb. 18, 2013 CO HB 1229 Requires Background Checks For Private Gun Sales and Transfers Bill Passed - House (36 - 29)
Feb. 14, 2013 NJ SCR 1 Increases Minimum Wage Concurrence Vote Passed - House (46 - 31)
Feb. 13, 2013 ID HB 55 Authorizes Telecommunications Businesses to Solicit Existing Customers Bill Passed - House (65 - 5)
Feb. 7, 2013 IN HB 1005 Changes Eligibility for College Financial Aid Bill Passed - House (86 - 13)
Feb. 6, 2013 AK HB 80 Amends Cruise Ship Wastewater Discharge Permits Bill Passed - House (27 - 10)
Feb. 4, 2013 UT HB 34 Authorizes "In God We Trust" on License Plates Bill Passed - House (64 - 9)
Dec. 17, 2012 NJ S 581 Establishes Tax Credits for Investors in Small Business Technology Bill Passed - House (47 - 30)
Dec. 4, 2012 IL SB 681 Authorizes State Residents To Purchase Ammunition From In-State Companies Veto Override Passed - House (78 - 28)
Dec. 3, 2012 NJ A 2162 Increases Minimum Wage Concurrence Vote Passed - House (44 - 31)
Nov. 16, 2012 National HR 6156 Russia and Moldova Jackson-Vanik Repeal and Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (365 - 43)
Aug. 31, 2012 CA AB 1313 Requires Overtime Wages for Agricultural Workers Concurrence Vote Failed - House (35 - 33)
Aug. 27, 2012 CA AB 2327 Increases Penalties for the Misuse of Funds by Charitable Organizations Concurrence Vote Passed - House (62 - 18)
Aug. 13, 2012 CA AB 1500 Corporate Tax Rates and Middle Class Scholarship Fund Bill Passed - House (54 - 25)
July 31, 2012 MA S 2400 Establishes Accountable Care Organizations Conference Report Adopted - House (133 - 20)
July 26, 2012 National HR 4078 Red Tape Reduction and Small Business Job Creation Act Bill Passed - House (245 - 172)
July 25, 2012 National HR 459 Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (327 - 98)
June 19, 2012 DE SB 205 Requires Manufactured Home Community Owners to Explain Rent Increases Bill Failed - House (14 - 22)
June 11, 2012 RI S 2374 Increases Minimum Wage Bill Passed - House (60 - 8)
June 8, 2012 RI H 7323 2012-2013 Budget Bill Passed - House (57 - 15)
June 6, 2012 PA HB 2191 Authorizes Payday Loans Bill Passed - House (102 - 90)
May 31, 2012 IL SB 1064 Prohibits Private Security Services in Detention Centers Bill Failed - House (57 - 58)
Date No. Title Outcome
2/20 HB 1999 Authorizes the Slaughter of Horses Bill Passed - House (82 - 14)
2/20 HB 1999 Authorizes the Slaughter of Horses Bill Passed - House (82 - 14)
2/20 HB 178 Requires Pain Management Clinics to be Licensed Bill Passed - House (150 - 15)
2/20 HB 370 Repeals the Education Tax Credit Program Bill Passed - House (188 - 151)
2/18 HB 1229 Requires Background Checks For Private Gun Sales and Transfers Bill Passed - House (36 - 29)
2/14 SCR 1 Increases Minimum Wage Concurrence Vote Passed - House (46 - 31)
2/13 HB 55 Authorizes Telecommunications Businesses to Solicit Existing Customers Bill Passed - House (65 - 5)
2/07 HB 1005 Changes Eligibility for College Financial Aid Bill Passed - House (86 - 13)
2/06 HB 80 Amends Cruise Ship Wastewater Discharge Permits Bill Passed - House (27 - 10)
2/04 HB 34 Authorizes "In God We Trust" on License Plates Bill Passed - House (64 - 9)
12/17 S 581 Establishes Tax Credits for Investors in Small Business Technology Bill Passed - House (47 - 30)
12/04 SB 681 Authorizes State Residents To Purchase Ammunition From In-State Companies Veto Override Passed - House (78 - 28)
12/03 A 2162 Increases Minimum Wage Concurrence Vote Passed - House (44 - 31)
11/16 HR 6156 Russia and Moldova Jackson-Vanik Repeal and Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (365 - 43)
8/31 AB 1313 Requires Overtime Wages for Agricultural Workers Concurrence Vote Failed - House (35 - 33)
8/27 AB 2327 Increases Penalties for the Misuse of Funds by Charitable Organizations Concurrence Vote Passed - House (62 - 18)
8/13 AB 1500 Corporate Tax Rates and Middle Class Scholarship Fund Bill Passed - House (54 - 25)
7/31 S 2400 Establishes Accountable Care Organizations Conference Report Adopted - House (133 - 20)
7/26 HR 4078 Red Tape Reduction and Small Business Job Creation Act Bill Passed - House (245 - 172)
7/25 HR 459 Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (327 - 98)
6/19 SB 205 Requires Manufactured Home Community Owners to Explain Rent Increases Bill Failed - House (14 - 22)
6/11 S 2374 Increases Minimum Wage Bill Passed - House (60 - 8)
6/08 H 7323 2012-2013 Budget Bill Passed - House (57 - 15)
6/06 HB 2191 Authorizes Payday Loans Bill Passed - House (102 - 90)
5/31 SB 1064 Prohibits Private Security Services in Detention Centers Bill Failed - House (57 - 58)

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