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 | ID | H 563 | Reduces Income Tax Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| March 29, 2012 | National | S 2204 | Amends Energy-Related Tax Credits | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 47) |
| March 29, 2012 | National | H Con Res 112 | Limits Federal Appropriations for Fiscal Years 2013-2022 ("Ryan Budget") | Joint Resolution Passed - House (228 - 191) |
| 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 | SC | H 4894 | Authorizes Income Tax Credit for Tuition Payments | Bill Passed - House (62 - 38) |
| March 28, 2012 | NH | H Amdt 917h | Authorizing the Establishment of 4 Casinos | Amendment Rejected - House (154 - 195) |
| March 27, 2012 | LA | HB 969 | Establishes Tax Deductions for Donating to Scholarship Programs | Bill Passed - House (66 - 37) |
| March 22, 2012 | ID | HJR 1 | Requires a 2/3 Vote for Tax Increases | Motion Rejected - House (37 - 33) |
| March 19, 2012 | SD | HB 1228 | Tax Credits for Alternative Energy Projects | Veto Override Failed - House (44 - 23) |
| March 15, 2012 | MD | SB 523 | Increases State Income Tax Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 20) |
| March 13, 2012 | KS | Goodman Amdt | Eliminates Sales Tax on Food | Amendment Adopted - House (76 - 44) |
| March 12, 2012 | OK | SB 1571 | Repeals State Income Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| March 8, 2012 | AZ | SB 1338 | Requires Online Retailers to Pay Sales Taxes | Bill Failed - Senate (8 - 20) |
| March 5, 2012 | AZ | HCR 2043 | Amends Requirements for Ballot Measures for Future Tax Increases | Resolution Passed - House (32 - 26) |
| March 1, 2012 | SD | HB 1228 | Tax Credits for Alternative Energy Projects | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 16) |
| March 1, 2012 | AZ | HB 2815 | Establishes Tax Credits for Certain Businesses | Bill Passed - House (39 - 18) |
| March 1, 2012 | ID | H 563 | Reduces Income Tax Rates | Bill Passed - House (49 - 20) |
| Feb. 29, 2012 | SD | HB 1206 | Repeals the South Dakota Sales Tax on Food Refund Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (61 - 6) |
| Feb. 29, 2012 | AK | HB 118 | Research and Development Tax Credit | Bill Passed - House (23 - 12) |
| Feb. 28, 2012 | SD | HB 1228 | Tax Credits for Alternative Energy Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| Feb. 27, 2012 | SD | HB 1206 | Repeals the South Dakota Sales Tax on Food Refund Program | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| Feb. 17, 2012 | National | HR 3630 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut | Conference Report Adopted - House (293 - 132) |
| Feb. 17, 2012 | National | HR 3630 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (60 - 36) |
| Feb. 17, 2012 | VA | SB 131 | Establishes Tax Deductions for Corporations | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 20) |
| Feb. 15, 2012 | NH | CACR 6 | Requires a Supermajority for Budget Increases | Resolution Passed - Senate (17 - 7) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/29 | H 563 | Reduces Income Tax Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| 3/29 | S 2204 | Amends Energy-Related Tax Credits | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 47) |
| 3/29 | H Con Res 112 | Limits Federal Appropriations for Fiscal Years 2013-2022 ("Ryan Budget") | Joint Resolution Passed - House (228 - 191) |
| 3/29 | HB 1607 | Establishes a Tax Credit for Businesses that Donate to Certain Scholarship Funds | Bill Passed - House (173 - 127) |
| 3/29 | H 4894 | Authorizes Income Tax Credit for Tuition Payments | Bill Passed - House (62 - 38) |
| 3/28 | H Amdt 917h | Authorizing the Establishment of 4 Casinos | Amendment Rejected - House (154 - 195) |
| 3/27 | HB 969 | Establishes Tax Deductions for Donating to Scholarship Programs | Bill Passed - House (66 - 37) |
| 3/22 | HJR 1 | Requires a 2/3 Vote for Tax Increases | Motion Rejected - House (37 - 33) |
| 3/19 | HB 1228 | Tax Credits for Alternative Energy Projects | Veto Override Failed - House (44 - 23) |
| 3/15 | SB 523 | Increases State Income Tax Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 20) |
| 3/13 | Goodman Amdt | Eliminates Sales Tax on Food | Amendment Adopted - House (76 - 44) |
| 3/12 | SB 1571 | Repeals State Income Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| 3/08 | SB 1338 | Requires Online Retailers to Pay Sales Taxes | Bill Failed - Senate (8 - 20) |
| 3/05 | HCR 2043 | Amends Requirements for Ballot Measures for Future Tax Increases | Resolution Passed - House (32 - 26) |
| 3/01 | HB 1228 | Tax Credits for Alternative Energy Projects | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 16) |
| 3/01 | HB 2815 | Establishes Tax Credits for Certain Businesses | Bill Passed - House (39 - 18) |
| 3/01 | H 563 | Reduces Income Tax Rates | Bill Passed - House (49 - 20) |
| 2/29 | HB 1206 | Repeals the South Dakota Sales Tax on Food Refund Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (61 - 6) |
| 2/29 | HB 118 | Research and Development Tax Credit | Bill Passed - House (23 - 12) |
| 2/28 | HB 1228 | Tax Credits for Alternative Energy Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| 2/27 | HB 1206 | Repeals the South Dakota Sales Tax on Food Refund Program | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| 2/17 | HR 3630 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut | Conference Report Adopted - House (293 - 132) |
| 2/17 | HR 3630 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (60 - 36) |
| 2/17 | SB 131 | Establishes Tax Deductions for Corporations | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 20) |
| 2/15 | CACR 6 | Requires a Supermajority for Budget Increases | Resolution Passed - Senate (17 - 7) |