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 6, 2013 | KY | HB 2 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (53 - 46) |
| March 1, 2013 | KS | HB 2019 | Authorizes Governor to Appoint Judges to Kansas Court of Appeals | Bill Passed - House (73 - 50) |
| Feb. 22, 2013 | KY | SB 40 | Requires Health Care Exchanges to Be Approved by The Legislature | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| Feb. 22, 2013 | KY | SB 39 | Requires Medicaid Expansion to be Approved by the Legislature | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| Feb. 15, 2013 | National | HR 273 | Eliminates the 2013 Statutory Pay Adjustment for Federal Employees | Bill Passed - House (261 - 154) |
| Feb. 14, 2013 | NJ | AR 91 | Extends the Term of a Special Committee Investigating the Finances of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey | Resolution Passed - House (46 - 29) |
| Feb. 6, 2013 | NH | CACR1 | Requires Three-Fifths Majority for Tax Increases | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (206 - 149) |
| Jan. 31, 2013 | National | HR 325 | No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 34) |
| Jan. 30, 2013 | KS | SCR 1601 | Authorizes the Governor to Nominate Judges | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 12) |
| Jan. 29, 2013 | WI | SB 2 | Limits the Secretary of State's Role in Legislation | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 14) |
| Jan. 28, 2013 | NJ | A 3614 | Requires Legislative Approval for State Lottery Changes | Bill Passed - House (45 - 29) |
| Jan. 23, 2013 | National | HR 325 | No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - House (285 - 144) |
| Jan. 1, 2013 | National | HR 6726 | Congressional Pay Freeze and Fiscal Responsibility Act | Bill Passed - House (287 - 129) |
| Dec. 20, 2012 | National | HR 6684 | Spending Reduction Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (215 - 209) |
| Dec. 3, 2012 | NJ | A 2166 | Requires Legislative Approval of Port Authority Minutes | Bill Passed - House (44 - 31) |
| Sept. 22, 2012 | National | H J Res 117 | Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2013 | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (62 - 30) |
| Sept. 14, 2012 | National | HR 6213 | No More Solyndras Act | Bill Passed - House (245 - 161) |
| July 31, 2012 | National | S 679 | Presidential Appointment Efficiency and Streamlining Act of 2011 | Bill Passed - House (261 - 116) |
| July 31, 2012 | National | HR 828 | Federal Employee Tax Accountability Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (263 - 114) |
| June 27, 2012 | NH | HB 1666 | Requires Legislative Approval of Collective Bargaining Agreements | Veto Override Failed - House (225 - 124) |
| June 6, 2012 | NH | CACR 6 | Requires a Supermajority for Budget Increases | Conference Report Rejected - House (220 - 132) |
| June 6, 2012 | NH | CACR 12 | Legislative Authority of Education Requirements | Conference Report Rejected - House (224 - 144) |
| June 6, 2012 | NH | HB 1666 | Requires Legislative Approval of Collective Bargaining Agreements | Conference Report Adopted - House (203 - 77) |
| June 6, 2012 | NH | CACR 6 | Requires a Supermajority for Budget Increases | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 9) |
| June 6, 2012 | NH | CACR 12 | Legislative Authority of Education Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 6) |