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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 19, 2011 | LA | HB 342 | Requires Certain Employers to Use E-Verify | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| June 15, 2011 | TX | SB 9 | Enforcement of Federal and State Immigration Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
| June 8, 2011 | WI | SB 116 | Relating to Overseas Absentee Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| June 2, 2011 | AL | HB 56 | Immigration Enforcement | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 7) |
| May 28, 2011 | TX | HB 1 | 2011-2013 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 11) |
| May 26, 2011 | National | S 990 | PATRIOT Act Extension | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (72 - 23) |
| May 24, 2011 | CT | HB 6390 | Access to Postsecondary Education | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| May 23, 2011 | National | S 1038 | PATRIOT Act Extension | Cloture Invoked - Senate (74 - 8) |
| May 4, 2011 | TX | HB 1 | 2011-2013 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
| May 4, 2011 | IL | SB 2185 | Establishes the DREAM Fund Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 11) |
| April 21, 2011 | AL | SB 256 | Undocumented Immigrant Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate |
| April 19, 2011 | AZ | SB 1406 | Interstate Compact to Build a Border Fence | 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 11, 2011 | MD | SB 167 | In-State Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 19) |
| April 6, 2011 | AZ | HB 2191 | Punitive Damage Awards | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| March 29, 2011 | OR | SB 742 | Resident Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
| March 17, 2011 | AZ | SB 1405 | Hospital Admissions and Restrictions | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 18) |
| March 17, 2011 | AZ | SB 1308 | Separate Birth Certificates for Non-Citizens | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 18) |
| March 17, 2011 | AZ | SB 1611 | Requires Verification of Citizenship for Certain Benefits | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 19) |
| March 17, 2011 | AZ | SB 1309 | Defines Arizona Citizenship | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 19) |
| March 16, 2011 | WA | SB 5407 | Prohibits Drivers Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants | Motion Rejected - Senate (23 - 25) |
| March 15, 2011 | AZ | SCR 1035 | English as the Official Language | Resolution Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| March 14, 2011 | GA | SB 40 | Immigration Status Verification of Private Business Workers | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 21) |
| March 14, 2011 | OK | SB 91 | Proof of Presidential Candidates' Citizenship | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 10) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/19 | HB 342 | Requires Certain Employers to Use E-Verify | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| 6/15 | SB 9 | Enforcement of Federal and State Immigration Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
| 6/08 | SB 116 | Relating to Overseas Absentee Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| 6/02 | HB 56 | Immigration Enforcement | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 7) |
| 5/28 | HB 1 | 2011-2013 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 11) |
| 5/26 | S 990 | PATRIOT Act Extension | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (72 - 23) |
| 5/24 | HB 6390 | Access to Postsecondary Education | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 5/23 | S 1038 | PATRIOT Act Extension | Cloture Invoked - Senate (74 - 8) |
| 5/04 | HB 1 | 2011-2013 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
| 5/04 | SB 2185 | Establishes the DREAM Fund Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 11) |
| 4/21 | SB 256 | Undocumented Immigrant Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate |
| 4/19 | SB 1406 | Interstate Compact to Build a Border Fence | 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) |
| 4/11 | SB 167 | In-State Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 19) |
| 4/06 | HB 2191 | Punitive Damage Awards | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| 3/29 | SB 742 | Resident Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
| 3/17 | SB 1405 | Hospital Admissions and Restrictions | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 18) |
| 3/17 | SB 1308 | Separate Birth Certificates for Non-Citizens | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 18) |
| 3/17 | SB 1611 | Requires Verification of Citizenship for Certain Benefits | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 19) |
| 3/17 | SB 1309 | Defines Arizona Citizenship | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 19) |
| 3/16 | SB 5407 | Prohibits Drivers Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants | Motion Rejected - Senate (23 - 25) |
| 3/15 | SCR 1035 | English as the Official Language | Resolution Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| 3/14 | SB 40 | Immigration Status Verification of Private Business Workers | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 21) |
| 3/14 | SB 91 | Proof of Presidential Candidates' Citizenship | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 10) |