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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 30, 2012 | IL | SB 3442 | Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags | Bill Passed - House (72 - 44) |
| May 24, 2012 | LA | SB 303 | Limits Gun Regulations | Bill Passed - House (77 - 22) |
| May 24, 2012 | AL | SB 25 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (65 - 36) |
| May 24, 2012 | AL | SB 25 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (65 - 36) |
| May 21, 2012 | AL | HB 19 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (66 - 35) |
| May 21, 2012 | AL | HB 19 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (66 - 35) |
| May 17, 2012 | DE | SB 185 | Requires Lobbyists to Report Their Activities in the Legislature | Bill Passed - House (26 - 12) |
| May 10, 2012 | KS | SB 102 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (67 - 50) |
| May 10, 2012 | KS | SB 102 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (67 - 50) |
| May 10, 2012 | National | HR 5652 | Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (218 - 199) |
| May 9, 2012 | IA | SF 2315 | Amends the Mental Health and Disability Services Program | Conference Report Adopted - House (66 - 31) |
| May 9, 2012 | IL | SB 1313 | Limits Health Care Coverage for Retired State Employees | Bill Passed - House (74 - 43) |
| May 8, 2012 | OH | SB 295 | Repealing Provisions of the Election Revision Code | Bill Passed - House (54 - 42) |
| May 8, 2012 | CT | HB 5556 | Requires Corporations to Identify Top Donors for Campaign Contributions | Bill Passed - House (94 - 54) |
| May 7, 2012 | IA | HF 2475 | Reduces Certain Business Property Taxes | Bill Passed - House (71 - 26) |
| May 3, 2012 | MS | JR 201 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (70 - 50) |
| May 3, 2012 | MS | JR 201 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (70 - 50) |
| May 2, 2012 | AZ | HCR 2004 | Establishes State Sovereignty Over Certain Natural Resources | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (38 - 20) |
| May 1, 2012 | MN | HF 2337 | Amends Property Taxes | Conference Report Adopted - House (73 - 57) |
| May 1, 2012 | MS | HB 211 | Authorizes Certian Officials to Hire Their Own Lawyers | Conference Report Adopted - House (63 - 56) |
| April 30, 2012 | CT | HB 5024 | Authorizes Election Day Registration | Bill Passed - House (83 - 59) |
| April 26, 2012 | MS | HB 921 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 39) |
| April 26, 2012 | TN | SJR 710 | Amends Judicial Appointment Process | Joint Resolution Passed - House (70 - 27) |
| April 26, 2012 | MS | JR 1 | State House Redistricting | Joint Resolution Passed - House (70 - 50) |
| April 26, 2012 | MS | JR 1 | State House Redistricting | Joint Resolution Passed - House (70 - 50) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/30 | SB 3442 | Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags | Bill Passed - House (72 - 44) |
| 5/24 | SB 303 | Limits Gun Regulations | Bill Passed - House (77 - 22) |
| 5/24 | SB 25 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (65 - 36) |
| 5/24 | SB 25 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (65 - 36) |
| 5/21 | HB 19 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (66 - 35) |
| 5/21 | HB 19 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (66 - 35) |
| 5/17 | SB 185 | Requires Lobbyists to Report Their Activities in the Legislature | Bill Passed - House (26 - 12) |
| 5/10 | SB 102 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (67 - 50) |
| 5/10 | SB 102 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (67 - 50) |
| 5/10 | HR 5652 | Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (218 - 199) |
| 5/09 | SF 2315 | Amends the Mental Health and Disability Services Program | Conference Report Adopted - House (66 - 31) |
| 5/09 | SB 1313 | Limits Health Care Coverage for Retired State Employees | Bill Passed - House (74 - 43) |
| 5/08 | SB 295 | Repealing Provisions of the Election Revision Code | Bill Passed - House (54 - 42) |
| 5/08 | HB 5556 | Requires Corporations to Identify Top Donors for Campaign Contributions | Bill Passed - House (94 - 54) |
| 5/07 | HF 2475 | Reduces Certain Business Property Taxes | Bill Passed - House (71 - 26) |
| 5/03 | JR 201 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (70 - 50) |
| 5/03 | JR 201 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (70 - 50) |
| 5/02 | HCR 2004 | Establishes State Sovereignty Over Certain Natural Resources | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (38 - 20) |
| 5/01 | HF 2337 | Amends Property Taxes | Conference Report Adopted - House (73 - 57) |
| 5/01 | HB 211 | Authorizes Certian Officials to Hire Their Own Lawyers | Conference Report Adopted - House (63 - 56) |
| 4/30 | HB 5024 | Authorizes Election Day Registration | Bill Passed - House (83 - 59) |
| 4/26 | HB 921 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 39) |
| 4/26 | SJR 710 | Amends Judicial Appointment Process | Joint Resolution Passed - House (70 - 27) |
| 4/26 | JR 1 | State House Redistricting | Joint Resolution Passed - House (70 - 50) |
| 4/26 | JR 1 | State House Redistricting | Joint Resolution Passed - House (70 - 50) |