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
March 1, 2012 National S Amdt 1520 Authorizes Moral and Religious Objections to Certain Health Care Items and Services Amendment Tabled - Senate (51 - 48)
March 1, 2012 AZ HB 2625 Authorizes Employers to Refuse to Provide Coverage for Contraception Bill Passed - House (39 - 18)
March 1, 2012 AZ HB 2625 Authorizes Employers to Refuse to Provide Coverage for Contraception Bill Passed - House (39 - 18)
March 1, 2012 UT HB 155 Requires Drug Testing of Certain Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - House (62 - 10)
March 1, 2012 OR SB 1594 Prohibits weapons on school grounds Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 15)
Feb. 29, 2012 MN HF 1467 Expands the Use of Deadly Force in Self-Defense Concurrence Vote Passed - House (85 - 47)
Feb. 29, 2012 MN HF 1467 Expands the Use of Deadly Force in Self-Defense Concurrence Vote Passed - House (85 - 47)
Feb. 29, 2012 CO SB 93 Requires Hospitals to Disclose Religious Objections Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14)
Feb. 29, 2012 IA HJR 2009 Prohibiting Mandatory Licensing and Registration of Guns Amendment Adopted - House (61 - 37)
Feb. 29, 2012 National HR 1837 Water Resources in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley Bill Passed - House (246 - 175)
Feb. 29, 2012 IA HF 2215 Authorizes the Use of Deadly Force in Self-Defense Bill Passed - House (60 - 38)
Feb. 28, 2012 IA HF 589 Prohibits Obtaining Employment at Agriculture Facilities Under False Pretenses Concurrence Vote Passed - House (69 - 28)
Feb. 28, 2012 SD HB 1248 Authorizes the Concealed Carry of a Handgun Without a Permit Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11)
Feb. 28, 2012 SD H Amdt 141 Defining Domestic Abuse as Abuse Witihin an Opposite-Sex Relationship Amendment Adopted - House (35 - 33)
Feb. 28, 2012 SD H Amdt 141 Defining Domestic Abuse as Abuse Witihin an Opposite-Sex Relationship Amendment Adopted - House (35 - 33)
Feb. 28, 2012 SD H Amdt 141 Defining Domestic Abuse as Abuse Witihin an Opposite-Sex Relationship Amendment Adopted - House (35 - 33)
Feb. 28, 2012 SD SB 141 Amends the Definition of Domestic Abuse Bill Passed - House (46 - 22)
Feb. 28, 2012 IA HF 589 Prohibits Obtaining Employment at Agriculture Facilities Under False Pretenses Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 10)
Feb. 28, 2012 SD SB 141 Amends the Definition of Domestic Abuse Bill Passed - House (46 - 22)
Feb. 28, 2012 SD HB 1253 Prohibits State Enforcement of Religious Codes Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 4)
Feb. 28, 2012 AZ SB 1365 Authorizes religious objections by professionals Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9)
Feb. 28, 2012 WY HJR 7 Requests the President to Repeal the Rule Requiring Coverage of Contraception Joint Resolution Passed - House (40 - 17)
Feb. 28, 2012 UT HB 316 Extends Waiting Period for Divorce Bill Passed - House (43 - 26)
Feb. 27, 2012 TN HB 2638 Prohibits Camping in Non-Designated Areas of Public Property Concurrence Vote Passed - House (67 - 21)
Feb. 27, 2012 VA HB 9 Voter Identification Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 20)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/01 S Amdt 1520 Authorizes Moral and Religious Objections to Certain Health Care Items and Services Amendment Tabled - Senate (51 - 48)
3/01 HB 2625 Authorizes Employers to Refuse to Provide Coverage for Contraception Bill Passed - House (39 - 18)
3/01 HB 2625 Authorizes Employers to Refuse to Provide Coverage for Contraception Bill Passed - House (39 - 18)
3/01 HB 155 Requires Drug Testing of Certain Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - House (62 - 10)
3/01 SB 1594 Prohibits weapons on school grounds Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 15)
2/29 HF 1467 Expands the Use of Deadly Force in Self-Defense Concurrence Vote Passed - House (85 - 47)
2/29 HF 1467 Expands the Use of Deadly Force in Self-Defense Concurrence Vote Passed - House (85 - 47)
2/29 SB 93 Requires Hospitals to Disclose Religious Objections Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14)
2/29 HJR 2009 Prohibiting Mandatory Licensing and Registration of Guns Amendment Adopted - House (61 - 37)
2/29 HR 1837 Water Resources in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley Bill Passed - House (246 - 175)
2/29 HF 2215 Authorizes the Use of Deadly Force in Self-Defense Bill Passed - House (60 - 38)
2/28 HF 589 Prohibits Obtaining Employment at Agriculture Facilities Under False Pretenses Concurrence Vote Passed - House (69 - 28)
2/28 HB 1248 Authorizes the Concealed Carry of a Handgun Without a Permit Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11)
2/28 H Amdt 141 Defining Domestic Abuse as Abuse Witihin an Opposite-Sex Relationship Amendment Adopted - House (35 - 33)
2/28 H Amdt 141 Defining Domestic Abuse as Abuse Witihin an Opposite-Sex Relationship Amendment Adopted - House (35 - 33)
2/28 H Amdt 141 Defining Domestic Abuse as Abuse Witihin an Opposite-Sex Relationship Amendment Adopted - House (35 - 33)
2/28 SB 141 Amends the Definition of Domestic Abuse Bill Passed - House (46 - 22)
2/28 HF 589 Prohibits Obtaining Employment at Agriculture Facilities Under False Pretenses Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 10)
2/28 SB 141 Amends the Definition of Domestic Abuse Bill Passed - House (46 - 22)
2/28 HB 1253 Prohibits State Enforcement of Religious Codes Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 4)
2/28 SB 1365 Authorizes religious objections by professionals Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9)
2/28 HJR 7 Requests the President to Repeal the Rule Requiring Coverage of Contraception Joint Resolution Passed - House (40 - 17)
2/28 HB 316 Extends Waiting Period for Divorce Bill Passed - House (43 - 26)
2/27 HB 2638 Prohibits Camping in Non-Designated Areas of Public Property Concurrence Vote Passed - House (67 - 21)
2/27 HB 9 Voter Identification Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 20)

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