Key Votes

Chamber

Keyword Search

Search string must be longer than 3 characters.

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
April 3, 2012 IA HF 2450 Prohibits the Use of Traffic Cameras Bill Passed - House (58 - 42)
March 29, 2012 GA HB 861 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - House (110 - 56)
March 29, 2012 GA HB 861 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - House (110 - 56)
March 29, 2012 GA HB 1114 Prohibits Assisted Suicide Concurrence Vote Passed - House (115 - 53)
March 29, 2012 KS SB 62 Authorizes Medical Professionals and Facilities to Not Provide Referrals for Abortions or Sterilizations Bill Passed - House (95 - 29)
March 29, 2012 MO HB 1541 Provides Exemptions on Participating in Certain Medical Procedures. Bill Passed - House (113 - 41)
March 29, 2012 MO HB 1541 Provides Exemptions on Participating in Certain Medical Procedures. Bill Passed - House (113 - 41)
March 29, 2012 IL HB 4083 Internet Dating Site Requirements Bill Passed - House (83 - 26)
March 29, 2012 IL HB 5531 Limits Tuition Waivers for State University Employees Bill Failed - House (26 - 75)
March 29, 2012 MI HB 5061 Requires Photo Identification for Absentee Ballots Bill Passed - House (65 - 45)
March 29, 2012 SC H 4894 Authorizes Income Tax Credit for Tuition Payments Bill Passed - House (62 - 38)
March 28, 2012 KY SB 3 Limits Over-the-Counter Purchases of Cold Medicine Bill Passed - House (60 - 36)
March 28, 2012 SC SB 1227 Prohibits Camping on State House Grounds Bill Passed - House (85 - 22)
March 28, 2012 NH H Amdt 917h Authorizing the Establishment of 4 Casinos Amendment Rejected - House (154 - 195)
March 28, 2012 NH HB 593 Expands Gambling Bill Failed - House (118 - 226)
March 27, 2012 MN HF 657 Amends Ticket Sales Practices Bill Passed - House (83 - 50)
March 23, 2012 ID SJM 104 Urging Congress to Repeal Insurance Coverage of Contraception Joint Resolution Passed - House (51 - 16)
March 22, 2012 ID S 1256 Authorizes the Auction of Big-Game Tags Bill Passed - House (38 - 29)
March 22, 2012 ID S 1295 Requires Massage Therapists to be Licensed Bill Passed - House (39 - 29)
March 21, 2012 NH HB 437 Repeals Same-Sex Marriage "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (211 - 116)
March 21, 2012 IL HB 3944 Authorizing the Recording of Police Bill Failed - House (45 - 59)
March 21, 2012 IL HB 3944 Authorizing the Recording of Police Bill Failed - House (45 - 59)
March 20, 2012 MN HF 2738 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Bill Passed - House (72 - 62)
March 20, 2012 ID H 486 Prohibits Minors from Using Tanning Beds Bill Passed - House (39 - 30)
March 20, 2012 CO HB 1111 Voter Identification Amendments Bill Passed - House (33 - 31)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/03 HF 2450 Prohibits the Use of Traffic Cameras Bill Passed - House (58 - 42)
3/29 HB 861 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - House (110 - 56)
3/29 HB 861 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - House (110 - 56)
3/29 HB 1114 Prohibits Assisted Suicide Concurrence Vote Passed - House (115 - 53)
3/29 SB 62 Authorizes Medical Professionals and Facilities to Not Provide Referrals for Abortions or Sterilizations Bill Passed - House (95 - 29)
3/29 HB 1541 Provides Exemptions on Participating in Certain Medical Procedures. Bill Passed - House (113 - 41)
3/29 HB 1541 Provides Exemptions on Participating in Certain Medical Procedures. Bill Passed - House (113 - 41)
3/29 HB 4083 Internet Dating Site Requirements Bill Passed - House (83 - 26)
3/29 HB 5531 Limits Tuition Waivers for State University Employees Bill Failed - House (26 - 75)
3/29 HB 5061 Requires Photo Identification for Absentee Ballots Bill Passed - House (65 - 45)
3/29 H 4894 Authorizes Income Tax Credit for Tuition Payments Bill Passed - House (62 - 38)
3/28 SB 3 Limits Over-the-Counter Purchases of Cold Medicine Bill Passed - House (60 - 36)
3/28 SB 1227 Prohibits Camping on State House Grounds Bill Passed - House (85 - 22)
3/28 H Amdt 917h Authorizing the Establishment of 4 Casinos Amendment Rejected - House (154 - 195)
3/28 HB 593 Expands Gambling Bill Failed - House (118 - 226)
3/27 HF 657 Amends Ticket Sales Practices Bill Passed - House (83 - 50)
3/23 SJM 104 Urging Congress to Repeal Insurance Coverage of Contraception Joint Resolution Passed - House (51 - 16)
3/22 S 1256 Authorizes the Auction of Big-Game Tags Bill Passed - House (38 - 29)
3/22 S 1295 Requires Massage Therapists to be Licensed Bill Passed - House (39 - 29)
3/21 HB 437 Repeals Same-Sex Marriage "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (211 - 116)
3/21 HB 3944 Authorizing the Recording of Police Bill Failed - House (45 - 59)
3/21 HB 3944 Authorizing the Recording of Police Bill Failed - House (45 - 59)
3/20 HF 2738 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Bill Passed - House (72 - 62)
3/20 H 486 Prohibits Minors from Using Tanning Beds Bill Passed - House (39 - 30)
3/20 HB 1111 Voter Identification Amendments Bill Passed - House (33 - 31)

arrow_upward