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, 2011 | IL | SB 744 | Authorizes Gambling | Bill Passed - House (65 - 50) |
| May 30, 2011 | IL | SB 2185 | Establishes the DREAM Fund Commission | Bill Passed - House (61 - 53) |
| May 27, 2011 | NV | AB 552 | DNA Samples for Felony Charges | Bill Passed - House (31 - 11) |
| May 27, 2011 | NV | AB 552 | DNA Samples for Felony Charges | Bill Passed - House (31 - 11) |
| May 26, 2011 | National | S 990 | PATRIOT Act Extension | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (250 - 153) |
| May 25, 2011 | TX | HB 359 | Corporal Punishment in Public Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (80 - 64) |
| May 25, 2011 | SC | S 20 | Immigration Enforcement | Bill Passed - House (65 - 39) |
| May 23, 2011 | NV | SB 368 | Prohibits Discrimination in Housing | Bill Passed - House (29 - 13) |
| May 21, 2011 | MN | SF 1308 | Prohibiting Same-Sex Marriage | Amendment Adopted - House (70 - 62) |
| May 19, 2011 | CT | HB 6599 | Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Gender Identity or Expression | Bill Passed - House (77 - 62) |
| May 19, 2011 | RI | H 6103 | Authorizes Civil Unions | Bill Passed - House (62 - 11) |
| May 19, 2011 | RI | H 6103 | Authorizes Civil Unions | Bill Passed - House (62 - 11) |
| May 19, 2011 | CA | AB 1236 | Prohibits Requirement of Electronic Employment Verification | Bill Passed - House (55 - 22) |
| May 17, 2011 | TX | SB 420 | Eligibility for Indigent Health Care | Bill Passed - House (102 - 40) |
| May 17, 2011 | LA | HB 7 | Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - House (67 - 26) |
| May 16, 2011 | TX | SB 14 | Voter Identification Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - House (98 - 46) |
| May 16, 2011 | CA | AB 144 | Concealed Weapons Bill | Bill Passed - House (46 - 29) |
| May 13, 2011 | TX | HB 359 | Corporal Punishment in Public Schools | Bill Passed - House (84 - 55) |
| May 12, 2011 | CT | HB 6390 | Access to Postsecondary Education | Bill Passed - House (77 - 63) |
| May 10, 2011 | MO | HB 73 | Drug Testing Of Welfare Recipients | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (113 - 34) |
| May 10, 2011 | TX | HB 12 | Enforcement Of State And Federal Laws Governing Immigration | Bill Passed - House (100 - 47) |
| May 9, 2011 | NJ | S 799 | Adopted Individuals' Access to Birth Certificates | Bill Passed - House (45 - 26) |
| May 9, 2011 | NJ | A 3699 | Prohibiting the Burial of Petty's Run Archaeological Excavation Site | Bill Passed - House (45 - 29) |
| May 6, 2011 | VT | H 436 | Tax Law Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - House (94 - 48) |
| May 5, 2011 | CA | AB 130 | Authorizes Student Financial Aid for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (51 - 22) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/30 | SB 744 | Authorizes Gambling | Bill Passed - House (65 - 50) |
| 5/30 | SB 2185 | Establishes the DREAM Fund Commission | Bill Passed - House (61 - 53) |
| 5/27 | AB 552 | DNA Samples for Felony Charges | Bill Passed - House (31 - 11) |
| 5/27 | AB 552 | DNA Samples for Felony Charges | Bill Passed - House (31 - 11) |
| 5/26 | S 990 | PATRIOT Act Extension | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (250 - 153) |
| 5/25 | HB 359 | Corporal Punishment in Public Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (80 - 64) |
| 5/25 | S 20 | Immigration Enforcement | Bill Passed - House (65 - 39) |
| 5/23 | SB 368 | Prohibits Discrimination in Housing | Bill Passed - House (29 - 13) |
| 5/21 | SF 1308 | Prohibiting Same-Sex Marriage | Amendment Adopted - House (70 - 62) |
| 5/19 | HB 6599 | Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Gender Identity or Expression | Bill Passed - House (77 - 62) |
| 5/19 | H 6103 | Authorizes Civil Unions | Bill Passed - House (62 - 11) |
| 5/19 | H 6103 | Authorizes Civil Unions | Bill Passed - House (62 - 11) |
| 5/19 | AB 1236 | Prohibits Requirement of Electronic Employment Verification | Bill Passed - House (55 - 22) |
| 5/17 | SB 420 | Eligibility for Indigent Health Care | Bill Passed - House (102 - 40) |
| 5/17 | HB 7 | Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - House (67 - 26) |
| 5/16 | SB 14 | Voter Identification Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - House (98 - 46) |
| 5/16 | AB 144 | Concealed Weapons Bill | Bill Passed - House (46 - 29) |
| 5/13 | HB 359 | Corporal Punishment in Public Schools | Bill Passed - House (84 - 55) |
| 5/12 | HB 6390 | Access to Postsecondary Education | Bill Passed - House (77 - 63) |
| 5/10 | HB 73 | Drug Testing Of Welfare Recipients | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (113 - 34) |
| 5/10 | HB 12 | Enforcement Of State And Federal Laws Governing Immigration | Bill Passed - House (100 - 47) |
| 5/09 | S 799 | Adopted Individuals' Access to Birth Certificates | Bill Passed - House (45 - 26) |
| 5/09 | A 3699 | Prohibiting the Burial of Petty's Run Archaeological Excavation Site | Bill Passed - House (45 - 29) |
| 5/06 | H 436 | Tax Law Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - House (94 - 48) |
| 5/05 | AB 130 | Authorizes Student Financial Aid for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (51 - 22) |