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 31, 2012 | CA | SB 1525 | Establishes a Student Athlete Bill of Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| May 31, 2012 | CA | SB 1506 | Reduces Charges for Possession of Controlled Substances | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 24) |
| May 30, 2012 | CA | SB 1172 | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| May 30, 2012 | CA | SB 1476 | Authorizes Courts to Designate More than 2 Individuals as Parents of a Child | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
| May 29, 2012 | LA | SB 303 | Limits Gun Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 4) |
| May 29, 2012 | LA | SB 303 | Limits Gun Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 4) |
| May 24, 2012 | IL | SB 2840 | Limits Medicaid Funding | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 13) |
| May 24, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2108 | Prohibits FDA Approval of Genetically Engineered Fish | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 50) |
| May 22, 2012 | LA | HB 543 | Parole Eligibility for Nonviolent Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| May 21, 2012 | CA | SB 1221 | Prohibits the Use of Dogs to Hunt Bears or Bobcats | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| May 16, 2012 | AL | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
| May 14, 2012 | LA | HB 1072 | Tax Incentives for a Franchise of the NBA | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| May 10, 2012 | MN | HF 2958 | Authorizes New Viking Stadium | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (38 - 28) |
| May 10, 2012 | OK | SB 1733 | Authorizes Open Carry of Firearms | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 10) |
| May 9, 2012 | RI | S 2555 A | Authorizes Medical Marijuana Dispensaries | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 3) |
| May 5, 2012 | CT | HB 5024 | Authorizes Election Day Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
| May 3, 2012 | CT | HB 5312 | Authorizes Day Care and Personal Care Workers to Join Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| May 2, 2012 | NH | HB 536 | Repeals License Requirement to Carry a Firearm | Bill Tabled - Senate (17 - 7) |
| May 2, 2012 | NH | HB 1383 | Prohibits In-State Tuition for Non-US Residents | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 5) |
| May 2, 2012 | CO | SB 117 | Establishes Limits for Driving Under the Influence of Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| April 30, 2012 | TN | SB 3597 | Prohibits Discrimination Against Religious Student Groups at Public Universities | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
| April 28, 2012 | MN | HF 2171 | Increases Hunting and Fishing Fees | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (34 - 28) |
| April 28, 2012 | MN | HF 2795 | Expands Gambling | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 18) |
| April 27, 2012 | CO | SM 3 | Urges Congress to Authorize Religious Exemptions to Providing Birth Control | Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 20) |
| April 27, 2012 | CO | SM 3 | Urges Congress to Authorize Religious Exemptions to Providing Birth Control | Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 20) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/31 | SB 1525 | Establishes a Student Athlete Bill of Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| 5/31 | SB 1506 | Reduces Charges for Possession of Controlled Substances | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 24) |
| 5/30 | SB 1172 | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| 5/30 | SB 1476 | Authorizes Courts to Designate More than 2 Individuals as Parents of a Child | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
| 5/29 | SB 303 | Limits Gun Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 4) |
| 5/29 | SB 303 | Limits Gun Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 4) |
| 5/24 | SB 2840 | Limits Medicaid Funding | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 13) |
| 5/24 | S Amdt 2108 | Prohibits FDA Approval of Genetically Engineered Fish | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 50) |
| 5/22 | HB 543 | Parole Eligibility for Nonviolent Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 5/21 | SB 1221 | Prohibits the Use of Dogs to Hunt Bears or Bobcats | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| 5/16 | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
| 5/14 | HB 1072 | Tax Incentives for a Franchise of the NBA | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| 5/10 | HF 2958 | Authorizes New Viking Stadium | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (38 - 28) |
| 5/10 | SB 1733 | Authorizes Open Carry of Firearms | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 10) |
| 5/09 | S 2555 A | Authorizes Medical Marijuana Dispensaries | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 3) |
| 5/05 | HB 5024 | Authorizes Election Day Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
| 5/03 | HB 5312 | Authorizes Day Care and Personal Care Workers to Join Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| 5/02 | HB 536 | Repeals License Requirement to Carry a Firearm | Bill Tabled - Senate (17 - 7) |
| 5/02 | HB 1383 | Prohibits In-State Tuition for Non-US Residents | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 5) |
| 5/02 | SB 117 | Establishes Limits for Driving Under the Influence of Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| 4/30 | SB 3597 | Prohibits Discrimination Against Religious Student Groups at Public Universities | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
| 4/28 | HF 2171 | Increases Hunting and Fishing Fees | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (34 - 28) |
| 4/28 | HF 2795 | Expands Gambling | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 18) |
| 4/27 | SM 3 | Urges Congress to Authorize Religious Exemptions to Providing Birth Control | Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 20) |
| 4/27 | SM 3 | Urges Congress to Authorize Religious Exemptions to Providing Birth Control | Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 20) |