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
May 31, 2012 IL SB 1064 Prohibits Private Security Services in Detention Centers Bill Failed - House (57 - 58)
May 31, 2012 CA SB 956 Regulates Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Loans and Lenders Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
May 31, 2012 CA AB 2312 Regulations for Marijuana Dispensaries Bill Passed - House (41 - 30)
May 30, 2012 LA HB 61 Amends State Workers Pensions Conference Report Adopted - House (68 - 36)
May 30, 2012 LA HB 61 Amends State Workers Pensions Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 8)
May 30, 2012 IL SB 3442 Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags Bill Passed - House (72 - 44)
May 30, 2012 CA SB 1234 Establishes Retirement Program for Private Sector Employees Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
May 30, 2012 CA SB 1054 Requires Notifying Property Owners Prior to Hydraulic Fracturing Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 18)
May 30, 2012 CA AB 1450 Prohibits Discrimination Against Unemployed Workers Bill Passed - House (51 - 26)
May 29, 2012 IL SB 2194 Increases Cigarette Tax Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 27)
May 29, 2012 CA AB 1447 Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Sellers to Provide a Limited Warranty Bill Passed - House (49 - 25)
May 29, 2012 CA AB 1534 Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Dealers to Label Used Vehicles Bill Passed - House (42 - 32)
May 25, 2012 IL SB 2194 Increases Cigarette Tax Bill Passed - House (60 - 52)
May 24, 2012 NJ A 2162 Increases Minimum Wage Bill Passed - House (46 - 33)
May 24, 2012 NJ A 2162 Increases Minimum Wage Bill Passed - House (46 - 33)
May 24, 2012 NJ A 1238 Requires Copy Machine Hard Drives to be Erased Before Being Exchanged Bill Passed - House (51 - 28)
May 16, 2012 AL HB 658 Amends Immigration Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - House (67 - 37)
May 16, 2012 NH HB 1607 Establishes a Tax Credit for Businesses that Donate to Certain Scholarship Funds Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 7)
May 16, 2012 AL HB 658 Amends Immigration Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7)
May 16, 2012 MD SB 1301 Amends Teacher Pension Funding Bill Passed - House (86 - 51)
May 16, 2012 OH HB 510 Repeals the Corporate Franchise Tax Bill Passed - House (75 - 23)
May 15, 2012 NY A 9148 Increases Minimum Wage Bill Passed - House (98 - 49)
May 15, 2012 MD SB 1301 Amends Teacher Pension Funding Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 13)
May 15, 2012 IL HB 3859 Requires Publication of Reduced Tax Rates under the EDGE Program Bill Passed - House (84 - 26)
May 10, 2012 DE SB 205 Requires Manufactured Home Community Owners to Explain Rent Increases Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 9)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/31 SB 1064 Prohibits Private Security Services in Detention Centers Bill Failed - House (57 - 58)
5/31 SB 956 Regulates Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Loans and Lenders Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
5/31 AB 2312 Regulations for Marijuana Dispensaries Bill Passed - House (41 - 30)
5/30 HB 61 Amends State Workers Pensions Conference Report Adopted - House (68 - 36)
5/30 HB 61 Amends State Workers Pensions Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 8)
5/30 SB 3442 Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags Bill Passed - House (72 - 44)
5/30 SB 1234 Establishes Retirement Program for Private Sector Employees Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
5/30 SB 1054 Requires Notifying Property Owners Prior to Hydraulic Fracturing Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 18)
5/30 AB 1450 Prohibits Discrimination Against Unemployed Workers Bill Passed - House (51 - 26)
5/29 SB 2194 Increases Cigarette Tax Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 27)
5/29 AB 1447 Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Sellers to Provide a Limited Warranty Bill Passed - House (49 - 25)
5/29 AB 1534 Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Dealers to Label Used Vehicles Bill Passed - House (42 - 32)
5/25 SB 2194 Increases Cigarette Tax Bill Passed - House (60 - 52)
5/24 A 2162 Increases Minimum Wage Bill Passed - House (46 - 33)
5/24 A 2162 Increases Minimum Wage Bill Passed - House (46 - 33)
5/24 A 1238 Requires Copy Machine Hard Drives to be Erased Before Being Exchanged Bill Passed - House (51 - 28)
5/16 HB 658 Amends Immigration Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - House (67 - 37)
5/16 HB 1607 Establishes a Tax Credit for Businesses that Donate to Certain Scholarship Funds Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 7)
5/16 HB 658 Amends Immigration Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7)
5/16 SB 1301 Amends Teacher Pension Funding Bill Passed - House (86 - 51)
5/16 HB 510 Repeals the Corporate Franchise Tax Bill Passed - House (75 - 23)
5/15 A 9148 Increases Minimum Wage Bill Passed - House (98 - 49)
5/15 SB 1301 Amends Teacher Pension Funding Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 13)
5/15 HB 3859 Requires Publication of Reduced Tax Rates under the EDGE Program Bill Passed - House (84 - 26)
5/10 SB 205 Requires Manufactured Home Community Owners to Explain Rent Increases Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 9)

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