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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 29, 2012 | CA | AB 2346 | Authorizes Farm Workers to Sue Employers for Health or Safety Violations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (42 - 33) |
| Aug. 27, 2012 | CA | AB 2327 | Increases Penalties for the Misuse of Funds by Charitable Organizations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (62 - 18) |
| Aug. 13, 2012 | CA | AB 1500 | Corporate Tax Rates and Middle Class Scholarship Fund | Bill Passed - House (54 - 25) |
| July 31, 2012 | MA | S 2400 | Establishes Accountable Care Organizations | Conference Report Adopted - House (133 - 20) |
| July 31, 2012 | MA | S 2400 | Establishes Accountable Care Organizations | Conference Report Adopted - House (133 - 20) |
| July 26, 2012 | National | HR 4078 | Red Tape Reduction and Small Business Job Creation Act | Bill Passed - House (245 - 172) |
| June 19, 2012 | DE | SB 205 | Requires Manufactured Home Community Owners to Explain Rent Increases | Bill Failed - House (14 - 22) |
| June 11, 2012 | RI | S 2374 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (60 - 8) |
| June 11, 2012 | RI | S 2374 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (60 - 8) |
| June 8, 2012 | RI | H 7323 | 2012-2013 Budget | Bill Passed - House (57 - 15) |
| May 31, 2012 | IL | SB 1064 | Prohibits Private Security Services in Detention Centers | Bill Failed - House (57 - 58) |
| 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 | IL | SB 3442 | Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags | Bill Passed - House (72 - 44) |
| May 30, 2012 | CA | AB 1450 | Prohibits Discrimination Against Unemployed Workers | Bill Passed - House (51 - 26) |
| May 29, 2012 | CA | AB 1534 | Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Dealers to Label Used Vehicles | Bill Passed - House (42 - 32) |
| May 29, 2012 | CA | AB 1447 | Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Sellers to Provide a Limited Warranty | Bill Passed - House (49 - 25) |
| 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 | 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 | IL | HB 3859 | Requires Publication of Reduced Tax Rates under the EDGE Program | Bill Passed - House (84 - 26) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/29 | AB 2346 | Authorizes Farm Workers to Sue Employers for Health or Safety Violations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (42 - 33) |
| 8/27 | AB 2327 | Increases Penalties for the Misuse of Funds by Charitable Organizations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (62 - 18) |
| 8/13 | AB 1500 | Corporate Tax Rates and Middle Class Scholarship Fund | Bill Passed - House (54 - 25) |
| 7/31 | S 2400 | Establishes Accountable Care Organizations | Conference Report Adopted - House (133 - 20) |
| 7/31 | S 2400 | Establishes Accountable Care Organizations | Conference Report Adopted - House (133 - 20) |
| 7/26 | HR 4078 | Red Tape Reduction and Small Business Job Creation Act | Bill Passed - House (245 - 172) |
| 6/19 | SB 205 | Requires Manufactured Home Community Owners to Explain Rent Increases | Bill Failed - House (14 - 22) |
| 6/11 | S 2374 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (60 - 8) |
| 6/11 | S 2374 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (60 - 8) |
| 6/08 | H 7323 | 2012-2013 Budget | Bill Passed - House (57 - 15) |
| 5/31 | SB 1064 | Prohibits Private Security Services in Detention Centers | Bill Failed - House (57 - 58) |
| 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 | SB 3442 | Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags | Bill Passed - House (72 - 44) |
| 5/30 | AB 1450 | Prohibits Discrimination Against Unemployed Workers | Bill Passed - House (51 - 26) |
| 5/29 | AB 1534 | Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Dealers to Label Used Vehicles | Bill Passed - House (42 - 32) |
| 5/29 | AB 1447 | Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Sellers to Provide a Limited Warranty | Bill Passed - House (49 - 25) |
| 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 | 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 | HB 3859 | Requires Publication of Reduced Tax Rates under the EDGE Program | Bill Passed - House (84 - 26) |