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 15, 2012 | IL | HB 3859 | Requires Publication of Reduced Tax Rates under the EDGE Program | Bill Passed - House (84 - 26) |
| May 8, 2012 | CT | HB 5556 | Requires Corporations to Identify Top Donors for Campaign Contributions | Bill Passed - House (94 - 54) |
| May 7, 2012 | IA | HF 2475 | Reduces Certain Business Property Taxes | Bill Passed - House (71 - 26) |
| May 3, 2012 | AZ | HB 2815 | Establishes Tax Credits for Certain Businesses | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (39 - 16) |
| May 1, 2012 | MN | HF 2337 | Amends Property Taxes | Conference Report Adopted - House (73 - 57) |
| April 30, 2012 | MS | SB 2576 | Amends worker's compensation | Conference Report Adopted - House (63 - 56) |
| April 30, 2012 | MS | SB 2576 | Amends worker's compensation | Conference Report Adopted - House (63 - 56) |
| April 30, 2012 | CA | AB 1960 | Requires the Department of Transportation to Include Sexual Orientation Reported by Business Owners | Bill Passed - House (48 - 25) |
| April 26, 2012 | CT | HB 5291 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (88 - 62) |
| April 26, 2012 | CT | HB 5291 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (88 - 62) |
| April 26, 2012 | MO | HB 1540 | Prohibits Employees from Suing Co-Workers for Job Injuries | Bill Passed - House (99 - 47) |
| April 26, 2012 | National | HR 3523 | Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (248 - 168) |
| April 26, 2012 | CT | HB 5021 | Authorizes the Sale of Alcohol on Sundays and Certain Holidays | Bill Passed - House (116 - 27) |
| April 25, 2012 | OK | HB 2155 | Authorizes an Alternative Plan to the Worker's Compensation Program | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (42 - 50) |
| April 23, 2012 | MN | SF 1694 | Authorizes the Sale of Certain Fireworks | Bill Passed - House (77 - 50) |
| April 19, 2012 | AL | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Bill Passed - House (64 - 34) |
| April 19, 2012 | National | HR 9 | Income Tax Deduction for Small Businesses | Bill Passed - House (235 - 173) |
| April 16, 2012 | TN | SB 3345 | Limits the Number of Foreign Nationals that May Work in a Charter School | Bill Passed - House (63 - 29) |
| April 14, 2012 | ME | LD 1913 | Worker's Compensation Amendments | Bill Passed - House (71 - 69) |
| April 12, 2012 | CA | AB 2127 | Authorizes Work Release for Certain Offenders | Bill Passed - House (48 - 24) |
| April 9, 2012 | AZ | HB 2199 | Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (39 - 15) |
| April 6, 2012 | MD | SB 433 | Prohibits Employers from Asking for Private Passwords | Bill Passed - House (128 - 10) |
| April 5, 2012 | LA | HB 974 | Amends Teacher Tenure Policy | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 43) |
| April 3, 2012 | AL | SB 63 | Authorizes Private Work-Oriented Rehbilitation Programs for Inmates | Bill Passed - House (73 - 22) |
| March 29, 2012 | IL | HB 4083 | Internet Dating Site Requirements | Bill Passed - House (83 - 26) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/15 | HB 3859 | Requires Publication of Reduced Tax Rates under the EDGE Program | Bill Passed - House (84 - 26) |
| 5/08 | HB 5556 | Requires Corporations to Identify Top Donors for Campaign Contributions | Bill Passed - House (94 - 54) |
| 5/07 | HF 2475 | Reduces Certain Business Property Taxes | Bill Passed - House (71 - 26) |
| 5/03 | HB 2815 | Establishes Tax Credits for Certain Businesses | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (39 - 16) |
| 5/01 | HF 2337 | Amends Property Taxes | Conference Report Adopted - House (73 - 57) |
| 4/30 | SB 2576 | Amends worker's compensation | Conference Report Adopted - House (63 - 56) |
| 4/30 | SB 2576 | Amends worker's compensation | Conference Report Adopted - House (63 - 56) |
| 4/30 | AB 1960 | Requires the Department of Transportation to Include Sexual Orientation Reported by Business Owners | Bill Passed - House (48 - 25) |
| 4/26 | HB 5291 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (88 - 62) |
| 4/26 | HB 5291 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (88 - 62) |
| 4/26 | HB 1540 | Prohibits Employees from Suing Co-Workers for Job Injuries | Bill Passed - House (99 - 47) |
| 4/26 | HR 3523 | Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (248 - 168) |
| 4/26 | HB 5021 | Authorizes the Sale of Alcohol on Sundays and Certain Holidays | Bill Passed - House (116 - 27) |
| 4/25 | HB 2155 | Authorizes an Alternative Plan to the Worker's Compensation Program | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (42 - 50) |
| 4/23 | SF 1694 | Authorizes the Sale of Certain Fireworks | Bill Passed - House (77 - 50) |
| 4/19 | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Bill Passed - House (64 - 34) |
| 4/19 | HR 9 | Income Tax Deduction for Small Businesses | Bill Passed - House (235 - 173) |
| 4/16 | SB 3345 | Limits the Number of Foreign Nationals that May Work in a Charter School | Bill Passed - House (63 - 29) |
| 4/14 | LD 1913 | Worker's Compensation Amendments | Bill Passed - House (71 - 69) |
| 4/12 | AB 2127 | Authorizes Work Release for Certain Offenders | Bill Passed - House (48 - 24) |
| 4/09 | HB 2199 | Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (39 - 15) |
| 4/06 | SB 433 | Prohibits Employers from Asking for Private Passwords | Bill Passed - House (128 - 10) |
| 4/05 | HB 974 | Amends Teacher Tenure Policy | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 43) |
| 4/03 | SB 63 | Authorizes Private Work-Oriented Rehbilitation Programs for Inmates | Bill Passed - House (73 - 22) |
| 3/29 | HB 4083 | Internet Dating Site Requirements | Bill Passed - House (83 - 26) |