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
Aug. 27, 2012 CA AB 2346 Authorizes Farm Workers to Sue Employers for Health or Safety Violations Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12)
Aug. 22, 2012 CA AB 2327 Increases Penalties for the Misuse of Funds by Charitable Organizations Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
Aug. 21, 2012 CA HB 2676 Increases Penalties For Agriculture Health And Safety Violations Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
Aug. 20, 2012 CA AB 1313 Requires Overtime Wages for Agricultural Workers Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)
July 19, 2012 National S 3364 Bring Jobs Home Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42)
July 19, 2012 National S 3364 Bring Jobs Home Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42)
July 12, 2012 National S 2237 Small Business Jobs and Tax Relief Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 44)
June 14, 2012 CA AB 2127 Authorizes Work Release for Certain Offenders Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
June 11, 2012 RI H 7323 2012-2013 Budget Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 7)
June 7, 2012 RI S 2374 Increases Minimum Wage Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11)
June 7, 2012 RI S 2374 Increases Minimum Wage Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11)
June 5, 2012 National S 3220 Paycheck Fairness Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47)
May 31, 2012 IL SB 3442 Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 15)
May 31, 2012 IL HB 1447 Pension Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24)
May 31, 2012 IL HB 5440 Establishes a 5 Percent Fee on Satellite TV Companies Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 27)
May 31, 2012 CA SB 956 Regulates Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Loans and Lenders Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
May 30, 2012 LA HB 61 Amends State Workers Pensions Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 8)
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 29, 2012 IL SB 2194 Increases Cigarette Tax Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 27)
May 16, 2012 AL HB 658 Amends Immigration Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7)
May 16, 2012 NH HB 1607 Establishes a Tax Credit for Businesses that Donate to Certain Scholarship Funds Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 7)
May 15, 2012 MD SB 1301 Amends Teacher Pension Funding Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 13)
May 10, 2012 LA SB 740 Limits Cost of Living Adjustments for Pensions Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
May 10, 2012 DE SB 205 Requires Manufactured Home Community Owners to Explain Rent Increases Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 9)
Date No. Title Outcome
8/27 AB 2346 Authorizes Farm Workers to Sue Employers for Health or Safety Violations Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12)
8/22 AB 2327 Increases Penalties for the Misuse of Funds by Charitable Organizations Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
8/21 HB 2676 Increases Penalties For Agriculture Health And Safety Violations Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
8/20 AB 1313 Requires Overtime Wages for Agricultural Workers Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)
7/19 S 3364 Bring Jobs Home Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42)
7/19 S 3364 Bring Jobs Home Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42)
7/12 S 2237 Small Business Jobs and Tax Relief Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 44)
6/14 AB 2127 Authorizes Work Release for Certain Offenders Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
6/11 H 7323 2012-2013 Budget Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 7)
6/07 S 2374 Increases Minimum Wage Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11)
6/07 S 2374 Increases Minimum Wage Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11)
6/05 S 3220 Paycheck Fairness Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47)
5/31 SB 3442 Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 15)
5/31 HB 1447 Pension Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24)
5/31 HB 5440 Establishes a 5 Percent Fee on Satellite TV Companies Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 27)
5/31 SB 956 Regulates Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Loans and Lenders Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
5/30 HB 61 Amends State Workers Pensions Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 8)
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)
5/29 SB 2194 Increases Cigarette Tax Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 27)
5/16 HB 658 Amends Immigration Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7)
5/16 HB 1607 Establishes a Tax Credit for Businesses that Donate to Certain Scholarship Funds Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 7)
5/15 SB 1301 Amends Teacher Pension Funding Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 13)
5/10 SB 740 Limits Cost of Living Adjustments for Pensions Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
5/10 SB 205 Requires Manufactured Home Community Owners to Explain Rent Increases Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 9)

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