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 8, 2012 CT HB 5556 Requires Corporations to Identify Top Donors for Campaign Contributions Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
May 3, 2012 MN HF 2337 Amends Property Taxes Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 25)
May 3, 2012 MN SF 1694 Authorizes the Sale of Certain Fireworks Veto Override Failed - Senate (37 - 29)
May 3, 2012 KS HB 2333 Amends State Pension System Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 8)
May 3, 2012 AZ HB 2815 Establishes Tax Credits for Certain Businesses Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 9)
May 3, 2012 KS King Amendment Amends the State Retirement System for New Public Employees Amendment Rejected - Senate (20 - 20)
May 2, 2012 AL SB 513 Authorizes Charter Schools Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
May 1, 2012 CT HB 5021 Authorizes the Sale of Alcohol on Sundays and Certain Holidays Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 6)
May 1, 2012 CT SB 79 Prohibits Discrimination Against Unemployed Job Applicants Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5)
April 30, 2012 MS SB 2576 Amends worker's compensation Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 15)
April 30, 2012 MS SB 2576 Amends worker's compensation Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 15)
April 25, 2012 National S 1789 United States Postal Service Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 37)
April 24, 2012 MN SF 1694 Authorizes the Sale of Certain Fireworks Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (48 - 17)
April 18, 2012 OK HB 2155 Authorizes an Alternative Plan to the Worker's Compensation Program Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 17)
April 14, 2012 ME LD 1913 Worker's Compensation Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)
April 12, 2012 TN SB 3345 Limits the Number of Foreign Nationals that May Work in a Charter School Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
April 4, 2012 LA HB 974 Amends Teacher Tenure Policy Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 16)
April 3, 2012 AZ HB 2199 Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9)
March 30, 2012 KY SB 3 Limits Over-the-Counter Purchases of Cold Medicine Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 8)
March 19, 2012 SD SB 157 Prohibits Cities From Limiting Outdoor Digital Billboards Veto Override Passed - Senate (26 - 7)
March 14, 2012 MS SB 2576 Amends Worker's Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 13)
March 14, 2012 MS SB 2576 Amends Worker's Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 13)
March 12, 2012 AZ SB 1388 Job Training for Unemployed Individuals Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 9)
March 9, 2012 IN HB 1149 Prohibits Smoking in Public Places Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 22)
March 9, 2012 FL HB 1205 Authorizes Random Drug Tests of State Employees Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 14)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/08 HB 5556 Requires Corporations to Identify Top Donors for Campaign Contributions Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
5/03 HF 2337 Amends Property Taxes Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 25)
5/03 SF 1694 Authorizes the Sale of Certain Fireworks Veto Override Failed - Senate (37 - 29)
5/03 HB 2333 Amends State Pension System Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 8)
5/03 HB 2815 Establishes Tax Credits for Certain Businesses Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 9)
5/03 King Amendment Amends the State Retirement System for New Public Employees Amendment Rejected - Senate (20 - 20)
5/02 SB 513 Authorizes Charter Schools Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
5/01 HB 5021 Authorizes the Sale of Alcohol on Sundays and Certain Holidays Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 6)
5/01 SB 79 Prohibits Discrimination Against Unemployed Job Applicants Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5)
4/30 SB 2576 Amends worker's compensation Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 15)
4/30 SB 2576 Amends worker's compensation Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 15)
4/25 S 1789 United States Postal Service Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 37)
4/24 SF 1694 Authorizes the Sale of Certain Fireworks Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (48 - 17)
4/18 HB 2155 Authorizes an Alternative Plan to the Worker's Compensation Program Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 17)
4/14 LD 1913 Worker's Compensation Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)
4/12 SB 3345 Limits the Number of Foreign Nationals that May Work in a Charter School Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
4/04 HB 974 Amends Teacher Tenure Policy Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 16)
4/03 HB 2199 Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9)
3/30 SB 3 Limits Over-the-Counter Purchases of Cold Medicine Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 8)
3/19 SB 157 Prohibits Cities From Limiting Outdoor Digital Billboards Veto Override Passed - Senate (26 - 7)
3/14 SB 2576 Amends Worker's Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 13)
3/14 SB 2576 Amends Worker's Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 13)
3/12 SB 1388 Job Training for Unemployed Individuals Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 9)
3/09 HB 1149 Prohibits Smoking in Public Places Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 22)
3/09 HB 1205 Authorizes Random Drug Tests of State Employees Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 14)

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