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 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) |