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 31, 2012 MI HB 4513 Increases Minimum Age for Beginning Kindergarten Bill Passed - House (64 - 45)
May 30, 2012 MA H 3986 Authorizes Child Care Workers to Form Labor Organizations Bill Passed - House (117 - 32)
April 25, 2012 TN HB 2566 Increases Kindergarten Age Requirements Bill Passed - House (68 - 30)
April 10, 2012 MS SB 2771 Expands Penalties for Child Homicide Bill Passed - House (83 - 34)
April 5, 2012 MD HB 373 Raises the Dropout Age for Public School Students Bill Passed - House (88 - 49)
March 19, 2012 CO HB 1271 Repeals Direct Filing of Juveniles by Prosecutors Bill Passed - House (45 - 20)
March 1, 2012 AZ HB 2154 Requires Car Seats for Certain Children Bill Passed - House (38 - 17)
Sept. 6, 2011 CA AB 1319 Prohibiting the Use of BPA in Baby Products Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 27)
Sept. 1, 2011 CA SB 746 Prohibits the Use of Tanning Beds by Minors Bill Passed - House (49 - 27)
June 9, 2011 TX SB 7 Health Care Bill Passed - House (89 - 41)
May 23, 2011 PA HB 815 Reduces the Offense of "Sexting" for Minors Bill Passed - House (178 - 20)
May 23, 2011 CA AB 1319 Prohibiting the Use of BPA in Baby Products Bill Passed - House (42 - 29)
May 12, 2011 CA AB 499 Authorizes Minors to Seek Medical Care for STDs Bill Passed - House (50 - 25)
May 9, 2011 NJ S 799 Adopted Individuals' Access to Birth Certificates Bill Passed - House (45 - 26)
April 27, 2011 MT HB 627 Requiring Parental Notification for Abortions Concurrence Vote Passed - House (65 - 35)
March 8, 2011 IA HF 535 Repeals Statewide Preschool Program Bill Passed - House (55 - 45)
March 7, 2011 WA HB 1166 Preventing Alcohol Poisoning Deaths Bill Passed - House (57 - 39)
March 7, 2011 UT 1SHB 89 Protection of Children from Second Hand Smoke in Motor Vehicles Bill Passed - House (39 - 35)
March 3, 2011 UT SB 124 Leaving a Child Unattended in a Motor Vehicle Bill Passed - House (47 - 26)
March 1, 2011 GA HB 279 Increased Age Requirement for Child Restraints Bill Passed - House (129 - 43)
Feb. 24, 2011 KS HB 2035 Amending Statutes Regulating Abortion Bill Passed - House (96 - 25)
Feb. 8, 2011 ND HB 1377 Children's Health Insurance Program Bill Failed - House (25 - 67)
Feb. 7, 2011 WY HB 198 Admissibility of Evidence in Sex Offense Cases Bill Failed - House (29 - 30)
Feb. 7, 2011 ND HB 1307 Alcoholic Beverage Establishments Bill Passed - House (50 - 42)
Aug. 30, 2010 CA SB 1317 Parental Crime for Chronic Truancy Bill Passed - House (58 - 17)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/31 HB 4513 Increases Minimum Age for Beginning Kindergarten Bill Passed - House (64 - 45)
5/30 H 3986 Authorizes Child Care Workers to Form Labor Organizations Bill Passed - House (117 - 32)
4/25 HB 2566 Increases Kindergarten Age Requirements Bill Passed - House (68 - 30)
4/10 SB 2771 Expands Penalties for Child Homicide Bill Passed - House (83 - 34)
4/05 HB 373 Raises the Dropout Age for Public School Students Bill Passed - House (88 - 49)
3/19 HB 1271 Repeals Direct Filing of Juveniles by Prosecutors Bill Passed - House (45 - 20)
3/01 HB 2154 Requires Car Seats for Certain Children Bill Passed - House (38 - 17)
9/06 AB 1319 Prohibiting the Use of BPA in Baby Products Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 27)
9/01 SB 746 Prohibits the Use of Tanning Beds by Minors Bill Passed - House (49 - 27)
6/09 SB 7 Health Care Bill Passed - House (89 - 41)
5/23 HB 815 Reduces the Offense of "Sexting" for Minors Bill Passed - House (178 - 20)
5/23 AB 1319 Prohibiting the Use of BPA in Baby Products Bill Passed - House (42 - 29)
5/12 AB 499 Authorizes Minors to Seek Medical Care for STDs Bill Passed - House (50 - 25)
5/09 S 799 Adopted Individuals' Access to Birth Certificates Bill Passed - House (45 - 26)
4/27 HB 627 Requiring Parental Notification for Abortions Concurrence Vote Passed - House (65 - 35)
3/08 HF 535 Repeals Statewide Preschool Program Bill Passed - House (55 - 45)
3/07 HB 1166 Preventing Alcohol Poisoning Deaths Bill Passed - House (57 - 39)
3/07 1SHB 89 Protection of Children from Second Hand Smoke in Motor Vehicles Bill Passed - House (39 - 35)
3/03 SB 124 Leaving a Child Unattended in a Motor Vehicle Bill Passed - House (47 - 26)
3/01 HB 279 Increased Age Requirement for Child Restraints Bill Passed - House (129 - 43)
2/24 HB 2035 Amending Statutes Regulating Abortion Bill Passed - House (96 - 25)
2/08 HB 1377 Children's Health Insurance Program Bill Failed - House (25 - 67)
2/07 HB 198 Admissibility of Evidence in Sex Offense Cases Bill Failed - House (29 - 30)
2/07 HB 1307 Alcoholic Beverage Establishments Bill Passed - House (50 - 42)
8/30 SB 1317 Parental Crime for Chronic Truancy Bill Passed - House (58 - 17)

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