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 22, 2013 IA SF 446 2013-2014 Health and Human Services Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 24)
May 8, 2013 AZ HB 2608 Amends Retirement Plans for Elected Officials Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13)
April 24, 2013 AL SB 191 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10)
April 18, 2013 MT HB 377 Appropriates Funds for the Teachers' Retirement System Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 19)
April 11, 2013 OR SB 822 Amends the Public Employee Retirement System Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13)
April 8, 2013 AR SB 875 Reduces Maximum Weekly Unemployment Benefit Amounts Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12)
March 20, 2013 IL SB 1 Amends State Employee Pension Plans Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 22)
Feb. 28, 2013 IL SB 26 Expands Medicaid Eligibility Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 19)
Feb. 26, 2013 NC SB 4 Prohibits Medicaid Expansion Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 16)
Aug. 22, 2012 CA AB 1640 Expands Cash Assistance Programs for Pregnant Teenagers Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
Aug. 15, 2012 MI SB 1040 Amends Teacher Pension Plans Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
July 18, 2012 MI SB 1040 Amends Teacher Pension Plans Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (16 - 22)
June 29, 2012 PA HB 1261 Repeals the General Assistance Cash Program Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18)
June 19, 2012 National S Amdt 2174 Limits Eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 56)
June 19, 2012 National S Amdt 2172 Rescinds Bonuses to States for Administering Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Amendment Rejected - Senate (41 - 58)
June 15, 2012 CA AB 1464 2012-2013 Budget Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 16)
June 13, 2012 National S Amdt 2392 Reduces Funding for Food Stamps Amendment Tabled - Senate (65 - 33)
June 5, 2012 PA SB 1310 Authorizes Repayment of Unemployment Debt to the Federal Government Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 19)
May 17, 2012 MI SB 1040 Amends Teacher Pension Plans Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 18)
May 15, 2012 MD SB 1301 Amends Teacher Pension Funding Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 13)
April 25, 2012 National S 1789 United States Postal Service Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 37)
April 11, 2012 WA SB 5940 Amends Public School Employees Retirement Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 20)
April 10, 2012 WA SB 6378 Amends State Employee Pension System Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22)
April 9, 2012 AK SB 203 Establishes an Energy Assistance Program Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 4)
March 29, 2012 GA HB 347 Reduces Unemployment Benefits Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 17)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/22 SF 446 2013-2014 Health and Human Services Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 24)
5/08 HB 2608 Amends Retirement Plans for Elected Officials Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13)
4/24 SB 191 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10)
4/18 HB 377 Appropriates Funds for the Teachers' Retirement System Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 19)
4/11 SB 822 Amends the Public Employee Retirement System Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13)
4/08 SB 875 Reduces Maximum Weekly Unemployment Benefit Amounts Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12)
3/20 SB 1 Amends State Employee Pension Plans Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 22)
2/28 SB 26 Expands Medicaid Eligibility Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 19)
2/26 SB 4 Prohibits Medicaid Expansion Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 16)
8/22 AB 1640 Expands Cash Assistance Programs for Pregnant Teenagers Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
8/15 SB 1040 Amends Teacher Pension Plans Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
7/18 SB 1040 Amends Teacher Pension Plans Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (16 - 22)
6/29 HB 1261 Repeals the General Assistance Cash Program Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18)
6/19 S Amdt 2174 Limits Eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 56)
6/19 S Amdt 2172 Rescinds Bonuses to States for Administering Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Amendment Rejected - Senate (41 - 58)
6/15 AB 1464 2012-2013 Budget Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 16)
6/13 S Amdt 2392 Reduces Funding for Food Stamps Amendment Tabled - Senate (65 - 33)
6/05 SB 1310 Authorizes Repayment of Unemployment Debt to the Federal Government Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 19)
5/17 SB 1040 Amends Teacher Pension Plans Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 18)
5/15 SB 1301 Amends Teacher Pension Funding Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 13)
4/25 S 1789 United States Postal Service Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 37)
4/11 SB 5940 Amends Public School Employees Retirement Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 20)
4/10 SB 6378 Amends State Employee Pension System Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22)
4/09 SB 203 Establishes an Energy Assistance Program Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 4)
3/29 HB 347 Reduces Unemployment Benefits Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 17)

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