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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 19, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2172 | Rescinds Bonuses to States for Administering Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (41 - 58) |
| June 19, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2156 | Increases Funding for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program | Amendment Rejected - Senate (33 - 66) |
| June 13, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2392 | Reduces Funding for Food Stamps | Amendment Tabled - Senate (65 - 33) |
| May 24, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2108 | Prohibits FDA Approval of Genetically Engineered Fish | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 50) |
| May 1, 2012 | CT | HB 5021 | Authorizes the Sale of Alcohol on Sundays and Certain Holidays | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 6) |
| April 26, 2012 | CT | HB 5021 | Authorizes the Sale of Alcohol on Sundays and Certain Holidays | Bill Passed - House (116 - 27) |
| April 10, 2012 | CO | SB 68 | Prohibits Food with Trans Fat in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| March 13, 2012 | KS | Goodman Amdt | Eliminates Sales Tax on Food | Amendment Adopted - House (76 - 44) |
| Feb. 29, 2012 | SD | HB 1206 | Repeals the South Dakota Sales Tax on Food Refund Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (61 - 6) |
| Feb. 27, 2012 | SD | HB 1206 | Repeals the South Dakota Sales Tax on Food Refund Program | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| Feb. 27, 2012 | UT | HB 283 | Authorizing State Liquor Stores to Open on Certain Holidays | Bill Passed - House (42 - 30) |
| Feb. 24, 2012 | UT | HB 198 | Prohibits Regulation of Family Food | Bill Passed - House (53 - 16) |
| Feb. 15, 2012 | FL | HB 7087 | Increases Certain Business Tax Credits and Sales Tax Exemptions | Bill Passed - House (92 - 22) |
| Dec. 7, 2011 | PA | HB 242 | Permitting the On-Site Sale of Alcohol at Distilleries | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (164 - 29) |
| Dec. 7, 2011 | PA | HB 242 | Permitting the On-Site Sale of Alcohol at Distilleries | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 9) |
| Dec. 1, 2011 | National | S 1931 | Reduces Payroll Tax Rate | Motion Rejected - Senate (20 - 78) |
| Nov. 17, 2011 | National | HR 2112 | Appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Food and Drug Administration | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (70 - 30) |
| Nov. 17, 2011 | National | HR 2112 | Appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Food and Drug Administration | Conference Report Adopted - House (298 - 121) |
| July 14, 2011 | CA | SB 39 | Bans Caffeinated Alcohol Drinks | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| July 11, 2011 | CA | SB 39 | Bans Caffeinated Alcohol Drinks | Bill Passed - House (49 - 26) |
| May 25, 2011 | WA | SB 5942 | State Liquor Sales | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 19) |
| May 24, 2011 | WA | SB 5942 | State Liquor Sales | Bill Passed - House (52 - 42) |
| April 12, 2011 | GA | SB 10 | Alcoholic Beverage Sales on Sundays | Bill Passed - House (127 - 44) |
| April 11, 2011 | MD | SB 994 | Increases Sales Tax on Alcoholic Beverages | Bill Passed - House (76 - 63) |
| March 30, 2011 | MD | SB 994 | Increases Sales Tax on Alcoholic Beverages | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/19 | S Amdt 2172 | Rescinds Bonuses to States for Administering Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (41 - 58) |
| 6/19 | S Amdt 2156 | Increases Funding for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program | Amendment Rejected - Senate (33 - 66) |
| 6/13 | S Amdt 2392 | Reduces Funding for Food Stamps | Amendment Tabled - Senate (65 - 33) |
| 5/24 | S Amdt 2108 | Prohibits FDA Approval of Genetically Engineered Fish | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 50) |
| 5/01 | HB 5021 | Authorizes the Sale of Alcohol on Sundays and Certain Holidays | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 6) |
| 4/26 | HB 5021 | Authorizes the Sale of Alcohol on Sundays and Certain Holidays | Bill Passed - House (116 - 27) |
| 4/10 | SB 68 | Prohibits Food with Trans Fat in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| 3/13 | Goodman Amdt | Eliminates Sales Tax on Food | Amendment Adopted - House (76 - 44) |
| 2/29 | HB 1206 | Repeals the South Dakota Sales Tax on Food Refund Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (61 - 6) |
| 2/27 | HB 1206 | Repeals the South Dakota Sales Tax on Food Refund Program | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| 2/27 | HB 283 | Authorizing State Liquor Stores to Open on Certain Holidays | Bill Passed - House (42 - 30) |
| 2/24 | HB 198 | Prohibits Regulation of Family Food | Bill Passed - House (53 - 16) |
| 2/15 | HB 7087 | Increases Certain Business Tax Credits and Sales Tax Exemptions | Bill Passed - House (92 - 22) |
| 12/07 | HB 242 | Permitting the On-Site Sale of Alcohol at Distilleries | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (164 - 29) |
| 12/07 | HB 242 | Permitting the On-Site Sale of Alcohol at Distilleries | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 9) |
| 12/01 | S 1931 | Reduces Payroll Tax Rate | Motion Rejected - Senate (20 - 78) |
| 11/17 | HR 2112 | Appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Food and Drug Administration | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (70 - 30) |
| 11/17 | HR 2112 | Appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Food and Drug Administration | Conference Report Adopted - House (298 - 121) |
| 7/14 | SB 39 | Bans Caffeinated Alcohol Drinks | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| 7/11 | SB 39 | Bans Caffeinated Alcohol Drinks | Bill Passed - House (49 - 26) |
| 5/25 | SB 5942 | State Liquor Sales | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 19) |
| 5/24 | SB 5942 | State Liquor Sales | Bill Passed - House (52 - 42) |
| 4/12 | SB 10 | Alcoholic Beverage Sales on Sundays | Bill Passed - House (127 - 44) |
| 4/11 | SB 994 | Increases Sales Tax on Alcoholic Beverages | Bill Passed - House (76 - 63) |
| 3/30 | SB 994 | Increases Sales Tax on Alcoholic Beverages | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19) |