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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 25, 2015 | ND | SB 2254 | Amends School District Funding Calculations to Include Early Childhood Education Programs | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 31) |
| Feb. 25, 2015 | ND | SB 2151 | Appropriates Funds for Early Childhood Education Grants | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
| Feb. 24, 2015 | IA | SF 171 | Amends Growth Percentage for Budget | Bill Passed - House (55 - 44) |
| Feb. 24, 2015 | IN | HB 1001 | 2015-2017 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - House (69 - 29) |
| Feb. 24, 2015 | SD | SB 189 | Establishes Tax Credit Scholarship Program | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| Feb. 23, 2015 | AZ | SB 1092 | Requires Waivers for Certain Health Insurance | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12) |
| Feb. 23, 2015 | MO | SB 24 | Reduces the Lifetime Limit for Certain Government Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| Feb. 20, 2015 | MT | HB 200 | Requires Drug Testing For Certain Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - House (55 - 45) |
| Feb. 18, 2015 | NH | HB 677 | Prohibits the Use of Public Funds for Abortion Services | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (216 - 142) |
| Feb. 17, 2015 | SD | HJR 1001 | Requests a Constitutional Convention | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (19 - 13) |
| Feb. 16, 2015 | NV | SB 119 | Exempts Schools from Paying Prevailing Wages | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 9) |
| Feb. 11, 2015 | WY | SF 145 | Appropriates Funds for Uncompensated Charity Care | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| Feb. 11, 2015 | MS | SB 2389 | Authorizes Joining Interstate Compact for a Balanced Federal Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 19) |
| Feb. 10, 2015 | IA | SF 171 | Amends Growth Percentage for Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| Feb. 9, 2015 | CO | SB 65 | Prohibits Withdrawing Public Assistance Funds at Certain Places | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| Feb. 4, 2015 | MO | HB 150 | Limits Duration of Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (112 - 47) |
| Feb. 4, 2015 | NC | SB 14 | Transfers Funds to Rules Review Commission for Litigation Expenses | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 11) |
| Feb. 4, 2015 | MO | HB 259 | Amends Dairy Industry Laws | Bill Passed - House (110 - 49) |
| Jan. 14, 2015 | National | HR 240 | Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2015 | Bill Passed - House (236 - 191) |
| Dec. 10, 2014 | MI | HB 4118 | Requires Drug Testing For Certain Welfare Recipients | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
| Dec. 10, 2014 | MI | SB 275 | Requires Drug Testing of Welfare Recipients | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
| Dec. 4, 2014 | OH | HB 661 | Increases Salaries of Elected Officials | Bill Passed - House (56 - 26) |
| Dec. 3, 2014 | MI | HB 4118 | Requires Drug Testing For Certain Welfare Recipients | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (74 - 35) |
| Dec. 3, 2014 | MI | SB 275 | Requires Drug Testing of Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - House (75 - 34) |
| Oct. 23, 2014 | NJ | A 939 | Amends Tax Expenditure Report | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |