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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 26, 2011 | AZ | HB 2534 | Annexation of Land by Cities and Towns | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 10) |
| Jan. 25, 2011 | IN | SB 47 | Gambling Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 15) |
| Jan. 25, 2011 | IN | SB 47 | Gambling Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 15) |
| Jan. 24, 2011 | MN | SF 86 | Repeals Carbon Dioxide Emissions Prohibition | |
| Jan. 24, 2011 | WY | SF 51 | Seat Belt Law Violations | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| Jan. 20, 2011 | WI | SB 2 | Tax Benefits for Health Savings Accounts | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| Jan. 11, 2011 | IL | SB 2505 | Amends Property Tax Code | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 29) |
| Jan. 10, 2011 | NJ | S 2381 | Electric Generation Facilities Pilot Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 6) |
| Dec. 22, 2010 | National | Treaty Doc. 111-5 | Treaty with Russia to Reduce and Limit Offensive Arms | Treaty Ratification Passed - Senate (71 - 26) |
| Dec. 21, 2010 | National | HR 3082 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 16) |
| Dec. 13, 2010 | NJ | ACR 151 | Concerning Legislative Review of the NJ Medical Marijuana Program | Resolution Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| Dec. 9, 2010 | National | HR 847 | 9/11 Health and Compensation Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 42) |
| Nov. 17, 2010 | PA | HB 101 | Education Law Amendments | Veto Override Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| Oct. 18, 2010 | NJ | S 2381 | Establishing pilot program to promote construction of electric generation facilities | |
| Oct. 14, 2010 | PA | HB 2497 | Amends State Employee Pension System | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 8) |
| Sept. 29, 2010 | National | S J Res 39 | Disapproving Rule for "Grandfathered Health Plans" | Motion Rejected - Senate (40 - 59) |
| Sept. 21, 2010 | National | S 3454 | 2010-2011 Defense Authorizations | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 43) |
| Sept. 21, 2010 | MI | SB 1152 | 2010-2011 Department of Community Health Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 10) |
| Sept. 16, 2010 | National | HR 5297 | Small Business Lending Fund and Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 38) |
| Sept. 15, 2010 | MI | SB 1151 | Community College Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 5) |
| Sept. 14, 2010 | National | S Amdt 4596 | Repealing Business Transaction Reporting Requirements | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (46 - 52) |
| Sept. 14, 2010 | National | S Amdt 4595 | Business Transaction Reporting Requirement Amendments | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42) |
| Sept. 8, 2010 | MI | HB 6086 | 2009-2010 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| Aug. 30, 2010 | CA | AB 2470 | Individual Health Plan Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| Aug. 27, 2010 | CA | SB 1413 | Requiring Free Drinking Water in Public School Cafeterias | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 9) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/26 | HB 2534 | Annexation of Land by Cities and Towns | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 10) |
| 1/25 | SB 47 | Gambling Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 15) |
| 1/25 | SB 47 | Gambling Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 15) |
| 1/24 | SF 86 | Repeals Carbon Dioxide Emissions Prohibition | |
| 1/24 | SF 51 | Seat Belt Law Violations | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| 1/20 | SB 2 | Tax Benefits for Health Savings Accounts | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| 1/11 | SB 2505 | Amends Property Tax Code | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 29) |
| 1/10 | S 2381 | Electric Generation Facilities Pilot Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 6) |
| 12/22 | Treaty Doc. 111-5 | Treaty with Russia to Reduce and Limit Offensive Arms | Treaty Ratification Passed - Senate (71 - 26) |
| 12/21 | HR 3082 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 16) |
| 12/13 | ACR 151 | Concerning Legislative Review of the NJ Medical Marijuana Program | Resolution Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| 12/09 | HR 847 | 9/11 Health and Compensation Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (57 - 42) |
| 11/17 | HB 101 | Education Law Amendments | Veto Override Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| 10/18 | S 2381 | Establishing pilot program to promote construction of electric generation facilities | |
| 10/14 | HB 2497 | Amends State Employee Pension System | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 8) |
| 9/29 | S J Res 39 | Disapproving Rule for "Grandfathered Health Plans" | Motion Rejected - Senate (40 - 59) |
| 9/21 | S 3454 | 2010-2011 Defense Authorizations | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 43) |
| 9/21 | SB 1152 | 2010-2011 Department of Community Health Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 10) |
| 9/16 | HR 5297 | Small Business Lending Fund and Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 38) |
| 9/15 | SB 1151 | Community College Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 5) |
| 9/14 | S Amdt 4596 | Repealing Business Transaction Reporting Requirements | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (46 - 52) |
| 9/14 | S Amdt 4595 | Business Transaction Reporting Requirement Amendments | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42) |
| 9/08 | HB 6086 | 2009-2010 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 8/30 | AB 2470 | Individual Health Plan Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| 8/27 | SB 1413 | Requiring Free Drinking Water in Public School Cafeterias | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 9) |