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 27, 2011 | AK | SB 45 | Extending the Coastal Management Program | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 7) |
| June 23, 2011 | DE | SB 129 | Removes Protected Wildlife Designation from Coyotes | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 7) |
| June 22, 2011 | OH | HB 231 | Withdrawal Permit for Water Usage at Lake Erie | Bill Passed - House (60 - 39) |
| June 22, 2011 | National | HR 2021 | Impact of Drilling on Air Quality | Bill Passed - House (253 - 166) |
| June 15, 2011 | OH | HB 133 | Establishes the Oil and Gas Leasing Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
| June 2, 2011 | CA | SB 568 | Recycling Polystyrene Food Containers | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| May 31, 2011 | IL | HB 1723 | Amending The Illinois Nuclear Safety Preparedness Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (69 - 44) |
| May 31, 2011 | IL | SB 1652 | Smart Grid Technology | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 24) |
| May 30, 2011 | IL | SB 1652 | Smart Grid Technology | Bill Passed - House (67 - 47) |
| May 25, 2011 | OH | HB 133 | Establishes the Oil and Gas Leasing Commission | Bill Passed - House (54 - 41) |
| May 16, 2011 | CA | SB 104 | Labor Representatives | Bill Passed - House (51 - 26) |
| May 11, 2011 | MN | SF 86 | Repeals Carbon Dioxide Emissions Prohibition | Bill Passed - House (76 - 54) |
| May 11, 2011 | MN | SF 86 | Repeals Carbon Dioxide Emissions Prohibition | Bill Passed - House (76 - 54) |
| May 9, 2011 | CO | HB 1005 | Repeals Taxes on Agricultural Products | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (46 - 18) |
| May 6, 2011 | CO | HB 1005 | Repeals Taxes on Agricultural Products | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 5) |
| April 20, 2011 | MT | HB 198 | Eminent Domain Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 22) |
| April 20, 2011 | WA | SB 5622 | Recreation Access on State Lands | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
| April 20, 2011 | OR | HB 2337 | Cougar Hunting Zones | Bill Passed - House (45 - 14) |
| April 14, 2011 | AL | HB 126 | Extending Forever Wild Land Trust | Bill Passed - House (69 - 24) |
| April 13, 2011 | MO | SB 113 | Regulating Animal Care Facilities | Bill Passed - House (85 - 71) |
| April 11, 2011 | MD | SB 690 | Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 20) |
| April 9, 2011 | MD | SB 690 | Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard Amendments | Bill Passed - House (74 - 60) |
| April 7, 2011 | National | HR 910 | Energy Tax Prevention Act | Bill Passed - House (255 - 172) |
| March 31, 2011 | CA | SB 104 | Labor Representatives | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| March 30, 2011 | NH | HB 519 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions | Bill Passed - House (251 - 108) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/27 | SB 45 | Extending the Coastal Management Program | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 7) |
| 6/23 | SB 129 | Removes Protected Wildlife Designation from Coyotes | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 7) |
| 6/22 | HB 231 | Withdrawal Permit for Water Usage at Lake Erie | Bill Passed - House (60 - 39) |
| 6/22 | HR 2021 | Impact of Drilling on Air Quality | Bill Passed - House (253 - 166) |
| 6/15 | HB 133 | Establishes the Oil and Gas Leasing Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 10) |
| 6/02 | SB 568 | Recycling Polystyrene Food Containers | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| 5/31 | HB 1723 | Amending The Illinois Nuclear Safety Preparedness Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (69 - 44) |
| 5/31 | SB 1652 | Smart Grid Technology | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 24) |
| 5/30 | SB 1652 | Smart Grid Technology | Bill Passed - House (67 - 47) |
| 5/25 | HB 133 | Establishes the Oil and Gas Leasing Commission | Bill Passed - House (54 - 41) |
| 5/16 | SB 104 | Labor Representatives | Bill Passed - House (51 - 26) |
| 5/11 | SF 86 | Repeals Carbon Dioxide Emissions Prohibition | Bill Passed - House (76 - 54) |
| 5/11 | SF 86 | Repeals Carbon Dioxide Emissions Prohibition | Bill Passed - House (76 - 54) |
| 5/09 | HB 1005 | Repeals Taxes on Agricultural Products | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (46 - 18) |
| 5/06 | HB 1005 | Repeals Taxes on Agricultural Products | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 5) |
| 4/20 | HB 198 | Eminent Domain Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 22) |
| 4/20 | SB 5622 | Recreation Access on State Lands | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
| 4/20 | HB 2337 | Cougar Hunting Zones | Bill Passed - House (45 - 14) |
| 4/14 | HB 126 | Extending Forever Wild Land Trust | Bill Passed - House (69 - 24) |
| 4/13 | SB 113 | Regulating Animal Care Facilities | Bill Passed - House (85 - 71) |
| 4/11 | SB 690 | Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 20) |
| 4/09 | SB 690 | Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard Amendments | Bill Passed - House (74 - 60) |
| 4/07 | HR 910 | Energy Tax Prevention Act | Bill Passed - House (255 - 172) |
| 3/31 | SB 104 | Labor Representatives | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| 3/30 | HB 519 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions | Bill Passed - House (251 - 108) |