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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 20, 2011 | TN | SB 113 | Teachers' Unions Negotiations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 12) |
| May 20, 2011 | TN | SB 49 | Prohibits Instruction of Non-Heterosexual Human Sexuality in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 10) |
| May 19, 2011 | RI | H 6103 | Authorizes Civil Unions | Bill Passed - House (62 - 11) |
| May 19, 2011 | RI | H 6103 | Authorizes Civil Unions | Bill Passed - House (62 - 11) |
| May 19, 2011 | CA | AB 1236 | Prohibits Requirement of Electronic Employment Verification | Bill Passed - House (55 - 22) |
| May 19, 2011 | CT | HB 6599 | Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Gender Identity or Expression | Bill Passed - House (77 - 62) |
| May 18, 2011 | MI | SB 7 | Employee Contribution to Health Care Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| May 18, 2011 | NV | AB 566 | Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (26 - 16) |
| May 17, 2011 | MN | HF 1426 | Congressional Redistricting Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 28) |
| May 17, 2011 | TX | SB 420 | Eligibility for Indigent Health Care | Bill Passed - House (102 - 40) |
| May 17, 2011 | TX | SB 420 | Eligibility for Indigent Health Care | Bill Passed - House (102 - 40) |
| May 17, 2011 | LA | HB 7 | Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - House (67 - 26) |
| May 16, 2011 | OK | HB 2145 | State House Redistricting | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (43 - 4) |
| May 16, 2011 | CA | SB 104 | Labor Representatives | Bill Passed - House (51 - 26) |
| May 13, 2011 | MN | HF 1426 | Congressional Redistricting Plan | Bill Passed - House (71 - 61) |
| May 12, 2011 | MI | HB 4484 | State Tax on Retirement Distributions for Judges and State Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 19) |
| May 12, 2011 | CT | HB 6390 | Access to Postsecondary Education | Bill Passed - House (77 - 63) |
| May 11, 2011 | NV | AB 211 | Prohibiting Discriminatory Employment Practices Based On Gender or Expression | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10) |
| May 11, 2011 | MN | SF 1308 | Prohibiting Same-Sex Marriage | Amendment Adopted - Senate (38 - 27) |
| May 10, 2011 | MO | HB 73 | Drug Testing Of Welfare Recipients | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (113 - 34) |
| May 10, 2011 | NV | SB 497 | Congressional and Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (25 - 17) |
| May 10, 2011 | NV | SB 497 | Congressional and Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10) |
| May 10, 2011 | CO | HB 1319 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (33 - 32) |
| May 10, 2011 | TX | HB 12 | Enforcement Of State And Federal Laws Governing Immigration | Bill Passed - House (100 - 47) |
| May 9, 2011 | NJ | S 799 | Adopted Individuals' Access to Birth Certificates | Bill Passed - House (45 - 26) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/20 | SB 113 | Teachers' Unions Negotiations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 12) |
| 5/20 | SB 49 | Prohibits Instruction of Non-Heterosexual Human Sexuality in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 10) |
| 5/19 | H 6103 | Authorizes Civil Unions | Bill Passed - House (62 - 11) |
| 5/19 | H 6103 | Authorizes Civil Unions | Bill Passed - House (62 - 11) |
| 5/19 | AB 1236 | Prohibits Requirement of Electronic Employment Verification | Bill Passed - House (55 - 22) |
| 5/19 | HB 6599 | Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Gender Identity or Expression | Bill Passed - House (77 - 62) |
| 5/18 | SB 7 | Employee Contribution to Health Care Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| 5/18 | AB 566 | Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (26 - 16) |
| 5/17 | HF 1426 | Congressional Redistricting Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 28) |
| 5/17 | SB 420 | Eligibility for Indigent Health Care | Bill Passed - House (102 - 40) |
| 5/17 | SB 420 | Eligibility for Indigent Health Care | Bill Passed - House (102 - 40) |
| 5/17 | HB 7 | Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - House (67 - 26) |
| 5/16 | HB 2145 | State House Redistricting | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (43 - 4) |
| 5/16 | SB 104 | Labor Representatives | Bill Passed - House (51 - 26) |
| 5/13 | HF 1426 | Congressional Redistricting Plan | Bill Passed - House (71 - 61) |
| 5/12 | HB 4484 | State Tax on Retirement Distributions for Judges and State Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 19) |
| 5/12 | HB 6390 | Access to Postsecondary Education | Bill Passed - House (77 - 63) |
| 5/11 | AB 211 | Prohibiting Discriminatory Employment Practices Based On Gender or Expression | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10) |
| 5/11 | SF 1308 | Prohibiting Same-Sex Marriage | Amendment Adopted - Senate (38 - 27) |
| 5/10 | HB 73 | Drug Testing Of Welfare Recipients | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (113 - 34) |
| 5/10 | SB 497 | Congressional and Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (25 - 17) |
| 5/10 | SB 497 | Congressional and Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10) |
| 5/10 | HB 1319 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (33 - 32) |
| 5/10 | HB 12 | Enforcement Of State And Federal Laws Governing Immigration | Bill Passed - House (100 - 47) |
| 5/09 | S 799 | Adopted Individuals' Access to Birth Certificates | Bill Passed - House (45 - 26) |