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 8, 2011 | WI | SB 116 | Relating to Overseas Absentee Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| June 6, 2011 | TX | SB 4 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| June 4, 2011 | CT | HB 6599 | Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Gender Identity or Expression | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| June 2, 2011 | AL | HB 56 | Immigration Enforcement | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 7) |
| June 2, 2011 | AL | SB 484 | 2011 Congressional Redistricting | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 15) |
| May 31, 2011 | IL | SB 145 | Nursing Home Infection Control | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 24) |
| May 31, 2011 | IL | SB 1178 | Congressional Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 25) |
| May 27, 2011 | IL | SB 1177 | General Assembly Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 22) |
| May 27, 2011 | CT | HB 6650 | Appropriations for Judicial Branch and Other Agencies | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| May 26, 2011 | NE | LB 704 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 11) |
| May 26, 2011 | NE | LB 703 | Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 9) |
| May 25, 2011 | NV | AB 566 | Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10) |
| May 24, 2011 | CT | HB 6390 | Access to Postsecondary Education | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| May 21, 2011 | TX | HB 150 | 2011-2012 Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 7) |
| 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 18, 2011 | MI | SB 7 | Employee Contribution to Health Care Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| May 17, 2011 | MN | HF 1426 | Congressional Redistricting Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 28) |
| May 16, 2011 | OK | HB 2145 | State House Redistricting | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (43 - 4) |
| May 12, 2011 | MI | HB 4484 | State Tax on Retirement Distributions for Judges and State Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 19) |
| 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 | NV | SB 497 | Congressional and Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10) |
| May 6, 2011 | FL | HB 7107 | Medicaid Managed Care Program | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 11) |
| May 4, 2011 | MO | HB 193 | Congressional Redistricting Plan | Veto Override Passed - Senate (28 - 6) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/08 | SB 116 | Relating to Overseas Absentee Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| 6/06 | SB 4 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| 6/04 | HB 6599 | Prohibiting Discrimination Based on Gender Identity or Expression | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| 6/02 | HB 56 | Immigration Enforcement | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 7) |
| 6/02 | SB 484 | 2011 Congressional Redistricting | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 15) |
| 5/31 | SB 145 | Nursing Home Infection Control | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 24) |
| 5/31 | SB 1178 | Congressional Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 25) |
| 5/27 | SB 1177 | General Assembly Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 22) |
| 5/27 | HB 6650 | Appropriations for Judicial Branch and Other Agencies | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 5/26 | LB 704 | Congressional Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 11) |
| 5/26 | LB 703 | Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 9) |
| 5/25 | AB 566 | Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10) |
| 5/24 | HB 6390 | Access to Postsecondary Education | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 5/21 | HB 150 | 2011-2012 Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 7) |
| 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) |
| 5/18 | SB 7 | Employee Contribution to Health Care Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| 5/17 | HF 1426 | Congressional Redistricting Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 28) |
| 5/16 | HB 2145 | State House Redistricting | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (43 - 4) |
| 5/12 | HB 4484 | State Tax on Retirement Distributions for Judges and State Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 19) |
| 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 | SB 497 | Congressional and Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10) |
| 5/06 | HB 7107 | Medicaid Managed Care Program | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 11) |
| 5/04 | HB 193 | Congressional Redistricting Plan | Veto Override Passed - Senate (28 - 6) |