Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Dec. 17, 2011 National S Amdt 1465 Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Extension Amendment Adopted - Senate (89 - 10)
Dec. 15, 2011 National HR 1540 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (86 - 13)
Dec. 14, 2011 OH HB 369 Congressional Redistricting Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6)
Dec. 14, 2011 PA SB 1249 Congressional Redistricting Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24)
Dec. 14, 2011 National S J Res 24 Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Udall Bill) Amendment Rejected - Senate (21 - 79)
Dec. 13, 2011 MI HB 4701 Amends the State Employee Retirement System Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 15)
Dec. 7, 2011 MI HB 4770 Prohibits Public Employers from Providing Medical Benefits to Public Employees Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 9)
Dec. 7, 2011 MI HB 4770 Prohibits Public Employers from Providing Medical Benefits to Public Employees Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 9)
Dec. 6, 2011 National PN 5 Nomination of Caitlin Joan Halligan to the District of Columbia Circuit Court Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 45)
Dec. 1, 2011 National S 1931 Reduces Payroll Tax Rate Motion Rejected - Senate (20 - 78)
Dec. 1, 2011 MI SB 806 Reduces Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
Nov. 17, 2011 RI H 6319 Amending the Pension System Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 2)
Nov. 9, 2011 ND HB 1473 New Legislative Districts Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14)
Nov. 8, 2011 ND SB 2370 Authorizes Changing the Nickname and Logo of the University of North Dakota Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 7)
Nov. 7, 2011 NC HB 777 State House Redistricting Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10)
Nov. 7, 2011 NC SB 689 Congressional Redistricting Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
Nov. 7, 2011 NC SB 283 State Senate Redistricting Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
Nov. 2, 2011 WI SB 237 Amending Sexual Education Guidelines Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15)
Oct. 25, 2011 WI SB 45 Administration of Medications to Students Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15)
Oct. 24, 2011 SD HB 1001 State Legislative Redistricting Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 4)
Oct. 20, 2011 MD SB 1 Congressional Redistricting Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 13)
Oct. 17, 2011 UT SB 3002 Congressional Redistricting Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 5)
Oct. 11, 2011 National S 1660 American Jobs Act of 2011 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49)
Oct. 11, 2011 National S 1660 American Jobs Act of 2011 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49)
Oct. 4, 2011 UT HB 3001 State House Redistricting Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 1)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/17 S Amdt 1465 Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Extension Amendment Adopted - Senate (89 - 10)
12/15 HR 1540 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (86 - 13)
12/14 HB 369 Congressional Redistricting Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6)
12/14 SB 1249 Congressional Redistricting Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24)
12/14 S J Res 24 Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Udall Bill) Amendment Rejected - Senate (21 - 79)
12/13 HB 4701 Amends the State Employee Retirement System Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 15)
12/07 HB 4770 Prohibits Public Employers from Providing Medical Benefits to Public Employees Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 9)
12/07 HB 4770 Prohibits Public Employers from Providing Medical Benefits to Public Employees Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 9)
12/06 PN 5 Nomination of Caitlin Joan Halligan to the District of Columbia Circuit Court Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 45)
12/01 S 1931 Reduces Payroll Tax Rate Motion Rejected - Senate (20 - 78)
12/01 SB 806 Reduces Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
11/17 H 6319 Amending the Pension System Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 2)
11/09 HB 1473 New Legislative Districts Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14)
11/08 SB 2370 Authorizes Changing the Nickname and Logo of the University of North Dakota Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 7)
11/07 HB 777 State House Redistricting Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10)
11/07 SB 689 Congressional Redistricting Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
11/07 SB 283 State Senate Redistricting Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
11/02 SB 237 Amending Sexual Education Guidelines Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15)
10/25 SB 45 Administration of Medications to Students Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15)
10/24 HB 1001 State Legislative Redistricting Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 4)
10/20 SB 1 Congressional Redistricting Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 13)
10/17 SB 3002 Congressional Redistricting Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 5)
10/11 S 1660 American Jobs Act of 2011 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49)
10/11 S 1660 American Jobs Act of 2011 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49)
10/04 HB 3001 State House Redistricting Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 1)

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