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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 9, 2011 | MD | Amendment 223923 | Civil Marriage Protection Act | Amendment Rejected - House (63 - 72) |
| March 8, 2011 | IA | HF 535 | Repeals Statewide Preschool Program | Bill Passed - House (55 - 45) |
| March 8, 2011 | IA | HF 535 | Repeals Statewide Preschool Program | Bill Passed - House (55 - 45) |
| March 8, 2011 | AZ | SB 1188 | Preference for Married Couples in Adoption | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| March 7, 2011 | WA | HB 1166 | Preventing Alcohol Poisoning Deaths | Bill Passed - House (57 - 39) |
| March 7, 2011 | UT | 1SHB 89 | Protection of Children from Second Hand Smoke in Motor Vehicles | Bill Passed - House (39 - 35) |
| March 3, 2011 | UT | SB 124 | Leaving a Child Unattended in a Motor Vehicle | Bill Passed - House (47 - 26) |
| March 2, 2011 | WY | HB 74 | Prohibiting Recognition of Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (14 - 16) |
| March 2, 2011 | WY | HB 74 | Prohibiting Recognition of Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages | Conference Report Adopted - House (31 - 28) |
| March 1, 2011 | GA | HB 279 | Increased Age Requirement for Child Restraints | Bill Passed - House (129 - 43) |
| Feb. 28, 2011 | NM | SB 319 | Eliminating Corporal Punishment | Bill Failed - Senate (18 - 18) |
| Feb. 28, 2011 | WA | HB 1267 | Definition of Parenthood | Bill Passed - House (57 - 41) |
| Feb. 28, 2011 | WA | HB 1267 | Definition of Parenthood | Bill Passed - House (57 - 41) |
| Feb. 24, 2011 | KS | HB 2035 | Amending Statutes Regulating Abortion | Bill Passed - House (96 - 25) |
| Feb. 24, 2011 | KS | HB 2035 | Amending Statutes Regulating Abortion | Bill Passed - House (96 - 25) |
| Feb. 23, 2011 | MD | SB 116 | Civil Marriage Protection Act | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 22) |
| Feb. 22, 2011 | MT | HB 456 | Sexual Education in K-12 Public Schools | Bill Passed - House (67 - 30) |
| Feb. 22, 2011 | UT | SB 96 | Alimony Amendments | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 17) |
| Feb. 22, 2011 | UT | SB 96 | Alimony Amendments | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 17) |
| Feb. 18, 2011 | WY | HB 74 | Prohibiting the Recognition of Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 14) |
| Feb. 18, 2011 | MT | SB 97 | Parental Notice of Abortion | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21) |
| Feb. 17, 2011 | AZ | SB 1187 | Extends Waiting Period for Divorce | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
| Feb. 16, 2011 | HI | SB 232 | Civil Unions for All Couples | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 5) |
| Feb. 11, 2011 | HI | SB 232 | Civil Unions for All Couples | Bill Passed - House (31 - 19) |
| Feb. 10, 2011 | AZ | SB 1086 | Tobacco Prohibitions | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 16) |
| Feb. 10, 2011 | UT | SB 124 | Leaving a Child Unattended in a Motor Vehicle | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10) |
| Feb. 9, 2011 | WY | HB 256 | Tenant Rights in Domestic and Sexual Violence Cases | Bill Passed - House (33 - 26) |
| Feb. 8, 2011 | ND | HB 1377 | Children's Health Insurance Program | Bill Failed - House (25 - 67) |
| Feb. 8, 2011 | ND | HB 1377 | Children's Health Insurance Program | Bill Failed - House (25 - 67) |
| Feb. 7, 2011 | ND | HB 1307 | Alcoholic Beverage Establishments | Bill Passed - House (50 - 42) |
| Feb. 7, 2011 | ID | HJM 1 | Parental Rights Amendment | Joint Resolution Passed - House (49 - 20) |
| Feb. 7, 2011 | WY | HB 198 | Admissibility of Evidence in Sex Offense Cases | Bill Failed - House (29 - 30) |
| Feb. 1, 2011 | IA | HJR 6 | Banning Same Sex Marriage | Amendment Adopted - House (62 - 37) |
| Jan. 28, 2011 | HI | SB 232 | Civil Unions for All Couples | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 6) |
| Jan. 27, 2011 | WY | SJ 5 | Definition of Marriage | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| Jan. 24, 2011 | WY | HB 74 | Prohibiting the Recognition of Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (32 - 27) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/09 | Amendment 223923 | Civil Marriage Protection Act | Amendment Rejected - House (63 - 72) |
| 3/08 | HF 535 | Repeals Statewide Preschool Program | Bill Passed - House (55 - 45) |
| 3/08 | HF 535 | Repeals Statewide Preschool Program | Bill Passed - House (55 - 45) |
| 3/08 | SB 1188 | Preference for Married Couples in Adoption | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| 3/07 | HB 1166 | Preventing Alcohol Poisoning Deaths | Bill Passed - House (57 - 39) |
| 3/07 | 1SHB 89 | Protection of Children from Second Hand Smoke in Motor Vehicles | Bill Passed - House (39 - 35) |
| 3/03 | SB 124 | Leaving a Child Unattended in a Motor Vehicle | Bill Passed - House (47 - 26) |
| 3/02 | HB 74 | Prohibiting Recognition of Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (14 - 16) |
| 3/02 | HB 74 | Prohibiting Recognition of Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages | Conference Report Adopted - House (31 - 28) |
| 3/01 | HB 279 | Increased Age Requirement for Child Restraints | Bill Passed - House (129 - 43) |
| 2/28 | SB 319 | Eliminating Corporal Punishment | Bill Failed - Senate (18 - 18) |
| 2/28 | HB 1267 | Definition of Parenthood | Bill Passed - House (57 - 41) |
| 2/28 | HB 1267 | Definition of Parenthood | Bill Passed - House (57 - 41) |
| 2/24 | HB 2035 | Amending Statutes Regulating Abortion | Bill Passed - House (96 - 25) |
| 2/24 | HB 2035 | Amending Statutes Regulating Abortion | Bill Passed - House (96 - 25) |
| 2/23 | SB 116 | Civil Marriage Protection Act | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 22) |
| 2/22 | HB 456 | Sexual Education in K-12 Public Schools | Bill Passed - House (67 - 30) |
| 2/22 | SB 96 | Alimony Amendments | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 17) |
| 2/22 | SB 96 | Alimony Amendments | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 17) |
| 2/18 | HB 74 | Prohibiting the Recognition of Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 14) |
| 2/18 | SB 97 | Parental Notice of Abortion | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21) |
| 2/17 | SB 1187 | Extends Waiting Period for Divorce | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
| 2/16 | SB 232 | Civil Unions for All Couples | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 5) |
| 2/11 | SB 232 | Civil Unions for All Couples | Bill Passed - House (31 - 19) |
| 2/10 | SB 1086 | Tobacco Prohibitions | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 16) |
| 2/10 | SB 124 | Leaving a Child Unattended in a Motor Vehicle | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10) |
| 2/09 | HB 256 | Tenant Rights in Domestic and Sexual Violence Cases | Bill Passed - House (33 - 26) |
| 2/08 | HB 1377 | Children's Health Insurance Program | Bill Failed - House (25 - 67) |
| 2/08 | HB 1377 | Children's Health Insurance Program | Bill Failed - House (25 - 67) |
| 2/07 | HB 1307 | Alcoholic Beverage Establishments | Bill Passed - House (50 - 42) |
| 2/07 | HJM 1 | Parental Rights Amendment | Joint Resolution Passed - House (49 - 20) |
| 2/07 | HB 198 | Admissibility of Evidence in Sex Offense Cases | Bill Failed - House (29 - 30) |
| 2/01 | HJR 6 | Banning Same Sex Marriage | Amendment Adopted - House (62 - 37) |
| 1/28 | SB 232 | Civil Unions for All Couples | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 6) |
| 1/27 | SJ 5 | Definition of Marriage | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| 1/24 | HB 74 | Prohibiting the Recognition of Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (32 - 27) |