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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Sept. 21, 2011 National S Amdt 641 Requires Extension of Trade Adjustment Assistance to be Contingent Upon Ratification of Free Trade Agreements with Columbia, Korea and Panama Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 54)
Sept. 21, 2011 National S Amdt 642 Modifies Eligibility Requirements for Trade Adjustment Assistance Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 57)
Sept. 15, 2011 National S Amdt 613 Reducing Appropriations for Foreign Assistance Programs Amendment Rejected - Senate (20 - 78)
Sept. 15, 2011 National S Amdt 602 Emergency Disaster Relief Appropriations Amendment Adopted - Senate (62 - 37)
Sept. 6, 2011 CA AB 1236 Prohibits Requirement of Electronic Employment Verification Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14)
July 14, 2011 CA AB 130 Authorizes Student Financial Aid for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11)
June 19, 2011 LA HB 342 Requires Certain Employers to Use E-Verify Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8)
June 15, 2011 TX SB 9 Enforcement of Federal and State Immigration Laws Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12)
June 8, 2011 WI SB 116 Relating to Overseas Absentee Voting Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13)
June 2, 2011 AL HB 56 Immigration Enforcement Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 7)
May 28, 2011 TX HB 1 2011-2013 Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 11)
May 26, 2011 National S 990 PATRIOT Act Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (72 - 23)
May 24, 2011 CT HB 6390 Access to Postsecondary Education Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
May 23, 2011 National S 1038 PATRIOT Act Extension Cloture Invoked - Senate (74 - 8)
May 4, 2011 TX HB 1 2011-2013 Budget Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12)
May 4, 2011 IL SB 2185 Establishes the DREAM Fund Commission Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 11)
April 21, 2011 AL SB 256 Undocumented Immigrant Restrictions Bill Passed - Senate
April 19, 2011 AZ SB 1406 Interstate Compact to Build a Border Fence Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 9)
April 18, 2011 CO SB 126 In-State Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
April 14, 2011 GA HB 87 Immigration Enforcement Act Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 19)
April 11, 2011 MD SB 167 In-State Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 19)
April 6, 2011 AZ HB 2191 Punitive Damage Awards Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8)
March 29, 2011 OR SB 742 Resident Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 11)
March 17, 2011 AZ SB 1309 Defines Arizona Citizenship Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 19)
March 17, 2011 AZ SB 1308 Separate Birth Certificates for Non-Citizens Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 18)
Date No. Title Outcome
9/21 S Amdt 641 Requires Extension of Trade Adjustment Assistance to be Contingent Upon Ratification of Free Trade Agreements with Columbia, Korea and Panama Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 54)
9/21 S Amdt 642 Modifies Eligibility Requirements for Trade Adjustment Assistance Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 57)
9/15 S Amdt 613 Reducing Appropriations for Foreign Assistance Programs Amendment Rejected - Senate (20 - 78)
9/15 S Amdt 602 Emergency Disaster Relief Appropriations Amendment Adopted - Senate (62 - 37)
9/06 AB 1236 Prohibits Requirement of Electronic Employment Verification Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14)
7/14 AB 130 Authorizes Student Financial Aid for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11)
6/19 HB 342 Requires Certain Employers to Use E-Verify Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8)
6/15 SB 9 Enforcement of Federal and State Immigration Laws Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12)
6/08 SB 116 Relating to Overseas Absentee Voting Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13)
6/02 HB 56 Immigration Enforcement Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 7)
5/28 HB 1 2011-2013 Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 11)
5/26 S 990 PATRIOT Act Extension Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (72 - 23)
5/24 HB 6390 Access to Postsecondary Education Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
5/23 S 1038 PATRIOT Act Extension Cloture Invoked - Senate (74 - 8)
5/04 HB 1 2011-2013 Budget Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12)
5/04 SB 2185 Establishes the DREAM Fund Commission Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 11)
4/21 SB 256 Undocumented Immigrant Restrictions Bill Passed - Senate
4/19 SB 1406 Interstate Compact to Build a Border Fence Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 9)
4/18 SB 126 In-State Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
4/14 HB 87 Immigration Enforcement Act Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 19)
4/11 SB 167 In-State Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 19)
4/06 HB 2191 Punitive Damage Awards Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8)
3/29 SB 742 Resident Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 11)
3/17 SB 1309 Defines Arizona Citizenship Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 19)
3/17 SB 1308 Separate Birth Certificates for Non-Citizens Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 18)

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