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 7, 2011 | CT | SB 1014 | Penalties For Certain Nonviolent Drug Offenses | Bill Passed - House (90 - 57) |
| June 7, 2011 | OR | SB 99 | Establishes the Oregon Health Insurance Exchange | Bill Passed - House (48 - 12) |
| June 7, 2011 | OR | SB 99 | Establishes the Oregon Health Insurance Exchange | Bill Passed - House (48 - 12) |
| June 6, 2011 | NV | AB 571 | Amending Smoking Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 8) |
| June 6, 2011 | CT | HB 6308 | Establishes the Connecticut Healthcare Partnership | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| June 5, 2011 | NV | AB 571 | Amending Smoking Regulations | Bill Passed - House (23 - 19) |
| June 4, 2011 | CT | SB 1014 | Penalties For Certain Nonviolent Drug Offenses | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 18) |
| June 2, 2011 | LA | HB 591 | Permanent Cigarette Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8) |
| June 2, 2011 | CA | AB 52 | Regulating Health Care Coverage | Bill Passed - House (45 - 28) |
| June 2, 2011 | CA | SB 568 | Recycling Polystyrene Food Containers | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| June 1, 2011 | LA | SB 133 | Amends the Smoke-free Air Act | Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 22) |
| May 31, 2011 | IL | SB 145 | Nursing Home Infection Control | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 24) |
| May 30, 2011 | IL | SB 145 | Nursing Home Infection Control | Bill Passed - House (69 - 45) |
| May 27, 2011 | CT | HB 6308 | Establishes the Connecticut Healthcare Partnership | Bill Passed - House (88 - 48) |
| May 26, 2011 | IL | HB 1600 | Limits Artificial Trans Fats | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 40) |
| May 25, 2011 | WA | SB 5942 | State Liquor Sales | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 19) |
| May 25, 2011 | TX | H Amdt 1 | Interstate Health Care Compact | Amendment Adopted - House (99 - 43) |
| May 24, 2011 | WA | SB 5942 | State Liquor Sales | Bill Passed - House (52 - 42) |
| May 24, 2011 | LA | HB 591 | Permanent Cigarette Tax | Bill Passed - House (70 - 30) |
| May 23, 2011 | NJ | S 2899 | Medicaid Coverage for Family Planning Services | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| May 23, 2011 | NJ | S 2899 | Medicaid Coverage for Family Planning Services | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| May 20, 2011 | TX | H Amdt 53 | Prohibits Smoking in Public Places | Amendment Adopted - House (73 - 66) |
| May 19, 2011 | MN | SF 760 | 2011-2012 Health and Human Services Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (69 - 63) |
| May 19, 2011 | NC | HB 578 | State Health Plan Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (90 - 24) |
| May 18, 2011 | MN | SF 760 | 2011-2012 Health and Human Services Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (36 - 28) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/07 | SB 1014 | Penalties For Certain Nonviolent Drug Offenses | Bill Passed - House (90 - 57) |
| 6/07 | SB 99 | Establishes the Oregon Health Insurance Exchange | Bill Passed - House (48 - 12) |
| 6/07 | SB 99 | Establishes the Oregon Health Insurance Exchange | Bill Passed - House (48 - 12) |
| 6/06 | AB 571 | Amending Smoking Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 8) |
| 6/06 | HB 6308 | Establishes the Connecticut Healthcare Partnership | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| 6/05 | AB 571 | Amending Smoking Regulations | Bill Passed - House (23 - 19) |
| 6/04 | SB 1014 | Penalties For Certain Nonviolent Drug Offenses | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 18) |
| 6/02 | HB 591 | Permanent Cigarette Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8) |
| 6/02 | AB 52 | Regulating Health Care Coverage | Bill Passed - House (45 - 28) |
| 6/02 | SB 568 | Recycling Polystyrene Food Containers | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| 6/01 | SB 133 | Amends the Smoke-free Air Act | Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 22) |
| 5/31 | SB 145 | Nursing Home Infection Control | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 24) |
| 5/30 | SB 145 | Nursing Home Infection Control | Bill Passed - House (69 - 45) |
| 5/27 | HB 6308 | Establishes the Connecticut Healthcare Partnership | Bill Passed - House (88 - 48) |
| 5/26 | HB 1600 | Limits Artificial Trans Fats | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 40) |
| 5/25 | SB 5942 | State Liquor Sales | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 19) |
| 5/25 | H Amdt 1 | Interstate Health Care Compact | Amendment Adopted - House (99 - 43) |
| 5/24 | SB 5942 | State Liquor Sales | Bill Passed - House (52 - 42) |
| 5/24 | HB 591 | Permanent Cigarette Tax | Bill Passed - House (70 - 30) |
| 5/23 | S 2899 | Medicaid Coverage for Family Planning Services | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| 5/23 | S 2899 | Medicaid Coverage for Family Planning Services | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| 5/20 | H Amdt 53 | Prohibits Smoking in Public Places | Amendment Adopted - House (73 - 66) |
| 5/19 | SF 760 | 2011-2012 Health and Human Services Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (69 - 63) |
| 5/19 | HB 578 | State Health Plan Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (90 - 24) |
| 5/18 | SF 760 | 2011-2012 Health and Human Services Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (36 - 28) |