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 23, 2011 | OR | HB 2726 | Certification for Smoke Shops | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
| June 21, 2011 | LA | HB 7 | Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients | Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 12) |
| June 20, 2011 | NJ | S 2937 | Pension and Health Care Benefits for Public Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| June 15, 2011 | OH | SJR 1 | Constitutional Amendment Concerning Health Care | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| June 9, 2011 | AL | HB 60 | Prohibiting Mandatory Participation in any Health Care System | Amendment Adopted - Senate (24 - 9) |
| June 9, 2011 | AL | HB 60 | Prohibiting Mandatory Participation in any Health Care System | Amendment Adopted - Senate (24 - 9) |
| 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 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 | 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 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 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 18, 2011 | MN | SF 760 | 2011-2012 Health and Human Services Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (36 - 28) |
| May 18, 2011 | NC | HB 578 | State Health Plan Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
| May 18, 2011 | MI | SB 7 | Employee Contribution to Health Care Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| May 16, 2011 | ME | LD 1333 | Health Care Coverage Policy Changes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| May 12, 2011 | KS | HB 2075 | Prohibiting Insurance Coverage of Abortion | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 10) |
| May 12, 2011 | NE | LB 22 | Prohibits Insurance Coverage of Abortion | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 7) |
| May 6, 2011 | FL | HB 7107 | Medicaid Managed Care Program | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 11) |
| May 5, 2011 | VT | H 436 | Tax Law Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 10) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/23 | HB 2726 | Certification for Smoke Shops | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
| 6/21 | HB 7 | Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients | Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 12) |
| 6/20 | S 2937 | Pension and Health Care Benefits for Public Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| 6/15 | SJR 1 | Constitutional Amendment Concerning Health Care | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| 6/09 | HB 60 | Prohibiting Mandatory Participation in any Health Care System | Amendment Adopted - Senate (24 - 9) |
| 6/09 | HB 60 | Prohibiting Mandatory Participation in any Health Care System | Amendment Adopted - Senate (24 - 9) |
| 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) |
| 6/04 | 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 | 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) |
| 5/26 | HB 1600 | Limits Artificial Trans Fats | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 40) |
| 5/25 | SB 5942 | State Liquor Sales | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 19) |
| 5/23 | 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) |
| 5/18 | SF 760 | 2011-2012 Health and Human Services Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (36 - 28) |
| 5/18 | HB 578 | State Health Plan Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
| 5/18 | SB 7 | Employee Contribution to Health Care Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| 5/16 | LD 1333 | Health Care Coverage Policy Changes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| 5/12 | HB 2075 | Prohibiting Insurance Coverage of Abortion | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 10) |
| 5/12 | LB 22 | Prohibits Insurance Coverage of Abortion | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 7) |
| 5/06 | HB 7107 | Medicaid Managed Care Program | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 11) |
| 5/05 | H 436 | Tax Law Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 10) |