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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 3, 2011 | UT | HB 223 | Innkeeper's Rights Act Modification | Bill Failed - House (22 - 48) |
| Feb. 2, 2011 | VA | SB 747 | Prohibits Discrimination in State Employment Based on Sexual Orientation | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| Feb. 2, 2011 | AR | SB 154 | Cell Phones in School Zones | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| Feb. 2, 2011 | AR | SB 154 | Cell Phones in School Zones | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| Feb. 2, 2011 | WY | HB 186 | Wyoming Lottery | Bill Failed - House (27 - 33) |
| Feb. 1, 2011 | IA | HJR 6 | Banning Same Sex Marriage | Amendment Adopted - House (62 - 37) |
| Feb. 1, 2011 | VA | HJ 593 | Free Exercise of Religion | Amendment Adopted - House (61 - 33) |
| Feb. 1, 2011 | ID | H 26 | Increment in fees for felonies and misdemeanors | Bill Failed - House (31 - 35) |
| Jan. 28, 2011 | HI | SB 232 | Civil Unions for All Couples | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 6) |
| Jan. 27, 2011 | MS | SB 2179 | Restrictions on Employers of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (77 - 40) |
| Jan. 27, 2011 | AR | SB 113 | Prohibit Abortion Health Care Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| Jan. 27, 2011 | WY | SJ 5 | Definition of Marriage | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| Jan. 27, 2011 | WY | SF 100 | Cruelty to Animals | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| Jan. 26, 2011 | WY | HB 31 | Electronic Wagering | Bill Passed - House (36 - 22) |
| Jan. 26, 2011 | WY | HB 29 | Mandatory Testing for Suspected DUI Offenders | Bill Passed - House (35 - 23) |
| Jan. 26, 2011 | SC | H 3003 | Voter ID | Bill Passed - House (74 - 45) |
| Jan. 26, 2011 | TX | SB 14 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| Jan. 25, 2011 | WY | HB 31 | Electronic Wagering | Bill Failed - House (29 - 29) |
| Jan. 25, 2011 | IN | SB 47 | Gambling Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 15) |
| Jan. 24, 2011 | VA | SB 949 | Allowing Absentee Voting For Any Reason | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| Jan. 24, 2011 | WY | SF 47 | Firearm Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| Jan. 24, 2011 | WY | HB 74 | Prohibiting the Recognition of Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (32 - 27) |
| Jan. 21, 2011 | MT | HB 167 | Criminalizes Death to an Unborn Child | Bill Passed - House (68 - 30) |
| Jan. 19, 2011 | MT | SB 112 | Authorizes the Use of Hand-Thrown Spears | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 21) |
| Jan. 18, 2011 | MS | SB 2179 | Restrictions on Employers of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 15) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/03 | HB 223 | Innkeeper's Rights Act Modification | Bill Failed - House (22 - 48) |
| 2/02 | SB 747 | Prohibits Discrimination in State Employment Based on Sexual Orientation | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| 2/02 | SB 154 | Cell Phones in School Zones | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| 2/02 | SB 154 | Cell Phones in School Zones | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| 2/02 | HB 186 | Wyoming Lottery | Bill Failed - House (27 - 33) |
| 2/01 | HJR 6 | Banning Same Sex Marriage | Amendment Adopted - House (62 - 37) |
| 2/01 | HJ 593 | Free Exercise of Religion | Amendment Adopted - House (61 - 33) |
| 2/01 | H 26 | Increment in fees for felonies and misdemeanors | Bill Failed - House (31 - 35) |
| 1/28 | SB 232 | Civil Unions for All Couples | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 6) |
| 1/27 | SB 2179 | Restrictions on Employers of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (77 - 40) |
| 1/27 | SB 113 | Prohibit Abortion Health Care Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| 1/27 | SJ 5 | Definition of Marriage | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| 1/27 | SF 100 | Cruelty to Animals | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| 1/26 | HB 31 | Electronic Wagering | Bill Passed - House (36 - 22) |
| 1/26 | HB 29 | Mandatory Testing for Suspected DUI Offenders | Bill Passed - House (35 - 23) |
| 1/26 | H 3003 | Voter ID | Bill Passed - House (74 - 45) |
| 1/26 | SB 14 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| 1/25 | HB 31 | Electronic Wagering | Bill Failed - House (29 - 29) |
| 1/25 | SB 47 | Gambling Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 15) |
| 1/24 | SB 949 | Allowing Absentee Voting For Any Reason | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| 1/24 | SF 47 | Firearm Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| 1/24 | HB 74 | Prohibiting the Recognition of Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (32 - 27) |
| 1/21 | HB 167 | Criminalizes Death to an Unborn Child | Bill Passed - House (68 - 30) |
| 1/19 | SB 112 | Authorizes the Use of Hand-Thrown Spears | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 21) |
| 1/18 | SB 2179 | Restrictions on Employers of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 15) |