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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 12, 2011 | NC | SB 514 | Constitutional Amendment to Define Marriage | Bill Passed - House (75 - 42) |
| Sept. 9, 2011 | CA | AB 101 | Allows Family Child Care Providers to Organize | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 27) |
| Sept. 9, 2011 | MO | HB 1 | Authority Over the Saint Louis Police Department | Bill Passed - House (123 - 27) |
| Sept. 8, 2011 | CA | SB 299 | Pregnancy or Childbirth Leave for Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
| Sept. 8, 2011 | CA | AB 101 | Allows Family Child Care Providers to Organize | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| Sept. 7, 2011 | NH | SB 88 | Civil Immunity from Acts of Self Defense | Veto Override Passed - Senate (17 - 7) |
| Sept. 7, 2011 | NH | SB 88 | Civil Immunity from Acts of Self Defense | Veto Override Passed - Senate (17 - 7) |
| Sept. 7, 2011 | NH | SB 129 | Requiring Photo Identification to Vote | Veto Override Failed - Senate (7 - 17) |
| Sept. 6, 2011 | CA | SB 299 | Pregnancy or Childbirth Leave for Employees | Bill Passed - House (52 - 26) |
| Sept. 6, 2011 | CA | AB 1236 | Prohibits Requirement of Electronic Employment Verification | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| Sept. 6, 2011 | CA | AB 376 | Prohibiting the Sale of Shark Fins | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 9) |
| Sept. 2, 2011 | CA | AB 887 | Prohibits Discrimination Against Transgendered Individuals | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 25) |
| Aug. 30, 2011 | CA | AB 887 | Prohibits Discrimination Against Transgendered Individuals | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| Aug. 22, 2011 | CA | AB 433 | Birth Certificates for Transgendered Individuals | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 26) |
| July 27, 2011 | National | H Amdt 735 | Repeals Laws that Limited Funding for the Endangered Species Act | Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 202) |
| July 14, 2011 | CA | SB 249 | Prohibits Firearms with Detachable Magazines | Bill Passed - House (48 - 21) |
| July 14, 2011 | CA | AB 433 | Birth Certificates for Transgendered Individuals | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| July 14, 2011 | CA | AB 130 | Authorizes Student Financial Aid for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11) |
| July 5, 2011 | CA | SB 48 | Requires Teaching Gay History | Bill Passed - House (50 - 26) |
| July 5, 2011 | CA | SB 48 | Requires Teaching Gay History | Bill Passed - House (50 - 26) |
| July 1, 2011 | DE | SB 65 | Expansion of Criminal Nuisance Definition | Bill Passed - House (26 - 15) |
| June 30, 2011 | PA | HB 960 | Public Assistance Program Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (130 - 66) |
| June 30, 2011 | PA | HB 960 | Public Assistance Program Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15) |
| June 30, 2011 | RI | S 400 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - House (51 - 22) |
| June 29, 2011 | RI | H 6103 | Authorizes Civil Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/12 | SB 514 | Constitutional Amendment to Define Marriage | Bill Passed - House (75 - 42) |
| 9/09 | AB 101 | Allows Family Child Care Providers to Organize | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 27) |
| 9/09 | HB 1 | Authority Over the Saint Louis Police Department | Bill Passed - House (123 - 27) |
| 9/08 | SB 299 | Pregnancy or Childbirth Leave for Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
| 9/08 | AB 101 | Allows Family Child Care Providers to Organize | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 9/07 | SB 88 | Civil Immunity from Acts of Self Defense | Veto Override Passed - Senate (17 - 7) |
| 9/07 | SB 88 | Civil Immunity from Acts of Self Defense | Veto Override Passed - Senate (17 - 7) |
| 9/07 | SB 129 | Requiring Photo Identification to Vote | Veto Override Failed - Senate (7 - 17) |
| 9/06 | SB 299 | Pregnancy or Childbirth Leave for Employees | Bill Passed - House (52 - 26) |
| 9/06 | AB 1236 | Prohibits Requirement of Electronic Employment Verification | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| 9/06 | AB 376 | Prohibiting the Sale of Shark Fins | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 9) |
| 9/02 | AB 887 | Prohibits Discrimination Against Transgendered Individuals | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 25) |
| 8/30 | AB 887 | Prohibits Discrimination Against Transgendered Individuals | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| 8/22 | AB 433 | Birth Certificates for Transgendered Individuals | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 26) |
| 7/27 | H Amdt 735 | Repeals Laws that Limited Funding for the Endangered Species Act | Amendment Adopted - House (224 - 202) |
| 7/14 | SB 249 | Prohibits Firearms with Detachable Magazines | Bill Passed - House (48 - 21) |
| 7/14 | AB 433 | Birth Certificates for Transgendered Individuals | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| 7/14 | AB 130 | Authorizes Student Financial Aid for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11) |
| 7/05 | SB 48 | Requires Teaching Gay History | Bill Passed - House (50 - 26) |
| 7/05 | SB 48 | Requires Teaching Gay History | Bill Passed - House (50 - 26) |
| 7/01 | SB 65 | Expansion of Criminal Nuisance Definition | Bill Passed - House (26 - 15) |
| 6/30 | HB 960 | Public Assistance Program Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (130 - 66) |
| 6/30 | HB 960 | Public Assistance Program Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15) |
| 6/30 | S 400 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - House (51 - 22) |
| 6/29 | H 6103 | Authorizes Civil Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |