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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 28, 2011 | ND | HB 1195 | Bans Texting While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 15) |
| March 27, 2011 | MS | SB 3100 | Issuance of State Bonds for Improvements in Higher Learning Institutions | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (36 - 10) |
| March 24, 2011 | AR | HB 1902 | Highway Financing Act 0f 2011 | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| March 16, 2011 | WA | SB 5407 | Prohibits Drivers Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants | Motion Rejected - Senate (23 - 25) |
| March 15, 2011 | AZ | SB 1538 | Cell Phone Usage While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| March 10, 2011 | GA | SB 162 | DUIs a Felony for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 18) |
| March 10, 2011 | GA | SB 162 | DUIs a Felony for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Not Tabled - Senate (20 - 34) |
| March 9, 2011 | NM | HB 78 | Driver License and ID Card Restrictions for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 16) |
| March 8, 2011 | AZ | SB 1402 | Special License Plates | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| March 3, 2011 | UT | HB 155 | Cycling Law Amendments | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 11) |
| Feb. 28, 2011 | WY | HB 29 | Mandatory Testing for Suspected DUI Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| Feb. 21, 2011 | VA | SB 1446 | Transportation Budget | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (1 - 38) |
| Feb. 17, 2011 | VA | HB 2527 | Virginia Transportation Infrastructure Fund and Bank | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| Feb. 17, 2011 | NJ | S2636 | Reduction of Toll Road Prices | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
| Feb. 16, 2011 | AR | HB 1049 | Prohibit Cell Phone Use in School Zones | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 9) |
| Feb. 15, 2011 | National | S Amdt 21 | Reducing Federal Aviation Administration Appropriations | Amendment Tabled - Senate (51 - 47) |
| Feb. 15, 2011 | National | S Amdt 14 | Prohibiting Transportation Security Administration Employees from Collective Bargaining | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51) |
| Feb. 10, 2011 | NM | SB 124 | Safeguarding Bicyclists | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 17) |
| Feb. 10, 2011 | UT | SB 124 | Leaving a Child Unattended in a Motor Vehicle | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10) |
| Feb. 8, 2011 | VA | SB 1351 | Wireless Telecommunication Devices | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| Feb. 2, 2011 | AR | SB 154 | Cell Phones in School Zones | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| Jan. 28, 2011 | MT | SB 104 | Limitations on Electricity Pricing | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 22) |
| Jan. 25, 2011 | IN | SB 47 | Gambling Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 15) |
| Jan. 24, 2011 | WY | SF 51 | Seat Belt Law Violations | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| Jan. 10, 2011 | NJ | S 2381 | Electric Generation Facilities Pilot Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 6) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/28 | HB 1195 | Bans Texting While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 15) |
| 3/27 | SB 3100 | Issuance of State Bonds for Improvements in Higher Learning Institutions | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (36 - 10) |
| 3/24 | HB 1902 | Highway Financing Act 0f 2011 | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| 3/16 | SB 5407 | Prohibits Drivers Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants | Motion Rejected - Senate (23 - 25) |
| 3/15 | SB 1538 | Cell Phone Usage While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| 3/10 | SB 162 | DUIs a Felony for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 18) |
| 3/10 | SB 162 | DUIs a Felony for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Not Tabled - Senate (20 - 34) |
| 3/09 | HB 78 | Driver License and ID Card Restrictions for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 16) |
| 3/08 | SB 1402 | Special License Plates | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| 3/03 | HB 155 | Cycling Law Amendments | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 11) |
| 2/28 | HB 29 | Mandatory Testing for Suspected DUI Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| 2/21 | SB 1446 | Transportation Budget | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (1 - 38) |
| 2/17 | HB 2527 | Virginia Transportation Infrastructure Fund and Bank | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| 2/17 | S2636 | Reduction of Toll Road Prices | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
| 2/16 | HB 1049 | Prohibit Cell Phone Use in School Zones | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 9) |
| 2/15 | S Amdt 21 | Reducing Federal Aviation Administration Appropriations | Amendment Tabled - Senate (51 - 47) |
| 2/15 | S Amdt 14 | Prohibiting Transportation Security Administration Employees from Collective Bargaining | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51) |
| 2/10 | SB 124 | Safeguarding Bicyclists | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 17) |
| 2/10 | SB 124 | Leaving a Child Unattended in a Motor Vehicle | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10) |
| 2/08 | SB 1351 | Wireless Telecommunication Devices | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| 2/02 | SB 154 | Cell Phones in School Zones | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| 1/28 | SB 104 | Limitations on Electricity Pricing | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 22) |
| 1/25 | SB 47 | Gambling Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 15) |
| 1/24 | SF 51 | Seat Belt Law Violations | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| 1/10 | S 2381 | Electric Generation Facilities Pilot Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 6) |