Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
June 19, 2012 DE SB 205 Requires Manufactured Home Community Owners to Explain Rent Increases Bill Failed - House (14 - 22)
June 14, 2012 CA AB 2127 Authorizes Work Release for Certain Offenders Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
June 13, 2012 RI H 7909 Requires State Health Laws to Comply with the Affordable Care Act Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8)
June 12, 2012 RI S 2052 Homeless Bill of Rights Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 2)
June 12, 2012 RI S 2052 Homeless Bill of Rights Bill Passed - House (59 - 6)
June 11, 2012 RI H 7909 Requires State Health Laws to Comply with the Affordable Care Act Bill Passed - House (56 - 9)
June 7, 2012 National HR 436 Repeals Excise Tax on Medical Devices Bill Passed - House (270 - 146)
June 6, 2012 NH CACR 12 Legislative Authority of Education Requirements Conference Report Rejected - House (224 - 144)
June 6, 2012 NH CACR 12 Legislative Authority of Education Requirements Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 6)
June 6, 2012 NH SB 406 Authorizes Early Offer Alternative to Medical Injury Claims Conference Report Adopted - House (220 - 141)
June 5, 2012 MA S 2270 Reduces Health Care Spending Bill Passed - House (148 - 7)
May 31, 2012 IL HB 1907 Illinois Street Gang and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (93 - 18)
May 31, 2012 IL HB 1447 Pension Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24)
May 31, 2012 IL HB 1447 Pension Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24)
May 31, 2012 IL SB 1064 Prohibits Private Security Services in Detention Centers Bill Failed - House (57 - 58)
May 31, 2012 IL HB 5440 Establishes a 5 Percent Fee on Satellite TV Companies Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 27)
May 31, 2012 IL SB 2621 Amends the Department of Corrections' Early Release Program Bill Passed - House (68 - 50)
May 31, 2012 IL SB 2621 Amends the Department of Corrections' Early Release Program Bill Passed - House (68 - 50)
May 31, 2012 CA AB 1436 Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (47 - 26)
May 30, 2012 CA SB 1172 Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
May 30, 2012 CA SB 1054 Requires Notifying Property Owners Prior to Hydraulic Fracturing Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 18)
May 29, 2012 IL SB 2194 Increases Cigarette Tax Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 27)
May 29, 2012 CA AB 1447 Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Sellers to Provide a Limited Warranty Bill Passed - House (49 - 25)
May 25, 2012 IL SB 2194 Increases Cigarette Tax Bill Passed - House (60 - 52)
May 24, 2012 IL SB 2840 Limits Medicaid Funding Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 13)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/19 SB 205 Requires Manufactured Home Community Owners to Explain Rent Increases Bill Failed - House (14 - 22)
6/14 AB 2127 Authorizes Work Release for Certain Offenders Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
6/13 H 7909 Requires State Health Laws to Comply with the Affordable Care Act Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8)
6/12 S 2052 Homeless Bill of Rights Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 2)
6/12 S 2052 Homeless Bill of Rights Bill Passed - House (59 - 6)
6/11 H 7909 Requires State Health Laws to Comply with the Affordable Care Act Bill Passed - House (56 - 9)
6/07 HR 436 Repeals Excise Tax on Medical Devices Bill Passed - House (270 - 146)
6/06 CACR 12 Legislative Authority of Education Requirements Conference Report Rejected - House (224 - 144)
6/06 CACR 12 Legislative Authority of Education Requirements Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 6)
6/06 SB 406 Authorizes Early Offer Alternative to Medical Injury Claims Conference Report Adopted - House (220 - 141)
6/05 S 2270 Reduces Health Care Spending Bill Passed - House (148 - 7)
5/31 HB 1907 Illinois Street Gang and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (93 - 18)
5/31 HB 1447 Pension Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24)
5/31 HB 1447 Pension Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24)
5/31 SB 1064 Prohibits Private Security Services in Detention Centers Bill Failed - House (57 - 58)
5/31 HB 5440 Establishes a 5 Percent Fee on Satellite TV Companies Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 27)
5/31 SB 2621 Amends the Department of Corrections' Early Release Program Bill Passed - House (68 - 50)
5/31 SB 2621 Amends the Department of Corrections' Early Release Program Bill Passed - House (68 - 50)
5/31 AB 1436 Authorizes Same-Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (47 - 26)
5/30 SB 1172 Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
5/30 SB 1054 Requires Notifying Property Owners Prior to Hydraulic Fracturing Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 18)
5/29 SB 2194 Increases Cigarette Tax Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 27)
5/29 AB 1447 Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Sellers to Provide a Limited Warranty Bill Passed - House (49 - 25)
5/25 SB 2194 Increases Cigarette Tax Bill Passed - House (60 - 52)
5/24 SB 2840 Limits Medicaid Funding Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 13)

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