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
April 12, 2012 AZ HB 2729 Authorizes Guns in Certain Public Buildings Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11)
April 12, 2012 TN SB 3345 Limits the Number of Foreign Nationals that May Work in a Charter School Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
April 12, 2012 CA AB 2127 Authorizes Work Release for Certain Offenders Bill Passed - House (48 - 24)
April 11, 2012 WA SB 5940 Amends Public School Employees Retirement Benefits Bill Passed - House (53 - 45)
April 11, 2012 WA SB 5940 Amends Public School Employees Retirement Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 20)
April 11, 2012 NE LB 599 Prenatal Care for Children of Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15)
April 11, 2012 ME LD 1810 Regulatory Takings Bill Passed - House (74 - 72)
April 11, 2012 NE LB 599 Prenatal Care for Children of Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15)
April 11, 2012 NE LB 1161 Authorizes Land Study in Nebraska for Keystone XL Pipeline Route Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 5)
April 10, 2012 MS SB 2771 Expands Penalties for Child Homicide Bill Passed - House (83 - 34)
April 9, 2012 AZ HB 2434 Requires Federal Agents to Notify Local Law Enforcement Prior to Taking Action Concurrence Vote Passed - House (38 - 17)
April 9, 2012 AZ HB 2199 Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses Concurrence Vote Passed - House (39 - 15)
April 9, 2012 MD SB 236 Septic System Installation Requirements Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 15)
April 9, 2012 CO SB 15 College Tuition Rates for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14)
April 6, 2012 MD SB 236 Septic System Installation Requirements Bill Passed - House (93 - 45)
April 5, 2012 MD HB 443 Establishes State Health Insurance Exchanges Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 11)
April 4, 2012 AZ HB 2434 Requires Federal Agents to Notify Local Law Enforcement Prior to Taking Action Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8)
April 3, 2012 AZ HB 2199 Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9)
April 3, 2012 AL SB 63 Authorizes Private Work-Oriented Rehbilitation Programs for Inmates Bill Passed - House (73 - 22)
April 3, 2012 IA HF 2450 Prohibits the Use of Traffic Cameras Bill Passed - House (58 - 42)
April 3, 2012 AL SB 396 Compensation to Bridget Lee for Wrongful Incarceration Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
March 30, 2012 KY SB 3 Limits Over-the-Counter Purchases of Cold Medicine Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 8)
March 29, 2012 GA HB 1114 Prohibits Assisted Suicide Concurrence Vote Passed - House (115 - 53)
March 29, 2012 GA HB 1114 Prohibits Assisted Suicide Concurrence Vote Passed - House (115 - 53)
March 29, 2012 IL Amendment No. 4 Requires Physicians to Provide Information About Side Effects of Erectile Dysfunction Drugs Amendment Rejected - House (32 - 68)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/12 HB 2729 Authorizes Guns in Certain Public Buildings Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11)
4/12 SB 3345 Limits the Number of Foreign Nationals that May Work in a Charter School Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
4/12 AB 2127 Authorizes Work Release for Certain Offenders Bill Passed - House (48 - 24)
4/11 SB 5940 Amends Public School Employees Retirement Benefits Bill Passed - House (53 - 45)
4/11 SB 5940 Amends Public School Employees Retirement Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 20)
4/11 LB 599 Prenatal Care for Children of Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15)
4/11 LD 1810 Regulatory Takings Bill Passed - House (74 - 72)
4/11 LB 599 Prenatal Care for Children of Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15)
4/11 LB 1161 Authorizes Land Study in Nebraska for Keystone XL Pipeline Route Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 5)
4/10 SB 2771 Expands Penalties for Child Homicide Bill Passed - House (83 - 34)
4/09 HB 2434 Requires Federal Agents to Notify Local Law Enforcement Prior to Taking Action Concurrence Vote Passed - House (38 - 17)
4/09 HB 2199 Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses Concurrence Vote Passed - House (39 - 15)
4/09 SB 236 Septic System Installation Requirements Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 15)
4/09 SB 15 College Tuition Rates for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14)
4/06 SB 236 Septic System Installation Requirements Bill Passed - House (93 - 45)
4/05 HB 443 Establishes State Health Insurance Exchanges Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 11)
4/04 HB 2434 Requires Federal Agents to Notify Local Law Enforcement Prior to Taking Action Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8)
4/03 HB 2199 Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9)
4/03 SB 63 Authorizes Private Work-Oriented Rehbilitation Programs for Inmates Bill Passed - House (73 - 22)
4/03 HF 2450 Prohibits the Use of Traffic Cameras Bill Passed - House (58 - 42)
4/03 SB 396 Compensation to Bridget Lee for Wrongful Incarceration Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
3/30 SB 3 Limits Over-the-Counter Purchases of Cold Medicine Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 8)
3/29 HB 1114 Prohibits Assisted Suicide Concurrence Vote Passed - House (115 - 53)
3/29 HB 1114 Prohibits Assisted Suicide Concurrence Vote Passed - House (115 - 53)
3/29 Amendment No. 4 Requires Physicians to Provide Information About Side Effects of Erectile Dysfunction Drugs Amendment Rejected - House (32 - 68)

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