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
March 29, 2012 IL HB 4083 Internet Dating Site Requirements Bill Passed - House (83 - 26)
March 29, 2012 NH HB 1607 Establishes a Tax Credit for Businesses that Donate to Certain Scholarship Funds Bill Passed - House (173 - 127)
March 29, 2012 MO SB 749 Authorizes Employers to Exempt Contraception from Healthcare Coverage (26 - 5)
March 29, 2012 MO HB 1541 Provides Exemptions on Participating in Certain Medical Procedures. Bill Passed - House (113 - 41)
March 28, 2012 KY SB 3 Limits Over-the-Counter Purchases of Cold Medicine Bill Passed - House (60 - 36)
March 28, 2012 ID S 1348 Requires Doctors to Provide End-of-Life Care Bill Passed - House (58 - 11)
March 28, 2012 SC SB 1227 Prohibits Camping on State House Grounds Bill Passed - House (85 - 22)
March 26, 2012 MD HB 443 Establishes State Health Insurance Exchanges Bill Passed - House (94 - 44)
March 22, 2012 ID S 1295 Requires Massage Therapists to be Licensed Bill Passed - House (39 - 29)
March 22, 2012 ID S 1295 Requires Massage Therapists to be Licensed Bill Passed - House (39 - 29)
March 21, 2012 IL HB 3944 Authorizing the Recording of Police Bill Failed - House (45 - 59)
March 20, 2012 KY SB 9 Authorizes Student Enrollment in Neighborhood Schools Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15)
March 19, 2012 CO HB 1130 Penalties for Violent Offenses Against Fetuses Bill Passed - House (33 - 32)
March 19, 2012 ID S 1387 Requires an Ultrasound Prior to an Abortion Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
March 19, 2012 ID S 1348 Requires Doctors to Provide End-of-Life Care Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10)
March 15, 2012 TN HJR 587 Opposes the United Nations Agenda 21 Joint Resolution Passed - House (72 - 23)
March 15, 2012 ID S 1358 Amends Bullying Laws Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8)
March 15, 2012 ID S 1358 Amends Bullying Laws Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8)
March 15, 2012 NH HB 1405 Authorizes Moratoriums on Refugee Resettlements Bill Passed - House (190 - 109)
March 15, 2012 MD HB 650 Reduces Prison Sentences for Inmates Seeking Education Bill Passed - House (81 - 54)
March 15, 2012 MD HB 650 Reduces Prison Sentences for Inmates Seeking Education Bill Passed - House (81 - 54)
March 14, 2012 NY S 6733 Expands DNA Database to Include Misdemeanors Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 0)
March 14, 2012 MD SB 559 Prohibits Smoking in a Vehicle with Children Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19)
March 14, 2012 MS HB 488 Immigration Enforcement Bill Passed - House (70 - 47)
March 14, 2012 MS HB 488 Immigration Enforcement Bill Passed - House (70 - 47)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/29 HB 4083 Internet Dating Site Requirements Bill Passed - House (83 - 26)
3/29 HB 1607 Establishes a Tax Credit for Businesses that Donate to Certain Scholarship Funds Bill Passed - House (173 - 127)
3/29 SB 749 Authorizes Employers to Exempt Contraception from Healthcare Coverage (26 - 5)
3/29 HB 1541 Provides Exemptions on Participating in Certain Medical Procedures. Bill Passed - House (113 - 41)
3/28 SB 3 Limits Over-the-Counter Purchases of Cold Medicine Bill Passed - House (60 - 36)
3/28 S 1348 Requires Doctors to Provide End-of-Life Care Bill Passed - House (58 - 11)
3/28 SB 1227 Prohibits Camping on State House Grounds Bill Passed - House (85 - 22)
3/26 HB 443 Establishes State Health Insurance Exchanges Bill Passed - House (94 - 44)
3/22 S 1295 Requires Massage Therapists to be Licensed Bill Passed - House (39 - 29)
3/22 S 1295 Requires Massage Therapists to be Licensed Bill Passed - House (39 - 29)
3/21 HB 3944 Authorizing the Recording of Police Bill Failed - House (45 - 59)
3/20 SB 9 Authorizes Student Enrollment in Neighborhood Schools Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15)
3/19 HB 1130 Penalties for Violent Offenses Against Fetuses Bill Passed - House (33 - 32)
3/19 S 1387 Requires an Ultrasound Prior to an Abortion Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
3/19 S 1348 Requires Doctors to Provide End-of-Life Care Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10)
3/15 HJR 587 Opposes the United Nations Agenda 21 Joint Resolution Passed - House (72 - 23)
3/15 S 1358 Amends Bullying Laws Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8)
3/15 S 1358 Amends Bullying Laws Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8)
3/15 HB 1405 Authorizes Moratoriums on Refugee Resettlements Bill Passed - House (190 - 109)
3/15 HB 650 Reduces Prison Sentences for Inmates Seeking Education Bill Passed - House (81 - 54)
3/15 HB 650 Reduces Prison Sentences for Inmates Seeking Education Bill Passed - House (81 - 54)
3/14 S 6733 Expands DNA Database to Include Misdemeanors Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 0)
3/14 SB 559 Prohibits Smoking in a Vehicle with Children Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19)
3/14 HB 488 Immigration Enforcement Bill Passed - House (70 - 47)
3/14 HB 488 Immigration Enforcement Bill Passed - House (70 - 47)

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