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
July 2, 2012 CA SB 900 Establishes Regulations for Home Loans Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 13)
July 2, 2012 CA AB 278 Establishes Regulations for Foreclosure Procedures on Home Loans Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 13)
June 25, 2012 NJ S 1566 Authorizes the Conversion of Foreclosed Homes into Affordable Housing Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18)
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 6, 2012 NH CACR 12 Legislative Authority of Education Requirements Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 6)
May 31, 2012 IL HB 1447 Pension Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24)
May 31, 2012 IL HB 5440 Establishes a 5 Percent Fee on Satellite TV Companies Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 27)
May 31, 2012 IL HB 1447 Pension Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24)
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 24, 2012 IL SB 2840 Limits Medicaid Funding Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 13)
May 24, 2012 National S Amdt 2111 Prohibits Pharmaceutical Companies from Delaying the Release of Generic Drugs Amendment Rejected - Senate (28 - 67)
May 24, 2012 National S Amdt 2107 Authorizes Import of FDA-Approved Drugs from Canada Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 54)
May 22, 2012 LA HB 543 Parole Eligibility for Nonviolent Offenders Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
May 16, 2012 NH HB 1607 Establishes a Tax Credit for Businesses that Donate to Certain Scholarship Funds Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 7)
May 16, 2012 AL HB 658 Amends Immigration Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7)
May 15, 2012 MA S Amdt 125 Requires Establishing a Single Payer Health Care System Benchmark Amendment Rejected - Senate (15 - 22)
May 10, 2012 IL SB 1313 Limits Health Care Coverage for Retired State Employees Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 20)
May 10, 2012 IL SB 1313 Limits Health Care Coverage for Retired State Employees Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 20)
May 10, 2012 MI SB 1069 Personal Property Taxes: Credit for New Industrial Personal Property Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
May 10, 2012 MI SB 1070 Establishes a Tax Exemption for Eligible Personal Property Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
May 10, 2012 MI SB 1067 Personal Property Taxes: Continuation of Existing Exemptions for Personal Property Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
Date No. Title Outcome
7/02 SB 900 Establishes Regulations for Home Loans Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 13)
7/02 AB 278 Establishes Regulations for Foreclosure Procedures on Home Loans Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 13)
6/25 S 1566 Authorizes the Conversion of Foreclosed Homes into Affordable Housing Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18)
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)
6/06 CACR 12 Legislative Authority of Education Requirements Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 6)
5/31 HB 1447 Pension Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24)
5/31 HB 5440 Establishes a 5 Percent Fee on Satellite TV Companies Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 27)
5/31 HB 1447 Pension Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24)
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)
5/24 SB 2840 Limits Medicaid Funding Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 13)
5/24 S Amdt 2111 Prohibits Pharmaceutical Companies from Delaying the Release of Generic Drugs Amendment Rejected - Senate (28 - 67)
5/24 S Amdt 2107 Authorizes Import of FDA-Approved Drugs from Canada Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 54)
5/22 HB 543 Parole Eligibility for Nonviolent Offenders Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
5/16 HB 1607 Establishes a Tax Credit for Businesses that Donate to Certain Scholarship Funds Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 7)
5/16 HB 658 Amends Immigration Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7)
5/15 S Amdt 125 Requires Establishing a Single Payer Health Care System Benchmark Amendment Rejected - Senate (15 - 22)
5/10 SB 1313 Limits Health Care Coverage for Retired State Employees Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 20)
5/10 SB 1313 Limits Health Care Coverage for Retired State Employees Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 20)
5/10 SB 1069 Personal Property Taxes: Credit for New Industrial Personal Property Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
5/10 SB 1070 Establishes a Tax Exemption for Eligible Personal Property Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
5/10 SB 1067 Personal Property Taxes: Continuation of Existing Exemptions for Personal Property Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)

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