Key Votes

Chamber

Keyword Search

Search string must be longer than 3 characters.

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 20, 2012 CT HB 5312 Authorizes Day Care and Personal Care Workers to Join Unions Bill Passed - House (84 - 57)
April 19, 2012 AL HB 658 Amends Immigration Regulations Bill Passed - House (64 - 34)
April 16, 2012 TN SB 3345 Limits the Number of Foreign Nationals that May Work in a Charter School Bill Passed - House (63 - 29)
April 11, 2012 NH SB 202 Congressional Redistricting Bill Passed - House (239 - 95)
April 10, 2012 WA SB 6378 Amends State Employee Pension System (56 - 42)
April 10, 2012 AL HB 433 2012-2013 Budget Bill Passed - House (56 - 47)
April 4, 2012 PA HB 153 Reduces the Number of Members in the General Assembly Bill Passed - House (140 - 49)
March 29, 2012 GA HB 347 Reduces Unemployment Benefits Conference Report Adopted - House (98 - 60)
March 29, 2012 GA HB 861 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - House (110 - 56)
March 29, 2012 GA HB 861 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - House (110 - 56)
March 29, 2012 SC H 4894 Authorizes Income Tax Credit for Tuition Payments Bill Passed - House (62 - 38)
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 IL HB 5531 Limits Tuition Waivers for State University Employees Bill Failed - House (26 - 75)
March 29, 2012 IL HB 5531 Limits Tuition Waivers for State University Employees Bill Failed - House (26 - 75)
March 28, 2012 NH HB 592 State House Redistricting Veto Override Passed - House (246 - 112)
March 28, 2012 ID H 660 Amends the Judicial Retirement Fund Bill Passed - House (46 - 22)
March 28, 2012 NH HB 1658 Establishes a Verification System to Detect Welfare Fraud Bill Passed - House (245 - 84)
March 27, 2012 FL SJR 2B State Senate Redistricting Joint Resolution Passed - House (61 - 47)
March 26, 2012 ID H 695 Establishes a Legislative Legal Defense Fund Bill Passed - House (53 - 16)
March 22, 2012 ID HJR 1 Requires a 2/3 Vote for Tax Increases Motion Rejected - House (37 - 33)
March 21, 2012 NH HB 437 Repeals Same-Sex Marriage "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (211 - 116)
March 21, 2012 IL HB 3944 Authorizing the Recording of Police Bill Failed - House (45 - 59)
March 21, 2012 SC HB 4967 Amends the South Carolina Retirement System Bill Passed - House (86 - 27)
March 20, 2012 ID H 486 Prohibits Minors from Using Tanning Beds Bill Passed - House (39 - 30)
March 15, 2012 NY S 6735 Amends the Public Employee Retirement System Bill Passed - House (92 - 46)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/20 HB 5312 Authorizes Day Care and Personal Care Workers to Join Unions Bill Passed - House (84 - 57)
4/19 HB 658 Amends Immigration Regulations Bill Passed - House (64 - 34)
4/16 SB 3345 Limits the Number of Foreign Nationals that May Work in a Charter School Bill Passed - House (63 - 29)
4/11 SB 202 Congressional Redistricting Bill Passed - House (239 - 95)
4/10 SB 6378 Amends State Employee Pension System (56 - 42)
4/10 HB 433 2012-2013 Budget Bill Passed - House (56 - 47)
4/04 HB 153 Reduces the Number of Members in the General Assembly Bill Passed - House (140 - 49)
3/29 HB 347 Reduces Unemployment Benefits Conference Report Adopted - House (98 - 60)
3/29 HB 861 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - House (110 - 56)
3/29 HB 861 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - House (110 - 56)
3/29 H 4894 Authorizes Income Tax Credit for Tuition Payments Bill Passed - House (62 - 38)
3/29 HB 1607 Establishes a Tax Credit for Businesses that Donate to Certain Scholarship Funds Bill Passed - House (173 - 127)
3/29 HB 5531 Limits Tuition Waivers for State University Employees Bill Failed - House (26 - 75)
3/29 HB 5531 Limits Tuition Waivers for State University Employees Bill Failed - House (26 - 75)
3/28 HB 592 State House Redistricting Veto Override Passed - House (246 - 112)
3/28 H 660 Amends the Judicial Retirement Fund Bill Passed - House (46 - 22)
3/28 HB 1658 Establishes a Verification System to Detect Welfare Fraud Bill Passed - House (245 - 84)
3/27 SJR 2B State Senate Redistricting Joint Resolution Passed - House (61 - 47)
3/26 H 695 Establishes a Legislative Legal Defense Fund Bill Passed - House (53 - 16)
3/22 HJR 1 Requires a 2/3 Vote for Tax Increases Motion Rejected - House (37 - 33)
3/21 HB 437 Repeals Same-Sex Marriage "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (211 - 116)
3/21 HB 3944 Authorizing the Recording of Police Bill Failed - House (45 - 59)
3/21 HB 4967 Amends the South Carolina Retirement System Bill Passed - House (86 - 27)
3/20 H 486 Prohibits Minors from Using Tanning Beds Bill Passed - House (39 - 30)
3/15 S 6735 Amends the Public Employee Retirement System Bill Passed - House (92 - 46)

arrow_upward