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
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 1064 Prohibits Private Security Services in Detention Centers Bill Failed - House (57 - 58)
May 31, 2012 CA SB 956 Regulates Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Loans and Lenders Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
May 31, 2012 CA AB 2312 Regulations for Marijuana Dispensaries Bill Passed - House (41 - 30)
May 30, 2012 IL SB 3442 Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags Bill Passed - House (72 - 44)
May 30, 2012 CA AB 1450 Prohibits Discrimination Against Unemployed Workers Bill Passed - House (51 - 26)
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 1534 Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Dealers to Label Used Vehicles Bill Passed - House (42 - 32)
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 NJ A 2162 Increases Minimum Wage Bill Passed - House (46 - 33)
May 24, 2012 National S Amdt 2107 Authorizes Import of FDA-Approved Drugs from Canada Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 54)
May 24, 2012 NJ A 1238 Requires Copy Machine Hard Drives to be Erased Before Being Exchanged Bill Passed - House (51 - 28)
May 22, 2012 OH HB 322 Repeals Limits on Credit Card Interest Rates for Certain Banks Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 30)
May 16, 2012 OH HB 322 Repeals Limits on Credit Card Interest Rates for Certain Banks Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14)
May 16, 2012 OH HB 510 Repeals the Corporate Franchise Tax Bill Passed - House (75 - 23)
May 15, 2012 National HR 2072 Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 20)
May 15, 2012 National HR 2072 Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 20)
May 15, 2012 IL HB 3859 Requires Publication of Reduced Tax Rates under the EDGE Program Bill Passed - House (84 - 26)
May 10, 2012 DE SB 205 Requires Manufactured Home Community Owners to Explain Rent Increases Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 9)
May 9, 2012 National HR 2072 Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (330 - 93)
May 9, 2012 National HR 2072 Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (330 - 93)
May 8, 2012 CT HB 5556 Requires Corporations to Identify Top Donors for Campaign Contributions Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
May 8, 2012 CT HB 5556 Requires Corporations to Identify Top Donors for Campaign Contributions Bill Passed - House (94 - 54)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/31 HB 5440 Establishes a 5 Percent Fee on Satellite TV Companies Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 27)
5/31 SB 1064 Prohibits Private Security Services in Detention Centers Bill Failed - House (57 - 58)
5/31 SB 956 Regulates Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Loans and Lenders Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
5/31 AB 2312 Regulations for Marijuana Dispensaries Bill Passed - House (41 - 30)
5/30 SB 3442 Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags Bill Passed - House (72 - 44)
5/30 AB 1450 Prohibits Discrimination Against Unemployed Workers Bill Passed - House (51 - 26)
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 1534 Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Dealers to Label Used Vehicles Bill Passed - House (42 - 32)
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 A 2162 Increases Minimum Wage Bill Passed - House (46 - 33)
5/24 S Amdt 2107 Authorizes Import of FDA-Approved Drugs from Canada Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 54)
5/24 A 1238 Requires Copy Machine Hard Drives to be Erased Before Being Exchanged Bill Passed - House (51 - 28)
5/22 HB 322 Repeals Limits on Credit Card Interest Rates for Certain Banks Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 30)
5/16 HB 322 Repeals Limits on Credit Card Interest Rates for Certain Banks Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14)
5/16 HB 510 Repeals the Corporate Franchise Tax Bill Passed - House (75 - 23)
5/15 HR 2072 Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 20)
5/15 HR 2072 Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 20)
5/15 HB 3859 Requires Publication of Reduced Tax Rates under the EDGE Program Bill Passed - House (84 - 26)
5/10 SB 205 Requires Manufactured Home Community Owners to Explain Rent Increases Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 9)
5/09 HR 2072 Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (330 - 93)
5/09 HR 2072 Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (330 - 93)
5/08 HB 5556 Requires Corporations to Identify Top Donors for Campaign Contributions Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
5/08 HB 5556 Requires Corporations to Identify Top Donors for Campaign Contributions Bill Passed - House (94 - 54)

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