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 15, 2012 IL HB 3859 Requires Publication of Reduced Tax Rates under the EDGE Program Bill Passed - House (84 - 26)
May 10, 2012 MI SB 1067 Personal Property Taxes: Continuation of Existing Exemptions for 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 1069 Personal Property Taxes: Credit for New Industrial Personal Property Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
May 10, 2012 MI SB 1072 Personal Property Taxes: Credit for Loss of Personal Property Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)
May 8, 2012 IA SF 2344 Reduces Certain Business Property Taxes Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 23)
May 3, 2012 AZ HB 2815 Establishes Tax Credits for Certain Businesses Concurrence Vote Passed - House (39 - 16)
May 3, 2012 AZ HB 2815 Establishes Tax Credits for Certain Businesses Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 9)
April 19, 2012 National HR 9 Income Tax Deduction for Small Businesses Bill Passed - House (235 - 173)
April 16, 2012 National S 2230 Establishes a Minimum 30 Percent Tax Rate for High-Income Taxpayers Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 45)
April 11, 2012 WA HB 2565 Roll-Your-Own Cigarette Tax Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19)
April 11, 2012 WA HB 2565 Roll-Your-Own Cigarette Tax Requirements Bill Passed - House (66 - 32)
March 29, 2012 ID H 563 Reduces Income Tax Rates Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7)
March 29, 2012 National S 2204 Amends Energy-Related Tax Credits Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 47)
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 SC H 4894 Authorizes Income Tax Credit for Tuition Payments Bill Passed - House (62 - 38)
March 29, 2012 National H Con Res 112 Limits Federal Appropriations for Fiscal Years 2013-2022 ("Ryan Budget") Joint Resolution Passed - House (228 - 191)
March 28, 2012 NH H Amdt 917h Authorizing the Establishment of 4 Casinos Amendment Rejected - House (154 - 195)
March 27, 2012 LA HB 969 Establishes Tax Deductions for Donating to Scholarship Programs Bill Passed - House (66 - 37)
March 22, 2012 ID HJR 1 Requires a 2/3 Vote for Tax Increases Motion Rejected - House (37 - 33)
March 19, 2012 SD HB 1228 Tax Credits for Alternative Energy Projects Veto Override Failed - House (44 - 23)
March 15, 2012 MD SB 523 Increases State Income Tax Rates Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 20)
March 13, 2012 KS Goodman Amdt Eliminates Sales Tax on Food Amendment Adopted - House (76 - 44)
March 12, 2012 OK SB 1571 Repeals State Income Tax Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17)
March 8, 2012 AZ SB 1338 Requires Online Retailers to Pay Sales Taxes Bill Failed - Senate (8 - 20)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/15 HB 3859 Requires Publication of Reduced Tax Rates under the EDGE Program Bill Passed - House (84 - 26)
5/10 SB 1067 Personal Property Taxes: Continuation of Existing Exemptions for 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 1069 Personal Property Taxes: Credit for New Industrial Personal Property Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
5/10 SB 1072 Personal Property Taxes: Credit for Loss of Personal Property Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)
5/08 SF 2344 Reduces Certain Business Property Taxes Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 23)
5/03 HB 2815 Establishes Tax Credits for Certain Businesses Concurrence Vote Passed - House (39 - 16)
5/03 HB 2815 Establishes Tax Credits for Certain Businesses Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 9)
4/19 HR 9 Income Tax Deduction for Small Businesses Bill Passed - House (235 - 173)
4/16 S 2230 Establishes a Minimum 30 Percent Tax Rate for High-Income Taxpayers Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 45)
4/11 HB 2565 Roll-Your-Own Cigarette Tax Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19)
4/11 HB 2565 Roll-Your-Own Cigarette Tax Requirements Bill Passed - House (66 - 32)
3/29 H 563 Reduces Income Tax Rates Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7)
3/29 S 2204 Amends Energy-Related Tax Credits Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 47)
3/29 HB 1607 Establishes a Tax Credit for Businesses that Donate to Certain Scholarship Funds Bill Passed - House (173 - 127)
3/29 H 4894 Authorizes Income Tax Credit for Tuition Payments Bill Passed - House (62 - 38)
3/29 H Con Res 112 Limits Federal Appropriations for Fiscal Years 2013-2022 ("Ryan Budget") Joint Resolution Passed - House (228 - 191)
3/28 H Amdt 917h Authorizing the Establishment of 4 Casinos Amendment Rejected - House (154 - 195)
3/27 HB 969 Establishes Tax Deductions for Donating to Scholarship Programs Bill Passed - House (66 - 37)
3/22 HJR 1 Requires a 2/3 Vote for Tax Increases Motion Rejected - House (37 - 33)
3/19 HB 1228 Tax Credits for Alternative Energy Projects Veto Override Failed - House (44 - 23)
3/15 SB 523 Increases State Income Tax Rates Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 20)
3/13 Goodman Amdt Eliminates Sales Tax on Food Amendment Adopted - House (76 - 44)
3/12 SB 1571 Repeals State Income Tax Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17)
3/08 SB 1338 Requires Online Retailers to Pay Sales Taxes Bill Failed - Senate (8 - 20)

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