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:
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.
| Date | State | Bill No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 19, 2012 | CT | SB 245 | Authorizes People to Record Police Officers | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
| April 18, 2012 | CO | HB 1048 | Repeals State Background Checks for Gun Buyers | Bill Passed - House (37 - 28) |
| April 18, 2012 | TN | HB 3517 | Expands Definition of Offense Against Fetuses | Bill Passed - House (80 - 18) |
| April 12, 2012 | AZ | HB 2729 | Authorizes Guns in Certain Public Buildings | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| April 12, 2012 | AZ | HB 2729 | Authorizes Guns in Certain Public Buildings | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| April 12, 2012 | CA | AB 2127 | Authorizes Work Release for Certain Offenders | Bill Passed - House (48 - 24) |
| April 11, 2012 | CT | SB 280 | Repeals the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - House (86 - 62) |
| April 11, 2012 | ME | LD 1810 | Regulatory Takings | Bill Passed - House (74 - 72) |
| April 10, 2012 | MS | HB 921 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14) |
| April 10, 2012 | MS | SB 2771 | Expands Penalties for Child Homicide | Bill Passed - House (83 - 34) |
| April 9, 2012 | AZ | HB 2434 | Requires Federal Agents to Notify Local Law Enforcement Prior to Taking Action | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (38 - 17) |
| April 9, 2012 | AZ | HB 2199 | Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (39 - 15) |
| April 9, 2012 | AZ | HB 2199 | Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (39 - 15) |
| April 9, 2012 | LA | SB 303 | Limits Gun Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6) |
| April 5, 2012 | MN | HF 2738 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 29) |
| April 5, 2012 | CO | HB 1271 | Repeals Direct Filing of Juveniles by Prosecutors | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| April 4, 2012 | AZ | HB 2434 | Requires Federal Agents to Notify Local Law Enforcement Prior to Taking Action | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8) |
| April 4, 2012 | CT | SB 280 | Repeals the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| April 4, 2012 | CT | HJ 2 | Authorizes Absentee Ballots for Any Reason | Resolution Passed - House (97 - 50) |
| April 3, 2012 | MN | HF 2738 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Conference Report Adopted - House (72 - 57) |
| April 3, 2012 | AZ | HB 2199 | Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9) |
| April 3, 2012 | AZ | HB 2199 | Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9) |
| April 3, 2012 | AL | SB 63 | Authorizes Private Work-Oriented Rehbilitation Programs for Inmates | Bill Passed - House (73 - 22) |
| April 3, 2012 | AL | SB 396 | Compensation to Bridget Lee for Wrongful Incarceration | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| April 3, 2012 | IA | HF 2450 | Prohibits the Use of Traffic Cameras | Bill Passed - House (58 - 42) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/19 | SB 245 | Authorizes People to Record Police Officers | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
| 4/18 | HB 1048 | Repeals State Background Checks for Gun Buyers | Bill Passed - House (37 - 28) |
| 4/18 | HB 3517 | Expands Definition of Offense Against Fetuses | Bill Passed - House (80 - 18) |
| 4/12 | HB 2729 | Authorizes Guns in Certain Public Buildings | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| 4/12 | HB 2729 | Authorizes Guns in Certain Public Buildings | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| 4/12 | AB 2127 | Authorizes Work Release for Certain Offenders | Bill Passed - House (48 - 24) |
| 4/11 | SB 280 | Repeals the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - House (86 - 62) |
| 4/11 | LD 1810 | Regulatory Takings | Bill Passed - House (74 - 72) |
| 4/10 | HB 921 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14) |
| 4/10 | SB 2771 | Expands Penalties for Child Homicide | Bill Passed - House (83 - 34) |
| 4/09 | HB 2434 | Requires Federal Agents to Notify Local Law Enforcement Prior to Taking Action | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (38 - 17) |
| 4/09 | HB 2199 | Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (39 - 15) |
| 4/09 | HB 2199 | Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (39 - 15) |
| 4/09 | SB 303 | Limits Gun Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6) |
| 4/05 | HF 2738 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 29) |
| 4/05 | HB 1271 | Repeals Direct Filing of Juveniles by Prosecutors | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| 4/04 | HB 2434 | Requires Federal Agents to Notify Local Law Enforcement Prior to Taking Action | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8) |
| 4/04 | SB 280 | Repeals the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| 4/04 | HJ 2 | Authorizes Absentee Ballots for Any Reason | Resolution Passed - House (97 - 50) |
| 4/03 | HF 2738 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Conference Report Adopted - House (72 - 57) |
| 4/03 | HB 2199 | Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9) |
| 4/03 | HB 2199 | Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9) |
| 4/03 | SB 63 | Authorizes Private Work-Oriented Rehbilitation Programs for Inmates | Bill Passed - House (73 - 22) |
| 4/03 | SB 396 | Compensation to Bridget Lee for Wrongful Incarceration | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 4/03 | HF 2450 | Prohibits the Use of Traffic Cameras | Bill Passed - House (58 - 42) |