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 24, 2012 IL SB 2840 Limits Medicaid Funding Bill Passed - House (94 - 22)
May 16, 2012 MD SB 1302 Increases Tax Rates for Certain Individuals Bill Passed - House (77 - 60)
May 15, 2012 LA HB 380 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - House (65 - 26)
May 15, 2012 MD SB 1302 Increases Tax Rates for Certain Individuals Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19)
May 9, 2012 National H Amdt 1096 Prohibits Use of Funds in Contravention with the Defense of Marriage Act Amendment Adopted - House (245 - 171)
May 3, 2012 CT HB 5312 Authorizes Day Care and Personal Care Workers to Join Unions Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14)
April 27, 2012 TN SB 3310 Requires Abstinence-Centered Sex Education in Schools Bill Passed - House (68 - 23)
April 26, 2012 TN HB 2566 Increases Kindergarten Age Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10)
April 26, 2012 CO SB 2 Authorizes Civil Unions Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
April 25, 2012 TN HB 2566 Increases Kindergarten Age Requirements Bill Passed - House (68 - 30)
April 20, 2012 CT HB 5312 Authorizes Day Care and Personal Care Workers to Join Unions Bill Passed - House (84 - 57)
April 18, 2012 AZ HB 2154 Requires Car Seats for Certain Children Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 10)
April 11, 2012 NE LB 599 Prenatal Care for Children of Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15)
April 11, 2012 NE LB 599 Prenatal Care for Children of Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15)
April 10, 2012 MS SB 2771 Expands Penalties for Child Homicide Bill Passed - House (83 - 34)
April 5, 2012 CO HB 1271 Repeals Direct Filing of Juveniles by Prosecutors Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)
April 5, 2012 MD HB 373 Raises the Dropout Age for Public School Students Bill Passed - House (88 - 49)
April 3, 2012 AZ HB 2348 Prohibits Cell Phone Use by Teens While Driving Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 11)
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 IL HB 5531 Limits Tuition Waivers for State University Employees Bill Failed - House (26 - 75)
March 27, 2012 GA HB 861 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 15)
March 21, 2012 NH HB 437 Repeals Same-Sex Marriage "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (211 - 116)
March 20, 2012 ID H 486 Prohibits Minors from Using Tanning Beds Bill Passed - House (39 - 30)
March 19, 2012 CO HB 1271 Repeals Direct Filing of Juveniles by Prosecutors Bill Passed - House (45 - 20)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/24 SB 2840 Limits Medicaid Funding Bill Passed - House (94 - 22)
5/16 SB 1302 Increases Tax Rates for Certain Individuals Bill Passed - House (77 - 60)
5/15 HB 380 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - House (65 - 26)
5/15 SB 1302 Increases Tax Rates for Certain Individuals Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19)
5/09 H Amdt 1096 Prohibits Use of Funds in Contravention with the Defense of Marriage Act Amendment Adopted - House (245 - 171)
5/03 HB 5312 Authorizes Day Care and Personal Care Workers to Join Unions Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14)
4/27 SB 3310 Requires Abstinence-Centered Sex Education in Schools Bill Passed - House (68 - 23)
4/26 HB 2566 Increases Kindergarten Age Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10)
4/26 SB 2 Authorizes Civil Unions Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
4/25 HB 2566 Increases Kindergarten Age Requirements Bill Passed - House (68 - 30)
4/20 HB 5312 Authorizes Day Care and Personal Care Workers to Join Unions Bill Passed - House (84 - 57)
4/18 HB 2154 Requires Car Seats for Certain Children Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 10)
4/11 LB 599 Prenatal Care for Children of Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15)
4/11 LB 599 Prenatal Care for Children of Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15)
4/10 SB 2771 Expands Penalties for Child Homicide Bill Passed - House (83 - 34)
4/05 HB 1271 Repeals Direct Filing of Juveniles by Prosecutors Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)
4/05 HB 373 Raises the Dropout Age for Public School Students Bill Passed - House (88 - 49)
4/03 HB 2348 Prohibits Cell Phone Use by Teens While Driving Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 11)
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 5531 Limits Tuition Waivers for State University Employees Bill Failed - House (26 - 75)
3/27 HB 861 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 15)
3/21 HB 437 Repeals Same-Sex Marriage "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (211 - 116)
3/20 H 486 Prohibits Minors from Using Tanning Beds Bill Passed - House (39 - 30)
3/19 HB 1271 Repeals Direct Filing of Juveniles by Prosecutors Bill Passed - House (45 - 20)

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