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
June 11, 2012 RI H 7909 Requires State Health Laws to Comply with the Affordable Care Act Bill Passed - House (56 - 9)
June 7, 2012 National HR 436 Repeals Excise Tax on Medical Devices Bill Passed - House (270 - 146)
June 7, 2012 MI HB 5223 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - House (71 - 37)
June 6, 2012 NH HB 1490 Authorizes New Hamshire to Leave the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Conference Report Adopted - House (211 - 74)
June 6, 2012 NH HB 1490 Authorizes New Hamshire to Leave the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 6)
June 6, 2012 NH SB 406 Authorizes Early Offer Alternative to Medical Injury Claims Conference Report Adopted - House (220 - 141)
June 5, 2012 MA S 2270 Reduces Health Care Spending Bill Passed - House (148 - 7)
May 31, 2012 IL SB 1566 Increases License Plate Fees Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (33 - 21)
May 31, 2012 IL SB 3442 Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 15)
May 31, 2012 IL HB 1447 Pension Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24)
May 31, 2012 IL SB 1566 Increases License Plate Fees Bill Passed - House (61 - 56)
May 31, 2012 IL SB 2621 Amends the Department of Corrections' Early Release Program Bill Passed - House (68 - 50)
May 31, 2012 CA SB 1506 Reduces Charges for Possession of Controlled Substances Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 24)
May 31, 2012 NJ S 1599 Amends Surrogacy Laws Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11)
May 30, 2012 IL SB 3442 Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags Bill Passed - House (72 - 44)
May 30, 2012 CA SB 1172 Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
May 29, 2012 IL SB 2194 Increases Cigarette Tax Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 27)
May 25, 2012 IL SB 2194 Increases Cigarette Tax Bill Passed - House (60 - 52)
May 24, 2012 IL SB 2840 Limits Medicaid Funding Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 13)
May 24, 2012 NJ S 1322 Requires Participation In the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Bill Passed - House (45 - 33)
May 24, 2012 National S Amdt 2153 Prohibits Increase in Interest Rates for Student Loans (Lamar Bill) Amendment Rejected - Senate (34 - 62)
May 24, 2012 IL SB 2840 Limits Medicaid Funding Bill Passed - House (94 - 22)
May 24, 2012 National S Amdt 2111 Prohibits Pharmaceutical Companies from Delaying the Release of Generic Drugs Amendment Rejected - Senate (28 - 67)
May 24, 2012 National S Amdt 2108 Prohibits FDA Approval of Genetically Engineered Fish Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 50)
May 24, 2012 National S Amdt 2108 Prohibits FDA Approval of Genetically Engineered Fish Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 50)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/11 H 7909 Requires State Health Laws to Comply with the Affordable Care Act Bill Passed - House (56 - 9)
6/07 HR 436 Repeals Excise Tax on Medical Devices Bill Passed - House (270 - 146)
6/07 HB 5223 Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - House (71 - 37)
6/06 HB 1490 Authorizes New Hamshire to Leave the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Conference Report Adopted - House (211 - 74)
6/06 HB 1490 Authorizes New Hamshire to Leave the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 6)
6/06 SB 406 Authorizes Early Offer Alternative to Medical Injury Claims Conference Report Adopted - House (220 - 141)
6/05 S 2270 Reduces Health Care Spending Bill Passed - House (148 - 7)
5/31 SB 1566 Increases License Plate Fees Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (33 - 21)
5/31 SB 3442 Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 15)
5/31 HB 1447 Pension Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24)
5/31 SB 1566 Increases License Plate Fees Bill Passed - House (61 - 56)
5/31 SB 2621 Amends the Department of Corrections' Early Release Program Bill Passed - House (68 - 50)
5/31 SB 1506 Reduces Charges for Possession of Controlled Substances Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 24)
5/31 S 1599 Amends Surrogacy Laws Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11)
5/30 SB 3442 Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags Bill Passed - House (72 - 44)
5/30 SB 1172 Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
5/29 SB 2194 Increases Cigarette Tax Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 27)
5/25 SB 2194 Increases Cigarette Tax Bill Passed - House (60 - 52)
5/24 SB 2840 Limits Medicaid Funding Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 13)
5/24 S 1322 Requires Participation In the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Bill Passed - House (45 - 33)
5/24 S Amdt 2153 Prohibits Increase in Interest Rates for Student Loans (Lamar Bill) Amendment Rejected - Senate (34 - 62)
5/24 SB 2840 Limits Medicaid Funding Bill Passed - House (94 - 22)
5/24 S Amdt 2111 Prohibits Pharmaceutical Companies from Delaying the Release of Generic Drugs Amendment Rejected - Senate (28 - 67)
5/24 S Amdt 2108 Prohibits FDA Approval of Genetically Engineered Fish Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 50)
5/24 S Amdt 2108 Prohibits FDA Approval of Genetically Engineered Fish Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 50)

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