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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 12, 2012 | NC | HB 819 | Requirements for Calculating Sea Level Rise | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 12) |
| June 6, 2012 | NH | HB 1490 | Authorizes New Hamshire to Leave the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 6) |
| May 31, 2012 | IL | SB 3442 | Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 15) |
| May 31, 2012 | IL | SB 1566 | Increases License Plate Fees | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (33 - 21) |
| May 31, 2012 | IL | HB 1447 | Pension Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24) |
| May 31, 2012 | NJ | S 1599 | Amends Surrogacy Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11) |
| May 31, 2012 | CA | SB 1506 | Reduces Charges for Possession of Controlled Substances | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 24) |
| 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 24, 2012 | IL | SB 2840 | Limits Medicaid Funding | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 13) |
| 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 | 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) |
| 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 2107 | Authorizes Import of FDA-Approved Drugs from Canada | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 54) |
| May 22, 2012 | OH | HB 473 | Limits Water Withdrawal from the Great Lakes | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12) |
| May 15, 2012 | MA | S Amdt 125 | Requires Establishing a Single Payer Health Care System Benchmark | Amendment Rejected - Senate (15 - 22) |
| May 15, 2012 | MA | S Amdt 125 | Requires Establishing a Single Payer Health Care System Benchmark | Amendment Rejected - Senate (15 - 22) |
| May 10, 2012 | IL | SB 1313 | Limits Health Care Coverage for Retired State Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 20) |
| May 9, 2012 | RI | S 2555 A | Authorizes Medical Marijuana Dispensaries | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 3) |
| May 9, 2012 | RI | S 2555 A | Authorizes Medical Marijuana Dispensaries | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 3) |
| May 2, 2012 | CO | SB 117 | Establishes Limits for Driving Under the Influence of Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| May 1, 2012 | CT | HB 5021 | Authorizes the Sale of Alcohol on Sundays and Certain Holidays | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 6) |
| April 30, 2012 | AZ | HCR 2004 | Establishes State Sovereignty Over Certain Natural Resources | Resolution Passed - Senate (16 - 14) |
| April 27, 2012 | CO | SM 3 | Urges Congress to Authorize Religious Exemptions to Providing Birth Control | Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 20) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/12 | HB 819 | Requirements for Calculating Sea Level Rise | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 12) |
| 6/06 | HB 1490 | Authorizes New Hamshire to Leave the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 6) |
| 5/31 | SB 3442 | Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 15) |
| 5/31 | SB 1566 | Increases License Plate Fees | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (33 - 21) |
| 5/31 | HB 1447 | Pension Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24) |
| 5/31 | S 1599 | Amends Surrogacy Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11) |
| 5/31 | SB 1506 | Reduces Charges for Possession of Controlled Substances | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 24) |
| 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) |
| 5/24 | SB 2840 | Limits Medicaid Funding | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 13) |
| 5/24 | S Amdt 2153 | Prohibits Increase in Interest Rates for Student Loans (Lamar Bill) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (34 - 62) |
| 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) |
| 5/24 | S Amdt 2111 | Prohibits Pharmaceutical Companies from Delaying the Release of Generic Drugs | Amendment Rejected - Senate (28 - 67) |
| 5/24 | S Amdt 2107 | Authorizes Import of FDA-Approved Drugs from Canada | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 54) |
| 5/22 | HB 473 | Limits Water Withdrawal from the Great Lakes | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12) |
| 5/15 | S Amdt 125 | Requires Establishing a Single Payer Health Care System Benchmark | Amendment Rejected - Senate (15 - 22) |
| 5/15 | S Amdt 125 | Requires Establishing a Single Payer Health Care System Benchmark | Amendment Rejected - Senate (15 - 22) |
| 5/10 | SB 1313 | Limits Health Care Coverage for Retired State Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 20) |
| 5/09 | S 2555 A | Authorizes Medical Marijuana Dispensaries | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 3) |
| 5/09 | S 2555 A | Authorizes Medical Marijuana Dispensaries | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 3) |
| 5/02 | SB 117 | Establishes Limits for Driving Under the Influence of Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| 5/01 | HB 5021 | Authorizes the Sale of Alcohol on Sundays and Certain Holidays | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 6) |
| 4/30 | HCR 2004 | Establishes State Sovereignty Over Certain Natural Resources | Resolution Passed - Senate (16 - 14) |
| 4/27 | SM 3 | Urges Congress to Authorize Religious Exemptions to Providing Birth Control | Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 20) |