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 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)

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