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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2012 | MS | HB 211 | Authorizes Certian Officials to Hire Their Own Lawyers | Conference Report Adopted - House (63 - 56) |
| April 26, 2012 | TN | SJR 710 | Amends Judicial Appointment Process | Joint Resolution Passed - House (70 - 27) |
| April 26, 2012 | CO | SB 2 | Authorizes Civil Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| April 26, 2012 | MO | HB 1540 | Prohibits Employees from Suing Co-Workers for Job Injuries | Bill Passed - House (99 - 47) |
| April 26, 2012 | National | S 1925 | Reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act | Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 31) |
| April 23, 2012 | TN | SJR 710 | Amends Judicial Appointment Process | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (22 - 9) |
| April 19, 2012 | CT | SB 245 | Authorizes People to Record Police Officers | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
| April 11, 2012 | ME | LD 1810 | Regulatory Takings | Bill Passed - House (74 - 72) |
| April 9, 2012 | AZ | HB 2199 | Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (39 - 15) |
| April 5, 2012 | CO | HB 1271 | Repeals Direct Filing of Juveniles by Prosecutors | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| April 3, 2012 | AZ | HB 2199 | Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9) |
| April 3, 2012 | AL | SB 396 | Compensation to Bridget Lee for Wrongful Incarceration | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| March 28, 2012 | ID | H 695 | Establishes a Legislative Legal Defense Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| March 28, 2012 | ID | H 660 | Amends the Judicial Retirement Fund | Bill Passed - House (46 - 22) |
| March 26, 2012 | ID | H 695 | Establishes a Legislative Legal Defense Fund | Bill Passed - House (53 - 16) |
| March 21, 2012 | IL | HB 3944 | Authorizing the Recording of Police | Bill Failed - House (45 - 59) |
| March 19, 2012 | CO | HB 1271 | Repeals Direct Filing of Juveniles by Prosecutors | Bill Passed - House (45 - 20) |
| March 15, 2012 | KY | SB 18 | Amends Redistricting Requirements | Amendment Adopted - Senate (27 - 11) |
| March 15, 2012 | ID | S 1358 | Amends Bullying Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| March 8, 2012 | MO | HB 1219 | Workplace Discrimination Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 8) |
| March 7, 2012 | FL | HB 971 | Amends Process of Judiciary Appointment | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| March 7, 2012 | MO | SB 572 | Amends Worker's Compensation | Bill Passed - House (87 - 68) |
| March 6, 2012 | AZ | SB 1359 | Prohibits Wrongful Birth Lawsuits | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9) |
| March 5, 2012 | IA | SF 2304 | Requires DNA Samples from all Individuals Convicted of Certain Misdemeanors | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
| March 1, 2012 | FL | HB 1209 | Prohibits Courts from Basing Decisions on Foreign Laws | Bill Passed - House (92 - 24) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/01 | HB 211 | Authorizes Certian Officials to Hire Their Own Lawyers | Conference Report Adopted - House (63 - 56) |
| 4/26 | SJR 710 | Amends Judicial Appointment Process | Joint Resolution Passed - House (70 - 27) |
| 4/26 | SB 2 | Authorizes Civil Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 4/26 | HB 1540 | Prohibits Employees from Suing Co-Workers for Job Injuries | Bill Passed - House (99 - 47) |
| 4/26 | S 1925 | Reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act | Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 31) |
| 4/23 | SJR 710 | Amends Judicial Appointment Process | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (22 - 9) |
| 4/19 | SB 245 | Authorizes People to Record Police Officers | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
| 4/11 | LD 1810 | Regulatory Takings | Bill Passed - House (74 - 72) |
| 4/09 | HB 2199 | Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (39 - 15) |
| 4/05 | HB 1271 | Repeals Direct Filing of Juveniles by Prosecutors | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| 4/03 | HB 2199 | Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9) |
| 4/03 | SB 396 | Compensation to Bridget Lee for Wrongful Incarceration | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 3/28 | H 695 | Establishes a Legislative Legal Defense Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| 3/28 | H 660 | Amends the Judicial Retirement Fund | Bill Passed - House (46 - 22) |
| 3/26 | H 695 | Establishes a Legislative Legal Defense Fund | Bill Passed - House (53 - 16) |
| 3/21 | HB 3944 | Authorizing the Recording of Police | Bill Failed - House (45 - 59) |
| 3/19 | HB 1271 | Repeals Direct Filing of Juveniles by Prosecutors | Bill Passed - House (45 - 20) |
| 3/15 | SB 18 | Amends Redistricting Requirements | Amendment Adopted - Senate (27 - 11) |
| 3/15 | S 1358 | Amends Bullying Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| 3/08 | HB 1219 | Workplace Discrimination Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 8) |
| 3/07 | HB 971 | Amends Process of Judiciary Appointment | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| 3/07 | SB 572 | Amends Worker's Compensation | Bill Passed - House (87 - 68) |
| 3/06 | SB 1359 | Prohibits Wrongful Birth Lawsuits | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9) |
| 3/05 | SF 2304 | Requires DNA Samples from all Individuals Convicted of Certain Misdemeanors | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
| 3/01 | HB 1209 | Prohibits Courts from Basing Decisions on Foreign Laws | Bill Passed - House (92 - 24) |