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 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)

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