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 22, 2012 | IL | SB 1808 | Authorizes Individuals to Record Law Enforcement Officers | Bill Passed - House (71 - 45) |
| May 22, 2012 | LA | HB 543 | Parole Eligibility for Nonviolent Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| May 21, 2012 | CA | SB 1221 | Prohibits the Use of Dogs to Hunt Bears or Bobcats | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| May 18, 2012 | National | H Amdt 1127 | Repeals Indefinite Military Detention Provisions | Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 238) |
| May 16, 2012 | AL | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (67 - 37) |
| May 16, 2012 | AL | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
| May 16, 2012 | National | HR 4970 | Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (222 - 205) |
| May 16, 2012 | National | HR 4970 | Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (222 - 205) |
| May 15, 2012 | LA | HB 380 | Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - House (65 - 26) |
| May 15, 2012 | LA | HB 380 | Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - House (65 - 26) |
| May 14, 2012 | LA | HB 1072 | Tax Incentives for a Franchise of the NBA | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| May 10, 2012 | MN | HF 2958 | Authorizes New Viking Stadium | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (38 - 28) |
| May 10, 2012 | OK | SB 1733 | Authorizes Open Carry of Firearms | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 10) |
| May 9, 2012 | MN | HF 2958 | Authorizes New Viking Stadium | Conference Report Adopted - House (71 - 60) |
| May 9, 2012 | National | H Amdt 1096 | Prohibits Use of Funds in Contravention with the Defense of Marriage Act | Amendment Adopted - House (245 - 171) |
| May 9, 2012 | RI | S 2555 A | Authorizes Medical Marijuana Dispensaries | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 3) |
| May 7, 2012 | MN | HF 1485 | Authorizes New Vikings Stadium | Bill Passed - House (73 - 58) |
| May 5, 2012 | CT | HB 5024 | Authorizes Election Day Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
| May 3, 2012 | CT | HB 5312 | Authorizes Day Care and Personal Care Workers to Join Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| May 3, 2012 | CA | AB 1527 | Prohibits Open Carry of Certain Unloaded Firearms | Bill Passed - House (44 - 29) |
| May 3, 2012 | CA | AB 1527 | Prohibits Open Carry of Certain Unloaded Firearms | Bill Passed - House (44 - 29) |
| May 2, 2012 | NH | HB 536 | Repeals License Requirement to Carry a Firearm | Bill Tabled - Senate (17 - 7) |
| May 2, 2012 | NH | HB 1383 | Prohibits In-State Tuition for Non-US Residents | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 5) |
| May 2, 2012 | CO | SB 117 | Establishes Limits for Driving Under the Influence of Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| April 30, 2012 | MN | HF 2795 | Expands Gambling | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (97 - 34) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/22 | SB 1808 | Authorizes Individuals to Record Law Enforcement Officers | Bill Passed - House (71 - 45) |
| 5/22 | HB 543 | Parole Eligibility for Nonviolent Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 5/21 | SB 1221 | Prohibits the Use of Dogs to Hunt Bears or Bobcats | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| 5/18 | H Amdt 1127 | Repeals Indefinite Military Detention Provisions | Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 238) |
| 5/16 | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (67 - 37) |
| 5/16 | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
| 5/16 | HR 4970 | Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (222 - 205) |
| 5/16 | HR 4970 | Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012 | Bill Passed - House (222 - 205) |
| 5/15 | HB 380 | Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - House (65 - 26) |
| 5/15 | HB 380 | Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - House (65 - 26) |
| 5/14 | HB 1072 | Tax Incentives for a Franchise of the NBA | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| 5/10 | HF 2958 | Authorizes New Viking Stadium | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (38 - 28) |
| 5/10 | SB 1733 | Authorizes Open Carry of Firearms | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 10) |
| 5/09 | HF 2958 | Authorizes New Viking Stadium | Conference Report Adopted - House (71 - 60) |
| 5/09 | H Amdt 1096 | Prohibits Use of Funds in Contravention with the Defense of Marriage Act | Amendment Adopted - House (245 - 171) |
| 5/09 | S 2555 A | Authorizes Medical Marijuana Dispensaries | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 3) |
| 5/07 | HF 1485 | Authorizes New Vikings Stadium | Bill Passed - House (73 - 58) |
| 5/05 | HB 5024 | Authorizes Election Day Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
| 5/03 | HB 5312 | Authorizes Day Care and Personal Care Workers to Join Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| 5/03 | AB 1527 | Prohibits Open Carry of Certain Unloaded Firearms | Bill Passed - House (44 - 29) |
| 5/03 | AB 1527 | Prohibits Open Carry of Certain Unloaded Firearms | Bill Passed - House (44 - 29) |
| 5/02 | HB 536 | Repeals License Requirement to Carry a Firearm | Bill Tabled - Senate (17 - 7) |
| 5/02 | HB 1383 | Prohibits In-State Tuition for Non-US Residents | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 5) |
| 5/02 | SB 117 | Establishes Limits for Driving Under the Influence of Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| 4/30 | HF 2795 | Expands Gambling | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (97 - 34) |