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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 20, 2012 | KY | HB 1 | Requires Use of Prescription Monitoring System by Physicians | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| April 20, 2012 | CT | HB 5312 | Authorizes Day Care and Personal Care Workers to Join Unions | Bill Passed - House (84 - 57) |
| April 19, 2012 | AZ | HB 2625 | Authorizes Employers to Refuse to Provide Coverage for Contraception | Conference Report Adopted - House (36 - 21) |
| April 19, 2012 | AZ | HB 2625 | Authorizes Employers to Refuse to Provide Coverage for Contraception | Conference Report Adopted - House (36 - 21) |
| April 19, 2012 | AZ | SB 1182 | Prohibits Enforcement of Certain Provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act | Bill Passed - House (34 - 22) |
| April 19, 2012 | CT | SB 245 | Authorizes People to Record Police Officers | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
| April 19, 2012 | MO | HB 1860 | Prohibits Undisclosed Recording of Livestock | Bill Passed - House (108 - 32) |
| April 19, 2012 | AL | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Bill Passed - House (64 - 34) |
| April 18, 2012 | NY | S 1707A | Authorizes Professional Mixed Martial Arts Events | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 14) |
| April 18, 2012 | CO | HB 1048 | Repeals State Background Checks for Gun Buyers | Bill Passed - House (37 - 28) |
| April 18, 2012 | TN | HB 3517 | Expands Definition of Offense Against Fetuses | Bill Passed - House (80 - 18) |
| April 16, 2012 | TN | SB 3345 | Limits the Number of Foreign Nationals that May Work in a Charter School | Bill Passed - House (63 - 29) |
| April 12, 2012 | AZ | HB 2625 | Authorizes Employers to Refuse to Provide Coverage for Contraception | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13) |
| April 12, 2012 | AZ | HB 2625 | Authorizes Employers to Refuse to Provide Coverage for Contraception | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13) |
| April 12, 2012 | AZ | HB 2729 | Authorizes Guns in Certain Public Buildings | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| April 12, 2012 | AZ | HB 2729 | Authorizes Guns in Certain Public Buildings | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| April 12, 2012 | CA | AB 2127 | Authorizes Work Release for Certain Offenders | Bill Passed - House (48 - 24) |
| April 12, 2012 | TN | SB 3345 | Limits the Number of Foreign Nationals that May Work in a Charter School | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13) |
| April 11, 2012 | AZ | HB 2780 | Exempts Ranch Dogs from Animal Cruelty Laws | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (42 - 15) |
| April 11, 2012 | NE | LB 599 | Prenatal Care for Children of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15) |
| April 11, 2012 | NE | LB 599 | Prenatal Care for Children of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15) |
| April 11, 2012 | NE | LB 599 | Prenatal Care for Children of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15) |
| April 10, 2012 | MS | HB 921 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14) |
| April 10, 2012 | MS | SB 2771 | Expands Penalties for Child Homicide | Bill Passed - House (83 - 34) |
| April 9, 2012 | AZ | HB 2199 | Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (39 - 15) |