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
April 20, 2012 KY HB 1 Requires Use of Prescription Monitoring System by Physicians Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12)
April 19, 2012 CT SB 245 Authorizes People to Record Police Officers Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11)
April 18, 2012 NY S 1707A Authorizes Professional Mixed Martial Arts Events Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 14)
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 TN SB 3345 Limits the Number of Foreign Nationals that May Work in a Charter School Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
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 9, 2012 CO SB 15 College Tuition Rates for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14)
April 9, 2012 LA SB 303 Limits Gun Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6)
April 5, 2012 MN HF 2738 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 29)
April 5, 2012 AZ HB 2780 Exempts Ranch Dogs from Animal Cruelty Laws Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13)
April 4, 2012 AZ HB 2434 Requires Federal Agents to Notify Local Law Enforcement Prior to Taking Action Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8)
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 30, 2012 KY SB 3 Limits Over-the-Counter Purchases of Cold Medicine Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 8)
March 29, 2012 MO SB 749 Authorizes Employers to Exempt Contraception from Healthcare Coverage (26 - 5)
March 29, 2012 MO SB 749 Authorizes Employers to Exempt Contraception from Healthcare Coverage (26 - 5)
March 28, 2012 ID S 1256 Authorizes the Auction of Big-Game Tags Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (19 - 16)
March 28, 2012 AZ HB 2625 Authorizes Employers to Refuse to Provide Coverage for Contraception Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 17)
March 28, 2012 AZ HB 2625 Authorizes Employers to Refuse to Provide Coverage for Contraception Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 17)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/20 HB 1 Requires Use of Prescription Monitoring System by Physicians Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12)
4/19 SB 245 Authorizes People to Record Police Officers Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11)
4/18 S 1707A Authorizes Professional Mixed Martial Arts Events Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 14)
4/12 HB 2625 Authorizes Employers to Refuse to Provide Coverage for Contraception Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13)
4/12 HB 2625 Authorizes Employers to Refuse to Provide Coverage for Contraception Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13)
4/12 HB 2729 Authorizes Guns in Certain Public Buildings Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11)
4/12 HB 2729 Authorizes Guns in Certain Public Buildings Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11)
4/12 SB 3345 Limits the Number of Foreign Nationals that May Work in a Charter School Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
4/11 LB 599 Prenatal Care for Children of Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15)
4/11 LB 599 Prenatal Care for Children of Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15)
4/11 LB 599 Prenatal Care for Children of Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15)
4/10 HB 921 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14)
4/09 SB 15 College Tuition Rates for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14)
4/09 SB 303 Limits Gun Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6)
4/05 HF 2738 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 29)
4/05 HB 2780 Exempts Ranch Dogs from Animal Cruelty Laws Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13)
4/04 HB 2434 Requires Federal Agents to Notify Local Law Enforcement Prior to Taking Action Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8)
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)
3/30 SB 3 Limits Over-the-Counter Purchases of Cold Medicine Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 8)
3/29 SB 749 Authorizes Employers to Exempt Contraception from Healthcare Coverage (26 - 5)
3/29 SB 749 Authorizes Employers to Exempt Contraception from Healthcare Coverage (26 - 5)
3/28 S 1256 Authorizes the Auction of Big-Game Tags Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (19 - 16)
3/28 HB 2625 Authorizes Employers to Refuse to Provide Coverage for Contraception Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 17)
3/28 HB 2625 Authorizes Employers to Refuse to Provide Coverage for Contraception Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 17)

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