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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Dec. 13, 2012 MI SB 865 Authorizes Local Officials to Solve Fiscal Crisis Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 15)
Dec. 12, 2012 MI SB 865 Authorizes Local Officials to Solve Fiscal Crisis Bill Passed - House (64 - 45)
Nov. 29, 2012 NJ S 2 Requires Certain Municipalities to Merge Public Services Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 9)
Oct. 18, 2012 NJ AR 86 Opposes the U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Citizens United Versus Federal Elections Commission Resolution Passed - House (49 - 23)
June 30, 2012 PA HB 254 Expands Use of Red-Light Cameras Concurrence Vote Passed - House (113 - 72)
June 30, 2012 PA SB 1263 Prohibits Gas Drilling in Certain Areas Bill Passed - House (123 - 74)
June 29, 2012 PA HB 254 Expands Use of Red-Light Cameras Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 15)
June 28, 2012 PA HB 1307 Authorizes State Control of Financially Distressed Schools Concurrence Vote Passed - House (106 - 95)
June 19, 2012 PA HB 1307 Authorizes State Control of Financially Distressed Schools Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 21)
June 19, 2012 National HR 2578 Conservation and Economic Growth Act Bill Passed - House (232 - 188)
June 18, 2012 NC HB 7 Authorizes Community Colleges to Opt Out of Federal Loan Program Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 16)
June 14, 2012 NC HB 7 Authorizes Community Colleges to Opt Out of Federal Loan Program Veto Override Passed - House (71 - 46)
June 12, 2012 NC HB 819 Requirements for Calculating Sea Level Rise Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 12)
June 6, 2012 PA SB 1310 Authorizes Repayment of Unemployment Debt to the Federal Government Concurrence Vote Passed - House (129 - 67)
June 5, 2012 PA SB 1310 Authorizes Repayment of Unemployment Debt to the Federal Government Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 19)
May 31, 2012 IL SB 3442 Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 15)
May 30, 2012 IL SB 3442 Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags Bill Passed - House (72 - 44)
May 9, 2012 IA SF 2315 Amends the Mental Health and Disability Services Program Conference Report Adopted - House (66 - 31)
May 2, 2012 AZ HCR 2004 Establishes State Sovereignty Over Certain Natural Resources Concurrence Vote Passed - House (38 - 20)
April 30, 2012 AZ HCR 2004 Establishes State Sovereignty Over Certain Natural Resources Resolution Passed - Senate (16 - 14)
April 27, 2012 CO SM 3 Urges Congress to Authorize Religious Exemptions to Providing Birth Control Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 20)
April 25, 2012 AZ SB 1332 Requires the Federal Government to Give Back Land to Arizona Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (19 - 9)
April 24, 2012 AZ SB 1182 Prohibits Enforcement of Certain Provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 8)
April 23, 2012 AZ SB 1332 Requires the Federal Government to Give Back Land to Arizona Bill Passed - House (35 - 15)
April 19, 2012 AZ SB 1182 Prohibits Enforcement of Certain Provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act Bill Passed - House (34 - 22)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/13 SB 865 Authorizes Local Officials to Solve Fiscal Crisis Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 15)
12/12 SB 865 Authorizes Local Officials to Solve Fiscal Crisis Bill Passed - House (64 - 45)
11/29 S 2 Requires Certain Municipalities to Merge Public Services Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 9)
10/18 AR 86 Opposes the U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Citizens United Versus Federal Elections Commission Resolution Passed - House (49 - 23)
6/30 HB 254 Expands Use of Red-Light Cameras Concurrence Vote Passed - House (113 - 72)
6/30 SB 1263 Prohibits Gas Drilling in Certain Areas Bill Passed - House (123 - 74)
6/29 HB 254 Expands Use of Red-Light Cameras Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 15)
6/28 HB 1307 Authorizes State Control of Financially Distressed Schools Concurrence Vote Passed - House (106 - 95)
6/19 HB 1307 Authorizes State Control of Financially Distressed Schools Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 21)
6/19 HR 2578 Conservation and Economic Growth Act Bill Passed - House (232 - 188)
6/18 HB 7 Authorizes Community Colleges to Opt Out of Federal Loan Program Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 16)
6/14 HB 7 Authorizes Community Colleges to Opt Out of Federal Loan Program Veto Override Passed - House (71 - 46)
6/12 HB 819 Requirements for Calculating Sea Level Rise Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 12)
6/06 SB 1310 Authorizes Repayment of Unemployment Debt to the Federal Government Concurrence Vote Passed - House (129 - 67)
6/05 SB 1310 Authorizes Repayment of Unemployment Debt to the Federal Government Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 19)
5/31 SB 3442 Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 15)
5/30 SB 3442 Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags Bill Passed - House (72 - 44)
5/09 SF 2315 Amends the Mental Health and Disability Services Program Conference Report Adopted - House (66 - 31)
5/02 HCR 2004 Establishes State Sovereignty Over Certain Natural Resources Concurrence Vote Passed - House (38 - 20)
4/30 HCR 2004 Establishes State Sovereignty Over Certain Natural Resources Resolution Passed - Senate (16 - 14)
4/27 SM 3 Urges Congress to Authorize Religious Exemptions to Providing Birth Control Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 20)
4/25 SB 1332 Requires the Federal Government to Give Back Land to Arizona Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (19 - 9)
4/24 SB 1182 Prohibits Enforcement of Certain Provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 8)
4/23 SB 1332 Requires the Federal Government to Give Back Land to Arizona Bill Passed - House (35 - 15)
4/19 SB 1182 Prohibits Enforcement of Certain Provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act Bill Passed - House (34 - 22)

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