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 30, 2012 IL SB 3442 Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags Bill Passed - House (72 - 44)
May 30, 2012 CA SB 1234 Establishes Retirement Program for Private Sector Employees Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
May 30, 2012 CA AB 1450 Prohibits Discrimination Against Unemployed Workers Bill Passed - House (51 - 26)
May 30, 2012 CA SB 1054 Requires Notifying Property Owners Prior to Hydraulic Fracturing Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 18)
May 29, 2012 IL SB 2194 Increases Cigarette Tax Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 27)
May 29, 2012 CA AB 1447 Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Sellers to Provide a Limited Warranty Bill Passed - House (49 - 25)
May 29, 2012 CA AB 1534 Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Dealers to Label Used Vehicles Bill Passed - House (42 - 32)
May 25, 2012 IL SB 2194 Increases Cigarette Tax Bill Passed - House (60 - 52)
May 24, 2012 NJ A 2162 Increases Minimum Wage Bill Passed - House (46 - 33)
May 24, 2012 NJ A 2162 Increases Minimum Wage Bill Passed - House (46 - 33)
May 24, 2012 NJ A 1238 Requires Copy Machine Hard Drives to be Erased Before Being Exchanged Bill Passed - House (51 - 28)
May 16, 2012 AL HB 658 Amends Immigration Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - House (67 - 37)
May 16, 2012 NH HB 1607 Establishes a Tax Credit for Businesses that Donate to Certain Scholarship Funds Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 7)
May 16, 2012 AL HB 658 Amends Immigration Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7)
May 16, 2012 MD SB 1301 Amends Teacher Pension Funding Bill Passed - House (86 - 51)
May 16, 2012 OH HB 510 Repeals the Corporate Franchise Tax Bill Passed - House (75 - 23)
May 15, 2012 IL HB 3859 Requires Publication of Reduced Tax Rates under the EDGE Program Bill Passed - House (84 - 26)
May 15, 2012 NY A 9148 Increases Minimum Wage Bill Passed - House (98 - 49)
May 15, 2012 MD SB 1301 Amends Teacher Pension Funding Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 13)
May 10, 2012 LA SB 740 Limits Cost of Living Adjustments for Pensions Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
May 10, 2012 DE SB 205 Requires Manufactured Home Community Owners to Explain Rent Increases Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 9)
May 8, 2012 CT HB 5556 Requires Corporations to Identify Top Donors for Campaign Contributions Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
May 8, 2012 CT HB 5556 Requires Corporations to Identify Top Donors for Campaign Contributions Bill Passed - House (94 - 54)
May 7, 2012 IA HF 2475 Reduces Certain Business Property Taxes Bill Passed - House (71 - 26)
May 3, 2012 MN HF 2337 Amends Property Taxes Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 25)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/30 SB 3442 Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags Bill Passed - House (72 - 44)
5/30 SB 1234 Establishes Retirement Program for Private Sector Employees Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
5/30 AB 1450 Prohibits Discrimination Against Unemployed Workers Bill Passed - House (51 - 26)
5/30 SB 1054 Requires Notifying Property Owners Prior to Hydraulic Fracturing Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 18)
5/29 SB 2194 Increases Cigarette Tax Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 27)
5/29 AB 1447 Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Sellers to Provide a Limited Warranty Bill Passed - House (49 - 25)
5/29 AB 1534 Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Dealers to Label Used Vehicles Bill Passed - House (42 - 32)
5/25 SB 2194 Increases Cigarette Tax Bill Passed - House (60 - 52)
5/24 A 2162 Increases Minimum Wage Bill Passed - House (46 - 33)
5/24 A 2162 Increases Minimum Wage Bill Passed - House (46 - 33)
5/24 A 1238 Requires Copy Machine Hard Drives to be Erased Before Being Exchanged Bill Passed - House (51 - 28)
5/16 HB 658 Amends Immigration Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - House (67 - 37)
5/16 HB 1607 Establishes a Tax Credit for Businesses that Donate to Certain Scholarship Funds Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 7)
5/16 HB 658 Amends Immigration Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7)
5/16 SB 1301 Amends Teacher Pension Funding Bill Passed - House (86 - 51)
5/16 HB 510 Repeals the Corporate Franchise Tax Bill Passed - House (75 - 23)
5/15 HB 3859 Requires Publication of Reduced Tax Rates under the EDGE Program Bill Passed - House (84 - 26)
5/15 A 9148 Increases Minimum Wage Bill Passed - House (98 - 49)
5/15 SB 1301 Amends Teacher Pension Funding Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 13)
5/10 SB 740 Limits Cost of Living Adjustments for Pensions Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
5/10 SB 205 Requires Manufactured Home Community Owners to Explain Rent Increases Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 9)
5/08 HB 5556 Requires Corporations to Identify Top Donors for Campaign Contributions Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
5/08 HB 5556 Requires Corporations to Identify Top Donors for Campaign Contributions Bill Passed - House (94 - 54)
5/07 HF 2475 Reduces Certain Business Property Taxes Bill Passed - House (71 - 26)
5/03 HF 2337 Amends Property Taxes Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 25)

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