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 31, 2012 IL HB 1447 Pension Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24)
May 31, 2012 CA SB 956 Regulates Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Loans and Lenders Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
May 30, 2012 LA HB 61 Amends State Workers Pensions Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 8)
May 30, 2012 CA SB 1234 Establishes Retirement Program for Private Sector Employees Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
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 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 15, 2012 MD SB 1301 Amends Teacher Pension Funding Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 13)
May 10, 2012 DE SB 205 Requires Manufactured Home Community Owners to Explain Rent Increases Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 9)
May 10, 2012 LA SB 740 Limits Cost of Living Adjustments for Pensions Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
May 8, 2012 CT HB 5556 Requires Corporations to Identify Top Donors for Campaign Contributions Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
May 3, 2012 MN HF 2337 Amends Property Taxes Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 25)
May 3, 2012 MN SF 1694 Authorizes the Sale of Certain Fireworks Veto Override Failed - Senate (37 - 29)
May 3, 2012 AZ HB 2815 Establishes Tax Credits for Certain Businesses Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 9)
May 3, 2012 KS HB 2333 Amends State Pension System Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 8)
May 3, 2012 KS King Amendment Amends the State Retirement System for New Public Employees Amendment Rejected - Senate (20 - 20)
May 2, 2012 AL SB 513 Authorizes Charter Schools Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
May 1, 2012 CT HB 5021 Authorizes the Sale of Alcohol on Sundays and Certain Holidays Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 6)
May 1, 2012 CT SB 79 Prohibits Discrimination Against Unemployed Job Applicants Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5)
April 30, 2012 MS SB 2576 Amends worker's compensation Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 15)
April 30, 2012 MS SB 2576 Amends worker's compensation Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 15)
April 25, 2012 National S 1789 United States Postal Service Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 37)
April 24, 2012 MN SF 1694 Authorizes the Sale of Certain Fireworks Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (48 - 17)
April 18, 2012 OK HB 2155 Authorizes an Alternative Plan to the Worker's Compensation Program Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 17)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/31 HB 1447 Pension Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24)
5/31 SB 956 Regulates Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Loans and Lenders Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
5/30 HB 61 Amends State Workers Pensions Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 8)
5/30 SB 1234 Establishes Retirement Program for Private Sector Employees Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
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)
5/16 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)
5/15 SB 1301 Amends Teacher Pension Funding Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 13)
5/10 SB 205 Requires Manufactured Home Community Owners to Explain Rent Increases Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 9)
5/10 SB 740 Limits Cost of Living Adjustments for Pensions Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
5/08 HB 5556 Requires Corporations to Identify Top Donors for Campaign Contributions Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
5/03 HF 2337 Amends Property Taxes Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 25)
5/03 SF 1694 Authorizes the Sale of Certain Fireworks Veto Override Failed - Senate (37 - 29)
5/03 HB 2815 Establishes Tax Credits for Certain Businesses Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 9)
5/03 HB 2333 Amends State Pension System Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 8)
5/03 King Amendment Amends the State Retirement System for New Public Employees Amendment Rejected - Senate (20 - 20)
5/02 SB 513 Authorizes Charter Schools Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
5/01 HB 5021 Authorizes the Sale of Alcohol on Sundays and Certain Holidays Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 6)
5/01 SB 79 Prohibits Discrimination Against Unemployed Job Applicants Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5)
4/30 SB 2576 Amends worker's compensation Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 15)
4/30 SB 2576 Amends worker's compensation Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 15)
4/25 S 1789 United States Postal Service Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 37)
4/24 SF 1694 Authorizes the Sale of Certain Fireworks Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (48 - 17)
4/18 HB 2155 Authorizes an Alternative Plan to the Worker's Compensation Program Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 17)

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