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
April 14, 2012 ME LD 1913 Worker's Compensation Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)
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 4, 2012 LA HB 974 Amends Teacher Tenure Policy Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 16)
April 3, 2012 AZ HB 2199 Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9)
March 30, 2012 KY SB 3 Limits Over-the-Counter Purchases of Cold Medicine Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 8)
March 19, 2012 SD SB 157 Prohibits Cities From Limiting Outdoor Digital Billboards Veto Override Passed - Senate (26 - 7)
March 14, 2012 MS SB 2576 Amends Worker's Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 13)
March 14, 2012 MS SB 2576 Amends Worker's Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 13)
March 12, 2012 AZ SB 1388 Job Training for Unemployed Individuals Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 9)
March 9, 2012 IN HB 1149 Prohibits Smoking in Public Places Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 22)
March 9, 2012 FL HB 1205 Authorizes Random Drug Tests of State Employees Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 14)
March 8, 2012 MO HB 1219 Workplace Discrimination Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 8)
March 8, 2012 AZ SB 1338 Requires Online Retailers to Pay Sales Taxes Bill Failed - Senate (8 - 20)
March 7, 2012 GA SB 460 Exempts Religious Employers from Insurance Requirements for Coverage of Contraception Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 15)
March 7, 2012 GA SB 469 Prohibits Picketing in Certain Circumstances Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 18)
March 7, 2012 GA SB 469 Prohibits Picketing in Certain Circumstances Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 18)
Feb. 29, 2012 IN HB 1149 Prohibits Smoking in Public Places Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21)
Feb. 28, 2012 AZ SB 1365 Authorizes religious objections by professionals Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9)
Feb. 28, 2012 AZ SB 1486 Prohibits Public Employers from Providing Compensation for Union Activities Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 11)
Feb. 28, 2012 AZ SB 1336 Limiting Manufacturer Eligibility for Punitive Damages Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11)
Feb. 27, 2012 SD HB 1234 Eliminates Teacher Tenure Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12)
Feb. 27, 2012 MN HF 1870 Authorizes School Districts to Dismiss Teachers Based on Performance Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 26)
Feb. 23, 2012 KS HCR 5007 Authorizes Kansas to Determine Its Health Care Policies Bill Failed - Senate (26 - 14)
Feb. 23, 2012 KY SB 151 Authorizes Casinos Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 21)
Feb. 21, 2012 CO SB 3 Limits Employers' Use Of Credit Histories Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
Feb. 17, 2012 GA SB 362 Authorizes the Recovery and Sale of Deadhead Logs Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 12)
Feb. 16, 2012 AZ SB 1484 Prohibits Certain Deductions from Public Employee Paychecks Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11)
Feb. 16, 2012 MO SB 572 Amends Worker's Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8)
Feb. 14, 2012 VA SB 438 Amends Teacher Contracts Bill Failed - Senate (18 - 20)
Feb. 13, 2012 NM SB 9 Changes Corporate Income Tax Rates and Filing Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 13)
Feb. 8, 2012 MO SB 592 Limits Punitive Damages for Workplace Discrimination Lawsuits Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8)
Jan. 23, 2012 IN SB 269 Prohibits Employers from Requiring Employees to Join or Pay Unions Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 22)
Jan. 23, 2012 IN SB 269 Prohibits Employers from Requiring Employees to Join or Pay Unions Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 22)
Jan. 23, 2012 IN SB 170 Nepotism and Conflicts of Interest in Local Government Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 11)
Jan. 23, 2012 IN SB 170 Nepotism and Conflicts of Interest in Local Government Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 11)
Jan. 9, 2012 NJ S 3172 Authorizes Direct Shipping By Local and Out-of-State Wineries Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 9)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/14 LD 1913 Worker's Compensation Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)
4/12 SB 3345 Limits the Number of Foreign Nationals that May Work in a Charter School Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
4/04 HB 974 Amends Teacher Tenure Policy Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 16)
4/03 HB 2199 Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9)
3/30 SB 3 Limits Over-the-Counter Purchases of Cold Medicine Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 8)
3/19 SB 157 Prohibits Cities From Limiting Outdoor Digital Billboards Veto Override Passed - Senate (26 - 7)
3/14 SB 2576 Amends Worker's Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 13)
3/14 SB 2576 Amends Worker's Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 13)
3/12 SB 1388 Job Training for Unemployed Individuals Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 9)
3/09 HB 1149 Prohibits Smoking in Public Places Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 22)
3/09 HB 1205 Authorizes Random Drug Tests of State Employees Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 14)
3/08 HB 1219 Workplace Discrimination Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 8)
3/08 SB 1338 Requires Online Retailers to Pay Sales Taxes Bill Failed - Senate (8 - 20)
3/07 SB 460 Exempts Religious Employers from Insurance Requirements for Coverage of Contraception Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 15)
3/07 SB 469 Prohibits Picketing in Certain Circumstances Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 18)
3/07 SB 469 Prohibits Picketing in Certain Circumstances Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 18)
2/29 HB 1149 Prohibits Smoking in Public Places Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21)
2/28 SB 1365 Authorizes religious objections by professionals Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9)
2/28 SB 1486 Prohibits Public Employers from Providing Compensation for Union Activities Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 11)
2/28 SB 1336 Limiting Manufacturer Eligibility for Punitive Damages Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11)
2/27 HB 1234 Eliminates Teacher Tenure Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12)
2/27 HF 1870 Authorizes School Districts to Dismiss Teachers Based on Performance Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 26)
2/23 HCR 5007 Authorizes Kansas to Determine Its Health Care Policies Bill Failed - Senate (26 - 14)
2/23 SB 151 Authorizes Casinos Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 21)
2/21 SB 3 Limits Employers' Use Of Credit Histories Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
2/17 SB 362 Authorizes the Recovery and Sale of Deadhead Logs Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 12)
2/16 SB 1484 Prohibits Certain Deductions from Public Employee Paychecks Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11)
2/16 SB 572 Amends Worker's Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8)
2/14 SB 438 Amends Teacher Contracts Bill Failed - Senate (18 - 20)
2/13 SB 9 Changes Corporate Income Tax Rates and Filing Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 13)
2/08 SB 592 Limits Punitive Damages for Workplace Discrimination Lawsuits Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8)
1/23 SB 269 Prohibits Employers from Requiring Employees to Join or Pay Unions Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 22)
1/23 SB 269 Prohibits Employers from Requiring Employees to Join or Pay Unions Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 22)
1/23 SB 170 Nepotism and Conflicts of Interest in Local Government Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 11)
1/23 SB 170 Nepotism and Conflicts of Interest in Local Government Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 11)
1/09 S 3172 Authorizes Direct Shipping By Local and Out-of-State Wineries Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 9)

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