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 11, 2012 WA HB 2127 Authorizes Supplemental Appropriations Bill Passed - House (64 - 34)
April 11, 2012 WA SB 5940 Amends Public School Employees Retirement Benefits Bill Passed - House (53 - 45)
April 11, 2012 WA SB 5940 Amends Public School Employees Retirement Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 20)
April 10, 2012 WA SB 6378 Amends State Employee Pension System (56 - 42)
April 10, 2012 HI SB 2115 Amends Charter School System Bill Passed - House (40 - 11)
April 10, 2012 WA SB 6378 Amends State Employee Pension System Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22)
April 10, 2012 AL HB 433 2012-2013 Budget Bill Passed - House (56 - 47)
April 10, 2012 CO SB 68 Prohibits Food with Trans Fat in Schools Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17)
April 9, 2012 AK SB 203 Establishes an Energy Assistance Program Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 4)
April 7, 2012 WA SB 6636 Requires a Balanced Budget Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 16)
March 29, 2012 GA HB 347 Reduces Unemployment Benefits Conference Report Adopted - House (98 - 60)
March 29, 2012 GA HB 347 Reduces Unemployment Benefits Conference Report Adopted - House (98 - 60)
March 29, 2012 GA HB 347 Reduces Unemployment Benefits Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 17)
March 29, 2012 GA HB 347 Reduces Unemployment Benefits Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 17)
March 29, 2012 GA HB 797 Establishes a State Charter School Commission Concurrence Vote Passed - House (117 - 55)
March 29, 2012 National H Con Res 112 Limits Federal Appropriations for Fiscal Years 2013-2022 ("Ryan Budget") Joint Resolution Passed - House (228 - 191)
March 28, 2012 AZ SB 1118 Appropriates Funds for Forest Restoration Bill Failed - House (18 - 40)
March 28, 2012 ID H 660 Amends the Judicial Retirement Fund Bill Passed - House (46 - 22)
March 28, 2012 AZ HB 2519 Expands the Requirements for Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11)
March 28, 2012 ID H 695 Establishes a Legislative Legal Defense Fund Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
March 28, 2012 NH HB 1658 Establishes a Verification System to Detect Welfare Fraud Bill Passed - House (245 - 84)
March 26, 2012 MN HF 545 Requires State Budget to Include Federal Insolvency Contingency Plan Concurrence Vote Passed - House (70 - 60)
March 26, 2012 GA HB 797 Establishes a State Charter School Commission Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 14)
March 26, 2012 ID H 695 Establishes a Legislative Legal Defense Fund Bill Passed - House (53 - 16)
March 26, 2012 IL HB 5789 Establishes State Park Fees Bill Passed - House (81 - 29)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/11 HB 2127 Authorizes Supplemental Appropriations Bill Passed - House (64 - 34)
4/11 SB 5940 Amends Public School Employees Retirement Benefits Bill Passed - House (53 - 45)
4/11 SB 5940 Amends Public School Employees Retirement Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 20)
4/10 SB 6378 Amends State Employee Pension System (56 - 42)
4/10 SB 2115 Amends Charter School System Bill Passed - House (40 - 11)
4/10 SB 6378 Amends State Employee Pension System Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22)
4/10 HB 433 2012-2013 Budget Bill Passed - House (56 - 47)
4/10 SB 68 Prohibits Food with Trans Fat in Schools Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17)
4/09 SB 203 Establishes an Energy Assistance Program Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 4)
4/07 SB 6636 Requires a Balanced Budget Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 16)
3/29 HB 347 Reduces Unemployment Benefits Conference Report Adopted - House (98 - 60)
3/29 HB 347 Reduces Unemployment Benefits Conference Report Adopted - House (98 - 60)
3/29 HB 347 Reduces Unemployment Benefits Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 17)
3/29 HB 347 Reduces Unemployment Benefits Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 17)
3/29 HB 797 Establishes a State Charter School Commission Concurrence Vote Passed - House (117 - 55)
3/29 H Con Res 112 Limits Federal Appropriations for Fiscal Years 2013-2022 ("Ryan Budget") Joint Resolution Passed - House (228 - 191)
3/28 SB 1118 Appropriates Funds for Forest Restoration Bill Failed - House (18 - 40)
3/28 H 660 Amends the Judicial Retirement Fund Bill Passed - House (46 - 22)
3/28 HB 2519 Expands the Requirements for Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11)
3/28 H 695 Establishes a Legislative Legal Defense Fund Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
3/28 HB 1658 Establishes a Verification System to Detect Welfare Fraud Bill Passed - House (245 - 84)
3/26 HF 545 Requires State Budget to Include Federal Insolvency Contingency Plan Concurrence Vote Passed - House (70 - 60)
3/26 HB 797 Establishes a State Charter School Commission Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 14)
3/26 H 695 Establishes a Legislative Legal Defense Fund Bill Passed - House (53 - 16)
3/26 HB 5789 Establishes State Park Fees Bill Passed - House (81 - 29)

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