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 SB 2621 Amends the Department of Corrections' Early Release Program Bill Passed - House (68 - 50)
May 29, 2012 CA AB 1534 Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Dealers to Label Used Vehicles Bill Passed - House (42 - 32)
May 29, 2012 CA AB 1447 Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Sellers to Provide a Limited Warranty Bill Passed - House (49 - 25)
May 25, 2012 IL SB 2194 Increases Cigarette Tax Bill Passed - House (60 - 52)
May 24, 2012 NJ S 1322 Requires Participation In the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Bill Passed - House (45 - 33)
May 24, 2012 IL SB 2840 Limits Medicaid Funding Bill Passed - House (94 - 22)
May 23, 2012 IL SB 1849 Expands Gambling Bill Passed - House (69 - 47)
May 22, 2012 OH HB 322 Repeals Limits on Credit Card Interest Rates for Certain Banks Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 30)
May 18, 2012 National HR 4310 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 Bill Passed - House (299 - 120)
May 18, 2012 National H Amdt 1140 Prohibits Reductions to Strategic Nuclear Arms Required by New START Amendment Adopted - House (238 - 162)
May 18, 2012 National H Amdt 1127 Repeals Indefinite Military Detention Provisions Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 238)
May 17, 2012 National H Amdt 1103 Limits Funding for War in Afghanistan to the Withdrawal of U.S. Forces Amendment Rejected - House (113 - 303)
May 15, 2012 OH HB 99 Prohibits Texting While Driving Concurrence Vote Passed - House (84 - 12)
May 15, 2012 MO SB 576 Authorizes the Expansion of Charter Schools Bill Passed - House (99 - 54)
May 15, 2012 CO HB 1005 Establishes Limits for Driving Under the Influence of Marijuana Bill Passed - House (38 - 24)
May 10, 2012 National HR 5652 Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (218 - 199)
May 9, 2012 IA SF 2315 Amends the Mental Health and Disability Services Program Conference Report Adopted - House (66 - 31)
May 9, 2012 MN HF 2958 Authorizes New Viking Stadium Conference Report Adopted - House (71 - 60)
May 9, 2012 IL SB 1313 Limits Health Care Coverage for Retired State Employees Bill Passed - House (74 - 43)
May 9, 2012 National HR 2072 Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (330 - 93)
May 8, 2012 MN HF 1752 Authorizes Bonds for Construction Works Concurrence Vote Passed - House (97 - 33)
May 7, 2012 MN HF 1485 Authorizes New Vikings Stadium Bill Passed - House (73 - 58)
May 7, 2012 MN HF 1752 Authorizes Bonds for Construction Works Bill Passed - House (99 - 32)
May 7, 2012 IA HF 2475 Reduces Certain Business Property Taxes Bill Passed - House (71 - 26)
May 2, 2012 LA HB 695 Prohibits the Use of Phones While Driving Bill Passed - House (68 - 29)
May 1, 2012 DE HB 289 Limits Payday Loans Bill Passed - House (26 - 7)
April 30, 2012 MN HF 2795 Expands Gambling Concurrence Vote Passed - House (97 - 34)
April 30, 2012 CA AB 1960 Requires the Department of Transportation to Include Sexual Orientation Reported by Business Owners Bill Passed - House (48 - 25)
April 30, 2012 LA HB 1072 Tax Incentives for a Franchise of the NBA Bill Passed - House (60 - 41)
April 26, 2012 National HR 3523 Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act Bill Passed - House (248 - 168)
April 26, 2012 CA AB 2405 Authorizes Low-Emission Vehicles to Use HOV Lanes Bill Passed - House (49 - 25)
April 25, 2012 MA H Amdt 804.1 Electronic Benefit Transfer Cards Amendment Adopted - House (123 - 33)
April 23, 2012 AZ SB 1332 Requires the Federal Government to Give Back Land to Arizona Bill Passed - House (35 - 15)
April 20, 2012 KY HB 1 Requires Use of Prescription Monitoring System by Physicians Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 19)
April 19, 2012 AZ SB 1182 Prohibits Enforcement of Certain Provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act Bill Passed - House (34 - 22)
April 19, 2012 MO HB 1860 Prohibits Undisclosed Recording of Livestock Bill Passed - House (108 - 32)
April 19, 2012 MO HB 1860 Prohibits Undisclosed Recording of Livestock Bill Passed - House (108 - 32)
April 19, 2012 MO HB 1534 Prohibits Implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Bill Passed - House (108 - 44)
April 18, 2012 National HR 4348 Extension of Surface Transportation Funding and Approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline Bill Passed - House (293 - 127)
April 16, 2012 OK HB 2296 Limits Certain Civil Liability for Mobile Home Park Operators Bill Tabled - House (43 - 36)
April 16, 2012 OK HB 2296 Limits Certain Civil Liability for Mobile Home Park Operators Bill Tabled - House (43 - 36)
April 14, 2012 ME LD 1913 Worker's Compensation Amendments Bill Passed - House (71 - 69)
April 11, 2012 AZ HB 2780 Exempts Ranch Dogs from Animal Cruelty Laws Concurrence Vote Passed - House (42 - 15)
April 11, 2012 WA SB 5940 Amends Public School Employees Retirement Benefits Bill Passed - House (53 - 45)
April 11, 2012 ME LD 1810 Regulatory Takings Bill Passed - House (74 - 72)
April 10, 2012 AK HB 255 Prohibits Texting While Driving Bill Passed - House (34 - 5)
April 3, 2012 IA HF 2450 Prohibits the Use of Traffic Cameras Bill Passed - House (58 - 42)
March 30, 2012 MD HB 441 Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (88 - 47)
March 29, 2012 GA HB 1114 Prohibits Assisted Suicide Concurrence Vote Passed - House (115 - 53)
March 29, 2012 IL Amendment No. 4 Requires Physicians to Provide Information About Side Effects of Erectile Dysfunction Drugs Amendment Rejected - House (32 - 68)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/31 SB 2621 Amends the Department of Corrections' Early Release Program Bill Passed - House (68 - 50)
5/29 AB 1534 Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Dealers to Label Used Vehicles Bill Passed - House (42 - 32)
5/29 AB 1447 Requires Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Sellers to Provide a Limited Warranty Bill Passed - House (49 - 25)
5/25 SB 2194 Increases Cigarette Tax Bill Passed - House (60 - 52)
5/24 S 1322 Requires Participation In the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Bill Passed - House (45 - 33)
5/24 SB 2840 Limits Medicaid Funding Bill Passed - House (94 - 22)
5/23 SB 1849 Expands Gambling Bill Passed - House (69 - 47)
5/22 HB 322 Repeals Limits on Credit Card Interest Rates for Certain Banks Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 30)
5/18 HR 4310 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 Bill Passed - House (299 - 120)
5/18 H Amdt 1140 Prohibits Reductions to Strategic Nuclear Arms Required by New START Amendment Adopted - House (238 - 162)
5/18 H Amdt 1127 Repeals Indefinite Military Detention Provisions Amendment Rejected - House (182 - 238)
5/17 H Amdt 1103 Limits Funding for War in Afghanistan to the Withdrawal of U.S. Forces Amendment Rejected - House (113 - 303)
5/15 HB 99 Prohibits Texting While Driving Concurrence Vote Passed - House (84 - 12)
5/15 SB 576 Authorizes the Expansion of Charter Schools Bill Passed - House (99 - 54)
5/15 HB 1005 Establishes Limits for Driving Under the Influence of Marijuana Bill Passed - House (38 - 24)
5/10 HR 5652 Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (218 - 199)
5/09 SF 2315 Amends the Mental Health and Disability Services Program Conference Report Adopted - House (66 - 31)
5/09 HF 2958 Authorizes New Viking Stadium Conference Report Adopted - House (71 - 60)
5/09 SB 1313 Limits Health Care Coverage for Retired State Employees Bill Passed - House (74 - 43)
5/09 HR 2072 Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (330 - 93)
5/08 HF 1752 Authorizes Bonds for Construction Works Concurrence Vote Passed - House (97 - 33)
5/07 HF 1485 Authorizes New Vikings Stadium Bill Passed - House (73 - 58)
5/07 HF 1752 Authorizes Bonds for Construction Works Bill Passed - House (99 - 32)
5/07 HF 2475 Reduces Certain Business Property Taxes Bill Passed - House (71 - 26)
5/02 HB 695 Prohibits the Use of Phones While Driving Bill Passed - House (68 - 29)
5/01 HB 289 Limits Payday Loans Bill Passed - House (26 - 7)
4/30 HF 2795 Expands Gambling Concurrence Vote Passed - House (97 - 34)
4/30 AB 1960 Requires the Department of Transportation to Include Sexual Orientation Reported by Business Owners Bill Passed - House (48 - 25)
4/30 HB 1072 Tax Incentives for a Franchise of the NBA Bill Passed - House (60 - 41)
4/26 HR 3523 Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act Bill Passed - House (248 - 168)
4/26 AB 2405 Authorizes Low-Emission Vehicles to Use HOV Lanes Bill Passed - House (49 - 25)
4/25 H Amdt 804.1 Electronic Benefit Transfer Cards Amendment Adopted - House (123 - 33)
4/23 SB 1332 Requires the Federal Government to Give Back Land to Arizona Bill Passed - House (35 - 15)
4/20 HB 1 Requires Use of Prescription Monitoring System by Physicians Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 19)
4/19 SB 1182 Prohibits Enforcement of Certain Provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act Bill Passed - House (34 - 22)
4/19 HB 1860 Prohibits Undisclosed Recording of Livestock Bill Passed - House (108 - 32)
4/19 HB 1860 Prohibits Undisclosed Recording of Livestock Bill Passed - House (108 - 32)
4/19 HB 1534 Prohibits Implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Bill Passed - House (108 - 44)
4/18 HR 4348 Extension of Surface Transportation Funding and Approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline Bill Passed - House (293 - 127)
4/16 HB 2296 Limits Certain Civil Liability for Mobile Home Park Operators Bill Tabled - House (43 - 36)
4/16 HB 2296 Limits Certain Civil Liability for Mobile Home Park Operators Bill Tabled - House (43 - 36)
4/14 LD 1913 Worker's Compensation Amendments Bill Passed - House (71 - 69)
4/11 HB 2780 Exempts Ranch Dogs from Animal Cruelty Laws Concurrence Vote Passed - House (42 - 15)
4/11 SB 5940 Amends Public School Employees Retirement Benefits Bill Passed - House (53 - 45)
4/11 LD 1810 Regulatory Takings Bill Passed - House (74 - 72)
4/10 HB 255 Prohibits Texting While Driving Bill Passed - House (34 - 5)
4/03 HF 2450 Prohibits the Use of Traffic Cameras Bill Passed - House (58 - 42)
3/30 HB 441 Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2012 Bill Passed - House (88 - 47)
3/29 HB 1114 Prohibits Assisted Suicide Concurrence Vote Passed - House (115 - 53)
3/29 Amendment No. 4 Requires Physicians to Provide Information About Side Effects of Erectile Dysfunction Drugs Amendment Rejected - House (32 - 68)

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