Key Votes

Chamber

Keyword Search

Search string must be longer than 3 characters.

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 5440 Establishes a 5 Percent Fee on Satellite TV Companies Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 27)
May 31, 2012 CA SB 1525 Establishes a Student Athlete Bill of Rights Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14)
May 31, 2012 CA SB 956 Regulates Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Loans and Lenders Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
May 30, 2012 CA SB 1054 Requires Notifying Property Owners Prior to Hydraulic Fracturing Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 18)
May 30, 2012 CA SB 1172 Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
May 29, 2012 IL SB 2194 Increases Cigarette Tax Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 27)
May 24, 2012 IL SB 2840 Limits Medicaid Funding Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 13)
May 24, 2012 National S Amdt 2107 Authorizes Import of FDA-Approved Drugs from Canada Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 54)
May 24, 2012 National S Amdt 2111 Prohibits Pharmaceutical Companies from Delaying the Release of Generic Drugs Amendment Rejected - Senate (28 - 67)
May 16, 2012 OH HB 322 Repeals Limits on Credit Card Interest Rates for Certain Banks Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14)
May 15, 2012 National HR 2072 Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 20)
May 15, 2012 MA S Amdt 125 Requires Establishing a Single Payer Health Care System Benchmark Amendment Rejected - Senate (15 - 22)
May 14, 2012 LA HB 1072 Tax Incentives for a Franchise of the NBA Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7)
May 10, 2012 MN HF 2958 Authorizes New Viking Stadium Conference Report Adopted - Senate (38 - 28)
May 10, 2012 IL SB 1313 Limits Health Care Coverage for Retired State Employees Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 20)
May 10, 2012 MI SB 1070 Establishes a Tax Exemption for Eligible Personal Property Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
May 10, 2012 MI SB 1069 Personal Property Taxes: Credit for New Industrial Personal Property Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
May 10, 2012 MI SB 1067 Personal Property Taxes: Continuation of Existing Exemptions for Personal Property Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
May 10, 2012 DE SB 205 Requires Manufactured Home Community Owners to Explain Rent Increases Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 9)
May 10, 2012 MI SB 1072 Personal Property Taxes: Credit for Loss of Personal Property Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)
May 9, 2012 RI S 2555 A Authorizes Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 3)
May 8, 2012 IA SF 2344 Reduces Certain Business Property Taxes Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 23)
May 7, 2012 MN HF 1752 Authorizes Bonds for Construction Works Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 22)
May 3, 2012 HI SB 2785 Establishes Regulations for an Undersea Power Cable Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 3)
May 3, 2012 OH HB 99 Prohibits Texting While Driving Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/31 HB 5440 Establishes a 5 Percent Fee on Satellite TV Companies Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 27)
5/31 SB 1525 Establishes a Student Athlete Bill of Rights Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14)
5/31 SB 956 Regulates Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Loans and Lenders Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
5/30 SB 1054 Requires Notifying Property Owners Prior to Hydraulic Fracturing Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 18)
5/30 SB 1172 Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13)
5/29 SB 2194 Increases Cigarette Tax Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 27)
5/24 SB 2840 Limits Medicaid Funding Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 13)
5/24 S Amdt 2107 Authorizes Import of FDA-Approved Drugs from Canada Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 54)
5/24 S Amdt 2111 Prohibits Pharmaceutical Companies from Delaying the Release of Generic Drugs Amendment Rejected - Senate (28 - 67)
5/16 HB 322 Repeals Limits on Credit Card Interest Rates for Certain Banks Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14)
5/15 HR 2072 Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012 Bill Passed - Senate (78 - 20)
5/15 S Amdt 125 Requires Establishing a Single Payer Health Care System Benchmark Amendment Rejected - Senate (15 - 22)
5/14 HB 1072 Tax Incentives for a Franchise of the NBA Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7)
5/10 HF 2958 Authorizes New Viking Stadium Conference Report Adopted - Senate (38 - 28)
5/10 SB 1313 Limits Health Care Coverage for Retired State Employees Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 20)
5/10 SB 1070 Establishes a Tax Exemption for Eligible Personal Property Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
5/10 SB 1069 Personal Property Taxes: Credit for New Industrial Personal Property Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
5/10 SB 1067 Personal Property Taxes: Continuation of Existing Exemptions for Personal Property Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
5/10 SB 205 Requires Manufactured Home Community Owners to Explain Rent Increases Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 9)
5/10 SB 1072 Personal Property Taxes: Credit for Loss of Personal Property Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)
5/09 S 2555 A Authorizes Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 3)
5/08 SF 2344 Reduces Certain Business Property Taxes Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 23)
5/07 HF 1752 Authorizes Bonds for Construction Works Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 22)
5/03 SB 2785 Establishes Regulations for an Undersea Power Cable Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 3)
5/03 HB 99 Prohibits Texting While Driving Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8)

arrow_upward