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
March 21, 2013 MD HB 753 Classifies Cell Phone Use While Driving as a Primary Offense Bill Passed - House (106 - 29)
March 21, 2013 NH HB 443 Prohibits Contracts with Private Entities for Inmate Custody Bill Passed - House (197 - 136)
March 20, 2013 OH SB 47 Prohibits Collection of Petition Signatures after Filing Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 10)
March 20, 2013 OH SB 47 Prohibits Collection of Petition Signatures after Filing Bill Passed - House (57 - 38)
March 20, 2013 MD SB 30 Prohibits Smoking in Vehicles Containing Children Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20)
March 19, 2013 AR SB 2 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 12)
March 19, 2013 AR SB 417 Classifies the Death of a Fetus as a Felony in Certain Cases Bill Passed - House (76 - 10)
March 19, 2013 AR HB 1819 Prohibits Governor from Regulating Firearms in an Emergency Bill Passed - House (78 - 9)
March 18, 2013 CO HB 1154 Establishes Penalties for Violent Offenses Against Pregnant Women Bill Passed - House (50 - 14)
March 15, 2013 CO HB 1229 Requires Background Checks for Private Gun Sales and Transfers Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 14)
March 15, 2013 CO HB 1229 Requires Background Checks for Private Gun Sales and Transfers Conference Report Adopted - House (36 - 27)
March 15, 2013 MD SB 276 Repeals the Death Penalty Bill Passed - House (82 - 56)
March 15, 2013 MD SB 276 Repeals the Death Penalty Bill Passed - House (82 - 56)
March 14, 2013 KS HB 2055 Authorizes Concealed Handguns Inside State Capitol and School Buildings Bill Passed - House (84 - 38)
March 14, 2013 KS HB 2199 Prohibits Enforcement of Federal Firearms Laws Within the State of Kansas Bill Passed - House (94 - 29)
March 13, 2013 CO HB 1224 Limits Firearm Magazine Capacity Concurrence Vote Passed - House (34 - 30)
March 13, 2013 MT HB 302 Prohibits the Enforcement of Federal Firearms Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 21)
March 13, 2013 AR SB 2 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Bill Passed - House (51 - 44)
March 13, 2013 CO HB 1166 Repeals Classification of Adultery as a Criminal Offense Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10)
March 13, 2013 UT HB 76 Authorizes Concealed Carry of a Firearm Without a Permit Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 7)
March 12, 2013 OK HB 2021 Exempts Certain Firearms from Federal Regulation Bill Passed - House (79 - 12)
March 12, 2013 OK HB 1062 Authorizes School Employees to Carry Handguns on School Property Bill Passed - House (68 - 23)
March 11, 2013 CO HB 1224 Limits Firearm Magazine Capacity Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17)
March 11, 2013 KY SB 1 Establishes an Electronic Ballot Transmission System for Military and Overseas Voters Bill Passed - House (57 - 42)
March 11, 2013 CO HB 1228 Establishes a Background Check Fee Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/21 HB 753 Classifies Cell Phone Use While Driving as a Primary Offense Bill Passed - House (106 - 29)
3/21 HB 443 Prohibits Contracts with Private Entities for Inmate Custody Bill Passed - House (197 - 136)
3/20 SB 47 Prohibits Collection of Petition Signatures after Filing Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 10)
3/20 SB 47 Prohibits Collection of Petition Signatures after Filing Bill Passed - House (57 - 38)
3/20 SB 30 Prohibits Smoking in Vehicles Containing Children Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20)
3/19 SB 2 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 12)
3/19 SB 417 Classifies the Death of a Fetus as a Felony in Certain Cases Bill Passed - House (76 - 10)
3/19 HB 1819 Prohibits Governor from Regulating Firearms in an Emergency Bill Passed - House (78 - 9)
3/18 HB 1154 Establishes Penalties for Violent Offenses Against Pregnant Women Bill Passed - House (50 - 14)
3/15 HB 1229 Requires Background Checks for Private Gun Sales and Transfers Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 14)
3/15 HB 1229 Requires Background Checks for Private Gun Sales and Transfers Conference Report Adopted - House (36 - 27)
3/15 SB 276 Repeals the Death Penalty Bill Passed - House (82 - 56)
3/15 SB 276 Repeals the Death Penalty Bill Passed - House (82 - 56)
3/14 HB 2055 Authorizes Concealed Handguns Inside State Capitol and School Buildings Bill Passed - House (84 - 38)
3/14 HB 2199 Prohibits Enforcement of Federal Firearms Laws Within the State of Kansas Bill Passed - House (94 - 29)
3/13 HB 1224 Limits Firearm Magazine Capacity Concurrence Vote Passed - House (34 - 30)
3/13 HB 302 Prohibits the Enforcement of Federal Firearms Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 21)
3/13 SB 2 Requires Photo Identification to Vote Bill Passed - House (51 - 44)
3/13 HB 1166 Repeals Classification of Adultery as a Criminal Offense Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10)
3/13 HB 76 Authorizes Concealed Carry of a Firearm Without a Permit Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 7)
3/12 HB 2021 Exempts Certain Firearms from Federal Regulation Bill Passed - House (79 - 12)
3/12 HB 1062 Authorizes School Employees to Carry Handguns on School Property Bill Passed - House (68 - 23)
3/11 HB 1224 Limits Firearm Magazine Capacity Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17)
3/11 SB 1 Establishes an Electronic Ballot Transmission System for Military and Overseas Voters Bill Passed - House (57 - 42)
3/11 HB 1228 Establishes a Background Check Fee Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16)

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