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:
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.
| Date | State | Bill No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 22, 2013 | ID | S 1108 | Increases Petition Signature Requirements | Bill Passed - House (45 - 21) |
| March 21, 2013 | NJ | S 2364 | Requires Early Voting to be Available for Certain Elections | Bill Passed - House (46 - 31) |
| March 21, 2013 | ID | H 248 | Establishes Health Insurance Exchange | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| March 21, 2013 | IL | HB 1165 | Establishes Cost of Living Adjustments in Pensions | Bill Passed - House (66 - 50) |
| March 21, 2013 | National | H Con Res 25 | Establishing the Budget for the United States Government for Fiscal Year 2014 and Setting Forth Appropriate Budgetary Levels for Fiscal Years 2015 Through 2023 | Joint Resolution Passed - House (221 - 207) |
| 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 | 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 | OH | SB 47 | Prohibits Collection of Petition Signatures after Filing | Bill Passed - House (57 - 38) |
| March 20, 2013 | AR | HB 1855 | Classifies the Office of Prosecuting Attorney as Nonpartisan | Bill Passed - House (63 - 24) |
| March 20, 2013 | AR | HB 1855 | Classifies the Office of Prosecuting Attorney as Nonpartisan | Bill Passed - House (63 - 24) |
| March 19, 2013 | AR | SB 2 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| March 19, 2013 | TX | SJR 13 | Establishes Term Limits For Certain Elected Officials | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (27 - 4) |
| March 19, 2013 | TX | SJR 13 | Establishes Term Limits For Certain Elected Officials | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (27 - 4) |
| March 19, 2013 | TX | SJR 13 | Establishes Term Limits For Certain Elected Officials | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (27 - 4) |
| March 19, 2013 | TX | SJR 13 | Establishes Term Limits For Certain Elected Officials | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (27 - 4) |
| March 19, 2013 | AR | HB 1819 | Prohibits Governor from Regulating Firearms in an Emergency | Bill Passed - House (78 - 9) |
| March 18, 2013 | MN | HF 5 | Establishes the Minnesota Health Insurance Exchange | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (39 - 28) |
| March 18, 2013 | NJ | A 3614 | Requires Legislative Approval for State Lottery Changes | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 16) |
| March 18, 2013 | NJ | S 2364 | Requires Early Voting to be Available for Certain Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| March 15, 2013 | MD | HB 100 | 2013-2014 Budget | Bill Passed - House (101 - 36) |
| March 14, 2013 | MN | HF 5 | Establishes the Minnesota Health Insurance Exchange | Conference Report Adopted - House (72 - 61) |
| March 14, 2013 | KS | HB 2059 | Reduces Income Tax Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| March 14, 2013 | National | S Amdt 66 | Temporarily Prohibits the Hiring of Nonessential Federal Employees | Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 54) |
| March 14, 2013 | KS | HB 2199 | Prohibits Enforcement of Federal Firearms Laws Within the State of Kansas | Bill Passed - House (94 - 29) |