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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 16, 2016 | AL | HB 174 | Prohibits Local Governments from Establishing Wage or Employee Benefits Requirements | Bill Passed - House (71 - 31) |
| Feb. 11, 2016 | AL | HB 37 | Prohibits Requiring Employees to Join or Pay Unions | Bill Failed - House (60 - 24) |
| June 3, 2015 | AL | SB 216 | Authorizes Certain Agencies to Raise Fees | Bill Passed - House (61 - 38) |
| April 7, 2015 | AL | HB 193 | Authorizes Counties to Establish Administrative Programs | Bill Passed - House (76 - 17) |
| Feb. 20, 2014 | AL | HB 45 | Authorizes Display of the Ten Commandments on State Property | Amendment Adopted - House (77 - 19) |
| Feb. 20, 2014 | AL | HB 45 | Authorizes Display of the Ten Commandments on State Property | Amendment Adopted - House (77 - 19) |
| April 30, 2013 | AL | SB 93 | Prohibits the Enforcement of Federal Firearm Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 6) |
| April 30, 2013 | AL | HB 8 | Requires Courts to Apply "Strict Scrutiny" to Certain Firearm Regulation Laws | Bill Passed - House (76 - 22) |
| April 30, 2013 | AL | HB 8 | Requires Courts to Apply "Strict Scrutiny" to Certain Firearm Regulation Laws | Bill Passed - House (76 - 22) |
| April 30, 2013 | AL | HB 162 | Amends the Voter Registration Deadline | Bill Passed - House (67 - 34) |
| March 7, 2013 | AL | SB 41 | Amends Employment Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10) |
| May 24, 2012 | AL | SB 25 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (65 - 36) |
| May 24, 2012 | AL | HB 19 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| May 24, 2012 | AL | HB 19 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| May 24, 2012 | AL | SB 25 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (65 - 36) |
| May 22, 2012 | AL | SB 25 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| May 22, 2012 | AL | SB 25 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| May 21, 2012 | AL | HB 19 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (66 - 35) |
| May 21, 2012 | AL | HB 19 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (66 - 35) |
| Feb. 16, 2012 | AL | HB 159 | Authorizes Economic Development Incentive Program | Bill Passed - House (65 - 22) |
| June 9, 2011 | AL | HB 60 | Prohibiting Mandatory Participation in any Health Care System | Amendment Adopted - Senate (24 - 9) |
| June 9, 2011 | AL | HB 60 | Prohibiting Mandatory Participation in any Health Care System | Amendment Adopted - Senate (24 - 9) |
| June 2, 2011 | AL | SB 484 | 2011 Congressional Redistricting | Conference Report Adopted - House (57 - 45) |
| June 2, 2011 | AL | SB 484 | 2011 Congressional Redistricting | Conference Report Adopted - House (57 - 45) |
| June 2, 2011 | AL | SB 484 | 2011 Congressional Redistricting | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 15) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/16 | HB 174 | Prohibits Local Governments from Establishing Wage or Employee Benefits Requirements | Bill Passed - House (71 - 31) |
| 2/11 | HB 37 | Prohibits Requiring Employees to Join or Pay Unions | Bill Failed - House (60 - 24) |
| 6/03 | SB 216 | Authorizes Certain Agencies to Raise Fees | Bill Passed - House (61 - 38) |
| 4/07 | HB 193 | Authorizes Counties to Establish Administrative Programs | Bill Passed - House (76 - 17) |
| 2/20 | HB 45 | Authorizes Display of the Ten Commandments on State Property | Amendment Adopted - House (77 - 19) |
| 2/20 | HB 45 | Authorizes Display of the Ten Commandments on State Property | Amendment Adopted - House (77 - 19) |
| 4/30 | SB 93 | Prohibits the Enforcement of Federal Firearm Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 6) |
| 4/30 | HB 8 | Requires Courts to Apply "Strict Scrutiny" to Certain Firearm Regulation Laws | Bill Passed - House (76 - 22) |
| 4/30 | HB 8 | Requires Courts to Apply "Strict Scrutiny" to Certain Firearm Regulation Laws | Bill Passed - House (76 - 22) |
| 4/30 | HB 162 | Amends the Voter Registration Deadline | Bill Passed - House (67 - 34) |
| 3/07 | SB 41 | Amends Employment Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10) |
| 5/24 | SB 25 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (65 - 36) |
| 5/24 | HB 19 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 5/24 | HB 19 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 5/24 | SB 25 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (65 - 36) |
| 5/22 | SB 25 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| 5/22 | SB 25 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| 5/21 | HB 19 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (66 - 35) |
| 5/21 | HB 19 | State House Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (66 - 35) |
| 2/16 | HB 159 | Authorizes Economic Development Incentive Program | Bill Passed - House (65 - 22) |
| 6/09 | HB 60 | Prohibiting Mandatory Participation in any Health Care System | Amendment Adopted - Senate (24 - 9) |
| 6/09 | HB 60 | Prohibiting Mandatory Participation in any Health Care System | Amendment Adopted - Senate (24 - 9) |
| 6/02 | SB 484 | 2011 Congressional Redistricting | Conference Report Adopted - House (57 - 45) |
| 6/02 | SB 484 | 2011 Congressional Redistricting | Conference Report Adopted - House (57 - 45) |
| 6/02 | SB 484 | 2011 Congressional Redistricting | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (16 - 15) |