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. 25, 2009 | AR | HB 1339 | Election of the President by National Popular Vote | Bill Passed - House (56 - 43) |
| Feb. 25, 2009 | AR | HB 1464 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - House (67 - 27) |
| Feb. 25, 2009 | AR | SB 78 | Seat Belt Violation as Primary Offense | Bill Passed - House (60 - 31) |
| Feb. 12, 2009 | AR | HB 1204 | Tobacco Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| Feb. 11, 2009 | AR | HB 1237 | Allowing Concealed Weapons in Churches | Bill Passed - House (57 - 42) |
| Feb. 5, 2009 | AR | HB 1204 | Tobacco Tax Increase | Bill Passed - House (75 - 24) |
| Jan. 29, 2009 | AR | HB 1013 | Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving | Bill Passed - House (78 - 12) |
| Jan. 28, 2009 | AR | HB 1119 | Prohibiting Cell Phone Use While Driving for Specific Age Groups | Bill Passed - House (62 - 27) |
| Jan. 27, 2009 | AR | HB 1050 | Freedom of Information Act Exemption Specifications | Bill Passed - House (57 - 31) |
| April 2, 2008 | AR | SB 1 | Natural Gas Tax | Bill Passed - House (82 - 17) |
| April 2, 2008 | AR | HB 1004 | Natural Gas Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 1) |
| April 1, 2008 | AR | SB 1 | Natural Gas Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 3) |
| April 1, 2008 | AR | HB 1004 | Natural Gas Tax | Bill Passed - House (81 - 16) |
| March 28, 2007 | AR | SB 1004 | Beer Tax | Bill Passed - House (51 - 39) |
| March 22, 2007 | AR | SB 1004 | Beer Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
| March 13, 2007 | AR | SB 959 | Adoption and Foster Care Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
| March 13, 2007 | AR | SB 959 | Adoption and Foster Care Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
| Jan. 29, 2007 | AR | HB 1173 | Reversal of the BMI Report Card Requirement | Bill Passed - House (71 - 26) |
| April 21, 2006 | AR | SB 16 | Science Specialist Program Funding Line Item Veto | Veto Override Passed - House (71 - 13) |
| April 7, 2006 | AR | SB 27 | Educational Adequacy Act of 2006 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 5) |
| April 7, 2006 | AR | SB 27 | Educational Adequacy Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (79 - 17) |
| April 7, 2006 | AR | SB 24 | Additional Education Funding Act | Bill Passed - House (83 - 8) |
| April 7, 2006 | AR | SB 21 | Education Funding | Bill Passed - House (82 - 13) |
| April 6, 2006 | AR | SB 19 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - House (63 - 32) |
| April 6, 2006 | AR | SB 18 | Property Tax Interest | Bill Failed - House (46 - 46) |
| April 6, 2006 | AR | HB 1033 | Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 1) |
| April 5, 2006 | AR | HB 1033 | Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (92 - 2) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/25 | HB 1339 | Election of the President by National Popular Vote | Bill Passed - House (56 - 43) |
| 2/25 | HB 1464 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - House (67 - 27) |
| 2/25 | SB 78 | Seat Belt Violation as Primary Offense | Bill Passed - House (60 - 31) |
| 2/12 | HB 1204 | Tobacco Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| 2/11 | HB 1237 | Allowing Concealed Weapons in Churches | Bill Passed - House (57 - 42) |
| 2/05 | HB 1204 | Tobacco Tax Increase | Bill Passed - House (75 - 24) |
| 1/29 | HB 1013 | Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving | Bill Passed - House (78 - 12) |
| 1/28 | HB 1119 | Prohibiting Cell Phone Use While Driving for Specific Age Groups | Bill Passed - House (62 - 27) |
| 1/27 | HB 1050 | Freedom of Information Act Exemption Specifications | Bill Passed - House (57 - 31) |
| 4/02 | SB 1 | Natural Gas Tax | Bill Passed - House (82 - 17) |
| 4/02 | HB 1004 | Natural Gas Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 1) |
| 4/01 | SB 1 | Natural Gas Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 3) |
| 4/01 | HB 1004 | Natural Gas Tax | Bill Passed - House (81 - 16) |
| 3/28 | SB 1004 | Beer Tax | Bill Passed - House (51 - 39) |
| 3/22 | SB 1004 | Beer Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
| 3/13 | SB 959 | Adoption and Foster Care Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
| 3/13 | SB 959 | Adoption and Foster Care Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
| 1/29 | HB 1173 | Reversal of the BMI Report Card Requirement | Bill Passed - House (71 - 26) |
| 4/21 | SB 16 | Science Specialist Program Funding Line Item Veto | Veto Override Passed - House (71 - 13) |
| 4/07 | SB 27 | Educational Adequacy Act of 2006 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 5) |
| 4/07 | SB 27 | Educational Adequacy Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (79 - 17) |
| 4/07 | SB 24 | Additional Education Funding Act | Bill Passed - House (83 - 8) |
| 4/07 | SB 21 | Education Funding | Bill Passed - House (82 - 13) |
| 4/06 | SB 19 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - House (63 - 32) |
| 4/06 | SB 18 | Property Tax Interest | Bill Failed - House (46 - 46) |
| 4/06 | HB 1033 | Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 1) |
| 4/05 | HB 1033 | Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (92 - 2) |