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 25, 2010 | FL | SJR 2 | Classroom Size Limitation Amendments | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| March 24, 2010 | FL | SB 6 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| March 16, 2010 | FL | SCR 10 | Statement of Support for a Federal Constitutional Amendment Requiring a Balanced Budget | Resolution Passed - Senate (28 - 12) |
| March 3, 2010 | FL | SB 1158 | Prohibiting Gun Licensing Trust Fund to Budget Stabilization Fund Transfers | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 9) |
| May 8, 2009 | FL | SB 788 | Gambling Expansion | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 9) |
| May 8, 2009 | FL | SB 2600 | 2009-2010 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 8) |
| May 1, 2009 | FL | HB 903 | Capping Attorney Fees in Workers' Compensation Lawsuits | Motion Agreed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| May 1, 2009 | FL | HB 1495 | Property Insurance Law Modifications | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 6) |
| May 1, 2009 | FL | SB 360 | Growth Management Deregulation | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 7) |
| May 1, 2009 | FL | HB 479 | Amendments Regarding Public Employee Retirement | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 11) |
| April 30, 2009 | FL | Amdt 626368 | Liability Insurance Related to SunRail Commuter Line | Motion Rejected - Senate (17 - 23) |
| April 27, 2009 | FL | SB 762 | Allowing Universities to Levy "Tuition Differential" Charges | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 7) |
| Jan. 14, 2009 | FL | SB 2-A | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 13) |
| May 2, 2008 | FL | HB 5001 | 2008-2009 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 8) |
| April 30, 2008 | FL | SB 2400 | Pre-Abortion Ultrasound Requirement | Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 20) |
| April 23, 2008 | FL | SB 2692 | Science Curriculum Flexibility | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| April 16, 2008 | FL | SB 2860 | Property Insurance Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| April 9, 2008 | FL | SB 2900 | 2008-2009 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| April 9, 2008 | FL | HB 503 | Firearms in Vehicles | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| March 13, 2008 | FL | SB 1380 | Electronic Gaming Machines | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 11) |
| March 12, 2008 | FL | HB 7009 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 12) |
| March 6, 2008 | FL | SB 1852 | Medicaid Reimbursement Rate Freeze | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| June 14, 2007 | FL | SJR 4B | Property Tax Amendments | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| May 4, 2007 | FL | CS HB 1497 | Abortion Waiting Periods | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| May 3, 2007 | FL | CS HB 1047 | Casino Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 9) |
| April 27, 2007 | FL | CS SB 1710 | State University Tuition Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| Jan. 22, 2007 | FL | CS HB 1A | Hurricane Insurance | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (40 - 0) |
| May 1, 2006 | FL | CS for CS for CS for SJR 2170 | School Vouchers Constitutional Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (23 - 16) |
| April 28, 2006 | FL | CS for SJR 1150 | 65 Percent Funding, Class Size, Classroom Instruction | Amendment Rejected - Senate (20 - 20) |
| April 26, 2006 | FL | HB 209 | Intangible Personal Property Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 9) |
| March 30, 2006 | FL | HB 145 | Joint and Several Liability Elimination | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/25 | SJR 2 | Classroom Size Limitation Amendments | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| 3/24 | SB 6 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| 3/16 | SCR 10 | Statement of Support for a Federal Constitutional Amendment Requiring a Balanced Budget | Resolution Passed - Senate (28 - 12) |
| 3/03 | SB 1158 | Prohibiting Gun Licensing Trust Fund to Budget Stabilization Fund Transfers | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 9) |
| 5/08 | SB 788 | Gambling Expansion | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 9) |
| 5/08 | SB 2600 | 2009-2010 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 8) |
| 5/01 | HB 903 | Capping Attorney Fees in Workers' Compensation Lawsuits | Motion Agreed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| 5/01 | HB 1495 | Property Insurance Law Modifications | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 6) |
| 5/01 | SB 360 | Growth Management Deregulation | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 7) |
| 5/01 | HB 479 | Amendments Regarding Public Employee Retirement | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 11) |
| 4/30 | Amdt 626368 | Liability Insurance Related to SunRail Commuter Line | Motion Rejected - Senate (17 - 23) |
| 4/27 | SB 762 | Allowing Universities to Levy "Tuition Differential" Charges | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 7) |
| 1/14 | SB 2-A | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 13) |
| 5/02 | HB 5001 | 2008-2009 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 8) |
| 4/30 | SB 2400 | Pre-Abortion Ultrasound Requirement | Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 20) |
| 4/23 | SB 2692 | Science Curriculum Flexibility | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| 4/16 | SB 2860 | Property Insurance Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| 4/09 | SB 2900 | 2008-2009 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| 4/09 | HB 503 | Firearms in Vehicles | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| 3/13 | SB 1380 | Electronic Gaming Machines | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 11) |
| 3/12 | HB 7009 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 12) |
| 3/06 | SB 1852 | Medicaid Reimbursement Rate Freeze | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| 6/14 | SJR 4B | Property Tax Amendments | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| 5/04 | CS HB 1497 | Abortion Waiting Periods | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| 5/03 | CS HB 1047 | Casino Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 9) |
| 4/27 | CS SB 1710 | State University Tuition Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| 1/22 | CS HB 1A | Hurricane Insurance | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (40 - 0) |
| 5/01 | CS for CS for CS for SJR 2170 | School Vouchers Constitutional Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (23 - 16) |
| 4/28 | CS for SJR 1150 | 65 Percent Funding, Class Size, Classroom Instruction | Amendment Rejected - Senate (20 - 20) |
| 4/26 | HB 209 | Intangible Personal Property Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 9) |
| 3/30 | HB 145 | Joint and Several Liability Elimination | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |