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 16, 2010 | IA | SF 2378 | Increase in Fees for Traffic Violations | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 17) |
| March 11, 2010 | IA | SF 2357 | Prohibiting Firearm Possession by Domestic Violence Perpetrators | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 12) |
| March 10, 2010 | IA | SF 2357 | Prohibiting Firearm Possession by Domestic Violence Perpetrators | Bill Passed - House (73 - 25) |
| March 10, 2010 | IA | Amdt 8381 | Free Self Defense Courses for Domestic Violence Victims | Amendment Rejected - House (44 - 53) |
| March 8, 2010 | IA | HF 788 | Prohibiting Liquor Licensees from Permitting Criminal Activity Adjacent to Their Premises | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| Feb. 23, 2010 | IA | HF 2456 | Texting While Driving Ban | Bill Passed - House (65 - 31) |
| Feb. 17, 2010 | IA | Amdt 8140 | Animal Abuse and Neglect Penalties | Amendment Rejected - House (44 - 52) |
| Feb. 17, 2010 | IA | Amdt 8145 | Animal Facility Regulations | Amendment Rejected - House (42 - 53) |
| Feb. 12, 2010 | IA | Amdt 8053 | Omnibus Spending Cuts Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (43 - 54) |
| Feb. 9, 2010 | IA | HJR 6 | Constitutionally Defining Marriage as Between One Man and One Woman | Motion Rejected - House (45 - 54) |
| Feb. 4, 2010 | IA | SF 2062 | State Worker Retirement Incentive Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 6) |
| Feb. 1, 2010 | IA | SF 2088 | Government Reorganization | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15) |
| Jan. 26, 2010 | IA | HF 2110 | Military Spouse Relocation Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (56 - 44) |
| Jan. 19, 2010 | IA | HF 2030 | School District Budget Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 16) |
| Jan. 13, 2010 | IA | SF 2033 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| April 25, 2009 | IA | SF 477 | Appropriation Bonds | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 18) |
| April 25, 2009 | IA | SF 376 | Bonds Issuance for Infrastructure Projects and the Creation of an Iowa Jobs Program, Board, and Fund. | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| April 25, 2009 | IA | SF 477 | Appropriation Bonds | Bill Passed - House (52 - 44) |
| April 24, 2009 | IA | SF 376 | Bonds Issuance for Infrastructure Projects and the Creation of an Iowa Jobs Program, Board, and Fund. | Bill Passed - House (53 - 43) |
| March 19, 2009 | IA | SF 389 | Health Insurance Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| March 18, 2009 | IA | HF 243 | Gender Requirements for Certain Local Government Positions | Bill Passed - House (71 - 27) |
| March 17, 2009 | IA | HF 670 | Early Absentee Vote Counting | Bill Passed - House (76 - 22) |
| Feb. 26, 2009 | IA | HF 414 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (55 - 43) |
| Feb. 26, 2009 | IA | SF 218 | Growth Percentage for State School Foundation Program | Bill Passed - House (53 - 44) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | IA | SF 218 | Growth Percentage for State School Foundation Program | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/16 | SF 2378 | Increase in Fees for Traffic Violations | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 17) |
| 3/11 | SF 2357 | Prohibiting Firearm Possession by Domestic Violence Perpetrators | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 12) |
| 3/10 | SF 2357 | Prohibiting Firearm Possession by Domestic Violence Perpetrators | Bill Passed - House (73 - 25) |
| 3/10 | Amdt 8381 | Free Self Defense Courses for Domestic Violence Victims | Amendment Rejected - House (44 - 53) |
| 3/08 | HF 788 | Prohibiting Liquor Licensees from Permitting Criminal Activity Adjacent to Their Premises | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| 2/23 | HF 2456 | Texting While Driving Ban | Bill Passed - House (65 - 31) |
| 2/17 | Amdt 8140 | Animal Abuse and Neglect Penalties | Amendment Rejected - House (44 - 52) |
| 2/17 | Amdt 8145 | Animal Facility Regulations | Amendment Rejected - House (42 - 53) |
| 2/12 | Amdt 8053 | Omnibus Spending Cuts Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (43 - 54) |
| 2/09 | HJR 6 | Constitutionally Defining Marriage as Between One Man and One Woman | Motion Rejected - House (45 - 54) |
| 2/04 | SF 2062 | State Worker Retirement Incentive Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 6) |
| 2/01 | SF 2088 | Government Reorganization | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15) |
| 1/26 | HF 2110 | Military Spouse Relocation Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (56 - 44) |
| 1/19 | HF 2030 | School District Budget Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 16) |
| 1/13 | SF 2033 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| 4/25 | SF 477 | Appropriation Bonds | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 18) |
| 4/25 | SF 376 | Bonds Issuance for Infrastructure Projects and the Creation of an Iowa Jobs Program, Board, and Fund. | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| 4/25 | SF 477 | Appropriation Bonds | Bill Passed - House (52 - 44) |
| 4/24 | SF 376 | Bonds Issuance for Infrastructure Projects and the Creation of an Iowa Jobs Program, Board, and Fund. | Bill Passed - House (53 - 43) |
| 3/19 | SF 389 | Health Insurance Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| 3/18 | HF 243 | Gender Requirements for Certain Local Government Positions | Bill Passed - House (71 - 27) |
| 3/17 | HF 670 | Early Absentee Vote Counting | Bill Passed - House (76 - 22) |
| 2/26 | HF 414 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (55 - 43) |
| 2/26 | SF 218 | Growth Percentage for State School Foundation Program | Bill Passed - House (53 - 44) |
| 2/24 | SF 218 | Growth Percentage for State School Foundation Program | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |