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. 14, 2013 | IA | SF 161 | Establishes the School Budget Growth for Fiscal Year 2014-2015 | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 22) |
| Feb. 14, 2013 | IA | SF 162 | Establishes the School Budget Growth for Fiscal Year 2014-2015 | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 22) |
| Jan. 30, 2013 | IA | SF 52 | Establishes the School Budget Growth for Fiscal Year 2013-2014 | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
| May 8, 2012 | IA | SF 2344 | Reduces Certain Business Property Taxes | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 23) |
| May 8, 2012 | IA | SF 2344 | Reduces Certain Business Property Taxes | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 23) |
| April 12, 2012 | IA | S 5206 | Prohibits State Funding For Abortions | Amendment Rejected - Senate (22 - 25) |
| Feb. 16, 2011 | IA | SF 166 | Funding for Public Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| March 30, 2010 | IA | HF 2531 | Appropriations and Tax Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 16) |
| March 29, 2010 | IA | SF 2389 | Iowa Jobs II Program and Budget Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 17) |
| March 22, 2010 | IA | SF 2380 | Tax Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| March 17, 2010 | IA | SF 2380 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| March 16, 2010 | IA | SF 2376 | 2010-2011 Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 20) |
| March 16, 2010 | IA | SF 2378 | Increase in Fees for Traffic Violations | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 17) |
| 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. 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) |
| March 19, 2009 | IA | SF 389 | Health Insurance Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | IA | SF 218 | Growth Percentage for State School Foundation Program | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| Jan. 27, 2009 | IA | SF 44 | Expediting Local-Option Tax Approval in Disaster Areas | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| April 24, 2008 | IA | SF 2432 | 2008-2009 Prison and Infrastructure Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 13) |
| April 22, 2008 | IA | S 5408 | Changes to School Infrastructure Sales Tax | Amendment Rejected - Senate (20 - 30) |
| April 22, 2008 | IA | HF 2663 | Statewide Sales Tax Increase for School Infrastructure Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 11) |
| April 17, 2008 | IA | S 5377 to SF 2425 | Pregnancy Counseling and Support Services | Amendment Rejected - Senate (22 - 27) |
| April 17, 2008 | IA | SF 2425 | 2008-2009 Health and Human Services Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 16) |
| April 15, 2008 | IA | S 5355 to SF 2420 | State Funding of Road Projects | Amendment Rejected - Senate (17 - 32) |
| April 15, 2008 | IA | SF 2420 | Increasing Vehicle Registration Fees | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 14) |
| April 7, 2008 | IA | HF 2539 | Health Care Expansion Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 6) |
| March 24, 2008 | IA | HF 2645 | Public Employee Collective Bargaining and Teacher Termination Policy | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23) |
| March 19, 2008 | IA | SJR 2002 | Natural Resources Trust Fund | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (47 - 2) |
| March 10, 2008 | IA | HF 2359 | Veterans Trust Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| April 27, 2007 | IA | HF 920 | Univeristy Capital Improvement Bonds | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 10) |
| April 25, 2007 | IA | HF 909 | 2007-2008 Health and Human Services Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| April 25, 2007 | IA | SF 604 | Commercial Residential Property Tax Reduction | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 22) |
| April 19, 2007 | IA | SF 277 | Teacher Pay and Incentive Programs | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 14) |
| April 19, 2007 | IA | SF 599 | Iowa Power Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 13) |
| April 19, 2007 | IA | SF 596 | Electronic Downloads Tax Creation and Regulation Adjustments for Cigarette Retailers | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 20) |
| April 18, 2007 | IA | SF 588 | 2008-2009 Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 7) |
| April 18, 2007 | IA | HF 877 | Statewide Preschool Program | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 14) |
| April 16, 2007 | IA | SF 277 | Teacher Pay and Incentive Programs | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (43 - 7) |
| March 7, 2007 | IA | SF 128 | Tobacco Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14) |
| Feb. 14, 2007 | IA | SF 162 | Stem Cell Research and Penalties | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| May 3, 2006 | IA | HF 2540 | 2006-2007 Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (47 - 2) |
| May 2, 2006 | IA | SF 2408 | Elderly Income Tax Reduction | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 4) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/14 | SF 161 | Establishes the School Budget Growth for Fiscal Year 2014-2015 | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 22) |
| 2/14 | SF 162 | Establishes the School Budget Growth for Fiscal Year 2014-2015 | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 22) |
| 1/30 | SF 52 | Establishes the School Budget Growth for Fiscal Year 2013-2014 | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
| 5/08 | SF 2344 | Reduces Certain Business Property Taxes | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 23) |
| 5/08 | SF 2344 | Reduces Certain Business Property Taxes | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 23) |
| 4/12 | S 5206 | Prohibits State Funding For Abortions | Amendment Rejected - Senate (22 - 25) |
| 2/16 | SF 166 | Funding for Public Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| 3/30 | HF 2531 | Appropriations and Tax Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 16) |
| 3/29 | SF 2389 | Iowa Jobs II Program and Budget Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 17) |
| 3/22 | SF 2380 | Tax Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| 3/17 | SF 2380 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| 3/16 | SF 2376 | 2010-2011 Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 20) |
| 3/16 | SF 2378 | Increase in Fees for Traffic Violations | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 17) |
| 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) |
| 1/19 | 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) |
| 3/19 | SF 389 | Health Insurance Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| 2/24 | SF 218 | Growth Percentage for State School Foundation Program | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| 1/27 | SF 44 | Expediting Local-Option Tax Approval in Disaster Areas | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| 4/24 | SF 2432 | 2008-2009 Prison and Infrastructure Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 13) |
| 4/22 | S 5408 | Changes to School Infrastructure Sales Tax | Amendment Rejected - Senate (20 - 30) |
| 4/22 | HF 2663 | Statewide Sales Tax Increase for School Infrastructure Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 11) |
| 4/17 | S 5377 to SF 2425 | Pregnancy Counseling and Support Services | Amendment Rejected - Senate (22 - 27) |
| 4/17 | SF 2425 | 2008-2009 Health and Human Services Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 16) |
| 4/15 | S 5355 to SF 2420 | State Funding of Road Projects | Amendment Rejected - Senate (17 - 32) |
| 4/15 | SF 2420 | Increasing Vehicle Registration Fees | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 14) |
| 4/07 | HF 2539 | Health Care Expansion Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 6) |
| 3/24 | HF 2645 | Public Employee Collective Bargaining and Teacher Termination Policy | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23) |
| 3/19 | SJR 2002 | Natural Resources Trust Fund | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (47 - 2) |
| 3/10 | HF 2359 | Veterans Trust Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| 4/27 | HF 920 | Univeristy Capital Improvement Bonds | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 10) |
| 4/25 | HF 909 | 2007-2008 Health and Human Services Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| 4/25 | SF 604 | Commercial Residential Property Tax Reduction | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 22) |
| 4/19 | SF 277 | Teacher Pay and Incentive Programs | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 14) |
| 4/19 | SF 599 | Iowa Power Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 13) |
| 4/19 | SF 596 | Electronic Downloads Tax Creation and Regulation Adjustments for Cigarette Retailers | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 20) |
| 4/18 | SF 588 | 2008-2009 Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 7) |
| 4/18 | HF 877 | Statewide Preschool Program | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 14) |
| 4/16 | SF 277 | Teacher Pay and Incentive Programs | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (43 - 7) |
| 3/07 | SF 128 | Tobacco Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14) |
| 2/14 | SF 162 | Stem Cell Research and Penalties | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| 5/03 | HF 2540 | 2006-2007 Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (47 - 2) |
| 5/02 | SF 2408 | Elderly Income Tax Reduction | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 4) |