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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 16, 2007 | IA | SF 277 | Teacher Pay and Incentive Programs | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (43 - 7) |
| April 5, 2007 | IA | SF 277 | Teacher Pay and Incentive Programs | Bill Passed - House (90 - 7) |
| March 28, 2007 | IA | HF 877 | Statewide Preschool Program | Bill Passed - House (56 - 43) |
| March 28, 2007 | IA | SF 430 | Recognition of Tribal Court Decisions | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20) |
| March 27, 2007 | IA | HF 653 | Election Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20) |
| March 20, 2007 | IA | HF 653 | Election Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - House (54 - 45) |
| March 13, 2007 | IA | SF 128 | Tobacco Tax Increase | Bill Passed - House (58 - 40) |
| March 7, 2007 | IA | SF 128 | Tobacco Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14) |
| Feb. 22, 2007 | IA | SF 162 | Stem Cell Research and Penalties | Bill Passed - House (52 - 46) |
| 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 - House (62 - 32) |
| 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 - House (89 - 6) |
| May 2, 2006 | IA | SF 2408 | Elderly Income Tax Reduction | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 4) |
| March 22, 2006 | IA | HF 2597 | Voter Identification Act | Bill Passed - House (51 - 48) |
| March 15, 2006 | IA | H-8178 | Preschool Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (46 - 51) |
| March 15, 2006 | IA | H-8172 | Teacher Salary Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (46 - 51) |
| March 15, 2006 | IA | HF 2527 | 2006-2007 Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (53 - 44) |
| March 7, 2006 | IA | HF 2558 | 2006-2007 Department of Justice, Corrections, Public Defense, and Public Safety Budget | Bill Passed - House (54 - 45) |
| March 7, 2006 | IA | HF 2558 | 2006-2007 Department of Justice, Corrections, Public Defense, and Public Safety Budget | Bill Passed - House (54 - 45) |
| March 6, 2006 | IA | HF 2540 | 2006-2007 Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget | Bill Passed - House (52 - 47) |
| Jan. 31, 2006 | IA | HF 2045 | Senior Citizen Tax Revision | Bill Passed - House (81 - 18) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/16 | SF 277 | Teacher Pay and Incentive Programs | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (43 - 7) |
| 4/05 | SF 277 | Teacher Pay and Incentive Programs | Bill Passed - House (90 - 7) |
| 3/28 | HF 877 | Statewide Preschool Program | Bill Passed - House (56 - 43) |
| 3/28 | SF 430 | Recognition of Tribal Court Decisions | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20) |
| 3/27 | HF 653 | Election Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20) |
| 3/20 | HF 653 | Election Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - House (54 - 45) |
| 3/13 | SF 128 | Tobacco Tax Increase | Bill Passed - House (58 - 40) |
| 3/07 | SF 128 | Tobacco Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14) |
| 2/22 | SF 162 | Stem Cell Research and Penalties | Bill Passed - House (52 - 46) |
| 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 - House (62 - 32) |
| 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 - House (89 - 6) |
| 5/02 | SF 2408 | Elderly Income Tax Reduction | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 4) |
| 3/22 | HF 2597 | Voter Identification Act | Bill Passed - House (51 - 48) |
| 3/15 | H-8178 | Preschool Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (46 - 51) |
| 3/15 | H-8172 | Teacher Salary Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (46 - 51) |
| 3/15 | HF 2527 | 2006-2007 Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (53 - 44) |
| 3/07 | HF 2558 | 2006-2007 Department of Justice, Corrections, Public Defense, and Public Safety Budget | Bill Passed - House (54 - 45) |
| 3/07 | HF 2558 | 2006-2007 Department of Justice, Corrections, Public Defense, and Public Safety Budget | Bill Passed - House (54 - 45) |
| 3/06 | HF 2540 | 2006-2007 Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget | Bill Passed - House (52 - 47) |
| 1/31 | HF 2045 | Senior Citizen Tax Revision | Bill Passed - House (81 - 18) |