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 8, 2008 | IA | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 22) |
| April 8, 2008 | IA | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - House (54 - 45) |
| April 7, 2008 | IA | HF 2539 | Health Care Expansion Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 6) |
| March 31, 2008 | IA | HF 2145 | Mandatory HPV Vaccination Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 8) |
| March 20, 2008 | IA | HF 2145 | Mandatory HPV Vaccination Coverage | Bill Passed - House (81 - 16) |
| March 13, 2008 | IA | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (23 - 27) |
| March 12, 2008 | IA | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 40) |
| March 12, 2008 | IA | SF 2355 | Time Off to Attend Presidential Precinct Caucuses | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 10) |
| March 10, 2008 | IA | HF 2359 | Veterans Trust Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| March 5, 2008 | IA | HF 2359 | Veterans Trust Fund | Bill Passed - House (75 - 21) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | IA | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | IA | SF 2216 | State-Mandated Curriculum for Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 14) |
| Feb. 19, 2008 | IA | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - House (56 - 44) |
| April 25, 2007 | IA | SF 427 | Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity Discrimination | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 16) |
| April 25, 2007 | IA | SF 427 | Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity Discrimination | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 16) |
| April 25, 2007 | IA | SF 427 | Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity Discrimination | Bill Passed - House (59 - 37) |
| April 25, 2007 | IA | SF 427 | Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity Discrimination | Bill Passed - House (59 - 37) |
| April 18, 2007 | IA | S 3371 | Firearms for Campus Police | Amendment Rejected - Senate (25 - 25) |
| April 18, 2007 | IA | SF 263 | Land-Based Casinos | Bill Passed - House (71 - 26) |
| April 18, 2007 | IA | HF 877 | Statewide Preschool Program | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 14) |
| April 10, 2007 | IA | HF 611 | Research-Based Sex Education | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 19) |
| March 29, 2007 | IA | HF 611 | Research-Based Sex Education | Bill Passed - House (55 - 40) |
| March 28, 2007 | IA | HF 877 | Statewide Preschool Program | Bill Passed - House (56 - 43) |
| March 26, 2007 | IA | SF 427 | Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| March 26, 2007 | IA | SF 427 | Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| March 19, 2007 | IA | HF 5 | Maximum Title Loan Finance Charge | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 16) |
| Feb. 22, 2007 | IA | SF 61 | Harassment In Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (56 - 42) |
| Feb. 13, 2007 | IA | SF 61 | Harassment In Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 14) |
| Feb. 7, 2007 | IA | SF 61 | Harassment In Schools | Bill Passed - House (62 - 37) |
| Feb. 1, 2007 | IA | HF 5 | Maximum Title Loan Finance Charge | Bill Passed - House (84 - 12) |
| Jan. 30, 2007 | IA | SF 61 | Harassment In Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 14) |
| March 16, 2006 | IA | HF 2671 | Undocumented Immigrants Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (69 - 25) |
| March 7, 2006 | IA | HF 2558 | 2006-2007 Department of Justice, Corrections, Public Defense, and Public Safety Budget | Bill Passed - House (54 - 45) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/08 | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 22) |
| 4/08 | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - House (54 - 45) |
| 4/07 | HF 2539 | Health Care Expansion Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 6) |
| 3/31 | HF 2145 | Mandatory HPV Vaccination Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 8) |
| 3/20 | HF 2145 | Mandatory HPV Vaccination Coverage | Bill Passed - House (81 - 16) |
| 3/13 | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (23 - 27) |
| 3/12 | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 40) |
| 3/12 | SF 2355 | Time Off to Attend Presidential Precinct Caucuses | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 10) |
| 3/10 | HF 2359 | Veterans Trust Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| 3/05 | HF 2359 | Veterans Trust Fund | Bill Passed - House (75 - 21) |
| 2/27 | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21) |
| 2/26 | SF 2216 | State-Mandated Curriculum for Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 14) |
| 2/19 | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - House (56 - 44) |
| 4/25 | SF 427 | Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity Discrimination | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 16) |
| 4/25 | SF 427 | Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity Discrimination | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 16) |
| 4/25 | SF 427 | Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity Discrimination | Bill Passed - House (59 - 37) |
| 4/25 | SF 427 | Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity Discrimination | Bill Passed - House (59 - 37) |
| 4/18 | S 3371 | Firearms for Campus Police | Amendment Rejected - Senate (25 - 25) |
| 4/18 | SF 263 | Land-Based Casinos | Bill Passed - House (71 - 26) |
| 4/18 | HF 877 | Statewide Preschool Program | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 14) |
| 4/10 | HF 611 | Research-Based Sex Education | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 19) |
| 3/29 | HF 611 | Research-Based Sex Education | Bill Passed - House (55 - 40) |
| 3/28 | HF 877 | Statewide Preschool Program | Bill Passed - House (56 - 43) |
| 3/26 | SF 427 | Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| 3/26 | SF 427 | Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| 3/19 | HF 5 | Maximum Title Loan Finance Charge | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 16) |
| 2/22 | SF 61 | Harassment In Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (56 - 42) |
| 2/13 | SF 61 | Harassment In Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 14) |
| 2/07 | SF 61 | Harassment In Schools | Bill Passed - House (62 - 37) |
| 2/01 | HF 5 | Maximum Title Loan Finance Charge | Bill Passed - House (84 - 12) |
| 1/30 | SF 61 | Harassment In Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 14) |
| 3/16 | HF 2671 | Undocumented Immigrants Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (69 - 25) |
| 3/07 | HF 2558 | 2006-2007 Department of Justice, Corrections, Public Defense, and Public Safety Budget | Bill Passed - House (54 - 45) |