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 5, 2012 | IA | SF 2304 | Requires DNA Samples from all Individuals Convicted of Certain Misdemeanors | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
| Feb. 28, 2012 | IA | HF 589 | Prohibits Obtaining Employment at Agriculture Facilities Under False Pretenses | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 10) |
| April 20, 2011 | IA | SF 526 | Requires a Study to Weigh Outcomes of Authorizing Online Poker in Iowa | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 12) |
| March 22, 2011 | IA | SF 464 | Establishment of an Open Season for Hunting Mourning Doves | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| March 29, 2010 | IA | SF 2379 | Requiring County Sheriffs to Issue Concealed Weapons Permits to Qualified Applicants | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 4) |
| March 27, 2010 | IA | Amdt 5371 | Authorizing Qualified Individuals to Conceal Weapons Without a Permit | Amendment Rejected - Senate (20 - 28) |
| March 23, 2010 | IA | HF 2456 | Texting While Driving Ban | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 12) |
| March 11, 2010 | IA | SF 2357 | Prohibiting Firearm Possession by Domestic Violence Perpetrators | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 12) |
| March 11, 2010 | IA | SF 2357 | Prohibiting Firearm Possession by Domestic Violence Perpetrators | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 12) |
| March 11, 2010 | IA | SF 2357 | Prohibiting Firearm Possession by Domestic Violence Perpetrators | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 12) |
| March 8, 2010 | IA | HF 788 | Prohibiting Liquor Licensees from Permitting Criminal Activity Adjacent to Their Premises | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| March 19, 2009 | IA | SF 389 | Health Insurance Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| Feb. 16, 2009 | IA | SF 137 | Wage Discrimination Policy and Penalties | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| April 24, 2008 | IA | SF 2432 | 2008-2009 Prison and Infrastructure Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 13) |
| April 17, 2008 | IA | S 5377 to SF 2425 | Pregnancy Counseling and Support Services | Amendment Rejected - Senate (22 - 27) |
| April 8, 2008 | IA | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 22) |
| 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 13, 2008 | IA | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (23 - 27) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 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 18, 2007 | IA | S 3371 | Firearms for Campus Police | Amendment Rejected - Senate (25 - 25) |
| 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 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. 13, 2007 | IA | SF 61 | Harassment In Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 14) |
| Jan. 30, 2007 | IA | SF 61 | Harassment In Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 14) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/05 | SF 2304 | Requires DNA Samples from all Individuals Convicted of Certain Misdemeanors | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
| 2/28 | HF 589 | Prohibits Obtaining Employment at Agriculture Facilities Under False Pretenses | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 10) |
| 4/20 | SF 526 | Requires a Study to Weigh Outcomes of Authorizing Online Poker in Iowa | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 12) |
| 3/22 | SF 464 | Establishment of an Open Season for Hunting Mourning Doves | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| 3/29 | SF 2379 | Requiring County Sheriffs to Issue Concealed Weapons Permits to Qualified Applicants | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 4) |
| 3/27 | Amdt 5371 | Authorizing Qualified Individuals to Conceal Weapons Without a Permit | Amendment Rejected - Senate (20 - 28) |
| 3/23 | HF 2456 | Texting While Driving Ban | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 12) |
| 3/11 | SF 2357 | Prohibiting Firearm Possession by Domestic Violence Perpetrators | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 12) |
| 3/11 | SF 2357 | Prohibiting Firearm Possession by Domestic Violence Perpetrators | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 12) |
| 3/11 | SF 2357 | Prohibiting Firearm Possession by Domestic Violence Perpetrators | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 12) |
| 3/08 | HF 788 | Prohibiting Liquor Licensees from Permitting Criminal Activity Adjacent to Their Premises | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| 3/19 | SF 389 | Health Insurance Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| 2/16 | SF 137 | Wage Discrimination Policy and Penalties | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| 4/24 | SF 2432 | 2008-2009 Prison and Infrastructure Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 13) |
| 4/17 | S 5377 to SF 2425 | Pregnancy Counseling and Support Services | Amendment Rejected - Senate (22 - 27) |
| 4/08 | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 22) |
| 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) |
| 3/13 | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (23 - 27) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 4/18 | S 3371 | Firearms for Campus Police | Amendment Rejected - Senate (25 - 25) |
| 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) |
| 3/26 | 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) |
| 2/13 | SF 61 | Harassment In Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 14) |
| 1/30 | SF 61 | Harassment In Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 14) |