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 22, 2014 | LA | HB 1091 | Prohibits the Transportation of Dogs in the Bed of a Pickup Truck on Interstates | Bill Passed - House (53 - 34) |
| April 15, 2014 | LA | HB 12 | Repeals Certain "Crimes Against Nature" | Bill Failed - House (27 - 67) |
| April 9, 2014 | LA | HB 72 | Authorizes the Concealed Carry of Weapons in Restaurants That Serve Alcohol | Bill Passed - House (79 - 19) |
| June 3, 2013 | LA | SB 153 | Requires Equal Pay for State Employees | Bill Passed - House (86 - 12) |
| June 3, 2013 | LA | SB 188 | Increases Judicial Pay | Bill Passed - House (79 - 18) |
| June 3, 2013 | LA | SB 5 | Repeals Mandatory Retirement Age for Judges | Amendment Rejected - House (63 - 33) |
| June 2, 2013 | LA | SB 162 | Authorizes Surrogacy Contracts | Conference Report Adopted - House (85 - 12) |
| May 29, 2013 | LA | HB 103 | Reduces Penalties for Marijuana Possession | Bill Passed - House (54 - 38) |
| May 6, 2013 | LA | HB 45 | Establishes Licenses for the In-State Sale and Manufacture of Firearms | Bill Passed - House (77 - 20) |
| April 24, 2013 | LA | HB 265 | Establishes Lifetime Concealed Handgun Permits | Bill Passed - House (65 - 19) |
| April 23, 2013 | LA | HB 8 | Prohibits Disclosure of Concealed Firearm Permit Information | Bill Passed - House (76 - 18) |
| April 23, 2013 | LA | HB 5 | Prohibits the Enforcement of Federal Firearm Regulations | Bill Passed - House (67 - 25) |
| June 4, 2012 | LA | SCR 99 | Funding for Public and Private Schools | Conference Report Adopted - House (51 - 49) |
| May 30, 2012 | LA | HB 61 | Amends State Workers Pensions | Conference Report Adopted - House (68 - 36) |
| May 24, 2012 | LA | SB 303 | Limits Gun Regulations | Bill Passed - House (77 - 22) |
| May 17, 2012 | LA | HB 822 | Authorizes the Transfer of Funds Among State Agencies | Bill Passed - House (63 - 38) |
| May 15, 2012 | LA | HB 380 | Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - House (65 - 26) |
| May 2, 2012 | LA | HB 695 | Prohibits the Use of Phones While Driving | Bill Passed - House (68 - 29) |
| April 30, 2012 | LA | HB 1072 | Tax Incentives for a Franchise of the NBA | Bill Passed - House (60 - 41) |
| April 5, 2012 | LA | HB 976 | Amends School Voucher Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 43) |
| April 5, 2012 | LA | HB 974 | Amends Teacher Tenure Policy | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 43) |
| April 4, 2012 | LA | HB 209 | Reduces Voting Hours | Bill Passed - House (60 - 41) |
| March 27, 2012 | LA | HB 969 | Establishes Tax Deductions for Donating to Scholarship Programs | Bill Passed - House (66 - 37) |
| March 23, 2012 | LA | HB 974 | Amends Teacher Tenure Policy | Bill Passed - House (64 - 40) |
| March 22, 2012 | LA | HB 976 | Amends School Voucher Program | Bill Passed - House (62 - 43) |
| June 23, 2011 | LA | SB 259 | Establishes a Commission to Repeal Income Taxes | Motion Rejected - House (46 - 32) |
| June 16, 2011 | LA | HB 591 | Permanent Cigarette Tax | Veto Override Failed - House (58 - 44) |
| June 14, 2011 | LA | SB 6 | Teacher Retirement | Bill Passed - House (57 - 28) |
| June 9, 2011 | LA | HB 338 | Prohibits Handheld Cellular Devices While Driving | Bill Failed - House (33 - 55) |
| June 7, 2011 | LA | HB 138 | Parole Eligibility for Elderly Inmates | Bill Passed - House (65 - 25) |
| May 24, 2011 | LA | HB 591 | Permanent Cigarette Tax | Bill Passed - House (70 - 30) |
| May 19, 2011 | LA | HB 112 | Bullying in Public Schools | Bill Failed - House (43 - 54) |
| May 17, 2011 | LA | HB 7 | Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - House (67 - 26) |
| May 4, 2011 | LA | HB 52 | Increasing New Orleans Traffic Court Costs | Bill Failed - House (49 - 22) |
| April 25, 2011 | LA | HB 338 | Prohibits Handheld Cellular Devices While Driving | |
| April 13, 2011 | LA | HB 6 | Congressional Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (64 - 35) |
| April 11, 2011 | LA | SB 1 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (71 - 28) |
| June 21, 2010 | LA | SB 65 | Coastal Zone Expansion | Conference Report Adopted - House (70 - 17) |
| June 20, 2010 | LA | HB 671 | Evacuee Requirements for Running for Office | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 24) |
| June 20, 2010 | LA | HB 519 | Limiting "Retire-Rehire" Benefits in Public Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (71 - 19) |
| June 20, 2010 | LA | HB 1171 | Standards for Colleges and Universities | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (74 - 23) |
| June 18, 2010 | LA | SB 584 | Louisiana Statewide Education Facilities Authority | Bill Passed - House (75 - 23) |
| June 18, 2010 | LA | SB 381 | Establishing "Crime Against Nature by Solicitation" | Bill Passed - House (80 - 10) |
| June 17, 2010 | LA | HB 1272 | Authorizing Handguns in of Places of Worship | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (65 - 26) |
| June 16, 2010 | LA | HB 1410 | Establishing the Louisiana Interstate Rail Compact | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 33) |
| June 16, 2010 | LA | HB 303 | Authorizing Home School Student Athletic Participation | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (82 - 13) |
| June 9, 2010 | LA | HCR 67 | Requesting Constitutional Convention for Limiting Congressional Authority | Resolution Passed - House (59 - 32) |
| June 9, 2010 | LA | HCR 64 | Requesting Constitutional Convention for Limiting Congressional Authority | Resolution Passed - House (52 - 32) |
| June 9, 2010 | LA | HCR 57 | Requesting Constitutional Convention for Presidential Line-Item Veto | Resolution Passed - House (77 - 12) |
| June 9, 2010 | LA | HCR 65 | Requesting Constitutional Convention for Debt Reduction Requirements | Resolution Passed - House (74 - 19) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/22 | HB 1091 | Prohibits the Transportation of Dogs in the Bed of a Pickup Truck on Interstates | Bill Passed - House (53 - 34) |
| 4/15 | HB 12 | Repeals Certain "Crimes Against Nature" | Bill Failed - House (27 - 67) |
| 4/09 | HB 72 | Authorizes the Concealed Carry of Weapons in Restaurants That Serve Alcohol | Bill Passed - House (79 - 19) |
| 6/03 | SB 153 | Requires Equal Pay for State Employees | Bill Passed - House (86 - 12) |
| 6/03 | SB 188 | Increases Judicial Pay | Bill Passed - House (79 - 18) |
| 6/03 | SB 5 | Repeals Mandatory Retirement Age for Judges | Amendment Rejected - House (63 - 33) |
| 6/02 | SB 162 | Authorizes Surrogacy Contracts | Conference Report Adopted - House (85 - 12) |
| 5/29 | HB 103 | Reduces Penalties for Marijuana Possession | Bill Passed - House (54 - 38) |
| 5/06 | HB 45 | Establishes Licenses for the In-State Sale and Manufacture of Firearms | Bill Passed - House (77 - 20) |
| 4/24 | HB 265 | Establishes Lifetime Concealed Handgun Permits | Bill Passed - House (65 - 19) |
| 4/23 | HB 8 | Prohibits Disclosure of Concealed Firearm Permit Information | Bill Passed - House (76 - 18) |
| 4/23 | HB 5 | Prohibits the Enforcement of Federal Firearm Regulations | Bill Passed - House (67 - 25) |
| 6/04 | SCR 99 | Funding for Public and Private Schools | Conference Report Adopted - House (51 - 49) |
| 5/30 | HB 61 | Amends State Workers Pensions | Conference Report Adopted - House (68 - 36) |
| 5/24 | SB 303 | Limits Gun Regulations | Bill Passed - House (77 - 22) |
| 5/17 | HB 822 | Authorizes the Transfer of Funds Among State Agencies | Bill Passed - House (63 - 38) |
| 5/15 | HB 380 | Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - House (65 - 26) |
| 5/02 | HB 695 | Prohibits the Use of Phones While Driving | Bill Passed - House (68 - 29) |
| 4/30 | HB 1072 | Tax Incentives for a Franchise of the NBA | Bill Passed - House (60 - 41) |
| 4/05 | HB 976 | Amends School Voucher Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 43) |
| 4/05 | HB 974 | Amends Teacher Tenure Policy | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 43) |
| 4/04 | HB 209 | Reduces Voting Hours | Bill Passed - House (60 - 41) |
| 3/27 | HB 969 | Establishes Tax Deductions for Donating to Scholarship Programs | Bill Passed - House (66 - 37) |
| 3/23 | HB 974 | Amends Teacher Tenure Policy | Bill Passed - House (64 - 40) |
| 3/22 | HB 976 | Amends School Voucher Program | Bill Passed - House (62 - 43) |
| 6/23 | SB 259 | Establishes a Commission to Repeal Income Taxes | Motion Rejected - House (46 - 32) |
| 6/16 | HB 591 | Permanent Cigarette Tax | Veto Override Failed - House (58 - 44) |
| 6/14 | SB 6 | Teacher Retirement | Bill Passed - House (57 - 28) |
| 6/09 | HB 338 | Prohibits Handheld Cellular Devices While Driving | Bill Failed - House (33 - 55) |
| 6/07 | HB 138 | Parole Eligibility for Elderly Inmates | Bill Passed - House (65 - 25) |
| 5/24 | HB 591 | Permanent Cigarette Tax | Bill Passed - House (70 - 30) |
| 5/19 | HB 112 | Bullying in Public Schools | Bill Failed - House (43 - 54) |
| 5/17 | HB 7 | Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - House (67 - 26) |
| 5/04 | HB 52 | Increasing New Orleans Traffic Court Costs | Bill Failed - House (49 - 22) |
| 4/25 | HB 338 | Prohibits Handheld Cellular Devices While Driving | |
| 4/13 | HB 6 | Congressional Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (64 - 35) |
| 4/11 | SB 1 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (71 - 28) |
| 6/21 | SB 65 | Coastal Zone Expansion | Conference Report Adopted - House (70 - 17) |
| 6/20 | HB 671 | Evacuee Requirements for Running for Office | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 24) |
| 6/20 | HB 519 | Limiting "Retire-Rehire" Benefits in Public Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (71 - 19) |
| 6/20 | HB 1171 | Standards for Colleges and Universities | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (74 - 23) |
| 6/18 | SB 584 | Louisiana Statewide Education Facilities Authority | Bill Passed - House (75 - 23) |
| 6/18 | SB 381 | Establishing "Crime Against Nature by Solicitation" | Bill Passed - House (80 - 10) |
| 6/17 | HB 1272 | Authorizing Handguns in of Places of Worship | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (65 - 26) |
| 6/16 | HB 1410 | Establishing the Louisiana Interstate Rail Compact | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 33) |
| 6/16 | HB 303 | Authorizing Home School Student Athletic Participation | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (82 - 13) |
| 6/09 | HCR 67 | Requesting Constitutional Convention for Limiting Congressional Authority | Resolution Passed - House (59 - 32) |
| 6/09 | HCR 64 | Requesting Constitutional Convention for Limiting Congressional Authority | Resolution Passed - House (52 - 32) |
| 6/09 | HCR 57 | Requesting Constitutional Convention for Presidential Line-Item Veto | Resolution Passed - House (77 - 12) |
| 6/09 | HCR 65 | Requesting Constitutional Convention for Debt Reduction Requirements | Resolution Passed - House (74 - 19) |