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 28, 2012 | MN | HF 2795 | Expands Gambling | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 18) |
| April 24, 2012 | MN | SF 1694 | Authorizes the Sale of Certain Fireworks | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (48 - 17) |
| April 23, 2012 | MN | HF 2341 | Requires Physicians to Administer Abortion Drugs In Person | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 25) |
| April 18, 2012 | MN | SF 1921 | Increases Requirements for Abortion Providers | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 23) |
| April 5, 2012 | MN | HF 2738 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 29) |
| April 2, 2012 | MN | HF 2083 | Requires State Reserve Funds to be Used to Reduce School Debt | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 28) |
| March 19, 2012 | MN | HF 545 | Requires State Budget to Include Federal Insolvency Contingency Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 12) |
| Feb. 27, 2012 | MN | HF 1870 | Authorizes School Districts to Dismiss Teachers Based on Performance | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 26) |
| Feb. 23, 2012 | MN | HF 1467 | Expands the Use of Deadly Force in Self-Defense | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 23) |
| Jan. 30, 2012 | MN | Anderson Nomination | Confirmation of Ellen Anderson as Public Utilities Commissioner | Motion Rejected - Senate (29 - 37) |
| July 19, 2011 | MN | HF 20 | 2011-2013 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 27) |
| July 19, 2011 | MN | HF 25 | 2011-2013 Health and Human Services Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 27) |
| July 19, 2011 | MN | HF 26 | 2011-2013 Biennium Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 28) |
| July 19, 2011 | MN | HF 4 | Higher Education Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 30) |
| July 19, 2011 | MN | SF 2 | 2011-2013 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 23) |
| May 18, 2011 | MN | SF 760 | 2011-2012 Health and Human Services Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (36 - 28) |
| May 17, 2011 | MN | HF 1425 | Legislative Redistricting Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 29) |
| May 17, 2011 | MN | HF 1426 | Congressional Redistricting Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 28) |
| May 11, 2011 | MN | SF 1308 | Prohibiting Same-Sex Marriage | Amendment Adopted - Senate (38 - 27) |
| March 3, 2011 | MN | SF 40 | Amends Licensing and Codes for Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (46 - 19) |
| Feb. 24, 2011 | MN | HF 1 | Environmental Review Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 16) |
| Feb. 3, 2011 | MN | HF 130 | 2010-2013 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 27) |
| Feb. 3, 2011 | MN | SF 40 | Amends Licensing and Codes for Education | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 23) |
| Feb. 2, 2011 | MN | SF 4 | Repealing the Ban on Construction of New Nuclear Power Plants | Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 14) |
| Jan. 24, 2011 | MN | SF 86 | Repeals Carbon Dioxide Emissions Prohibition |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/28 | HF 2795 | Expands Gambling | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 18) |
| 4/24 | SF 1694 | Authorizes the Sale of Certain Fireworks | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (48 - 17) |
| 4/23 | HF 2341 | Requires Physicians to Administer Abortion Drugs In Person | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 25) |
| 4/18 | SF 1921 | Increases Requirements for Abortion Providers | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 23) |
| 4/05 | HF 2738 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 29) |
| 4/02 | HF 2083 | Requires State Reserve Funds to be Used to Reduce School Debt | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 28) |
| 3/19 | HF 545 | Requires State Budget to Include Federal Insolvency Contingency Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 12) |
| 2/27 | HF 1870 | Authorizes School Districts to Dismiss Teachers Based on Performance | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 26) |
| 2/23 | HF 1467 | Expands the Use of Deadly Force in Self-Defense | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 23) |
| 1/30 | Anderson Nomination | Confirmation of Ellen Anderson as Public Utilities Commissioner | Motion Rejected - Senate (29 - 37) |
| 7/19 | HF 20 | 2011-2013 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 27) |
| 7/19 | HF 25 | 2011-2013 Health and Human Services Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 27) |
| 7/19 | HF 26 | 2011-2013 Biennium Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 28) |
| 7/19 | HF 4 | Higher Education Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 30) |
| 7/19 | SF 2 | 2011-2013 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 23) |
| 5/18 | SF 760 | 2011-2012 Health and Human Services Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (36 - 28) |
| 5/17 | HF 1425 | Legislative Redistricting Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 29) |
| 5/17 | HF 1426 | Congressional Redistricting Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 28) |
| 5/11 | SF 1308 | Prohibiting Same-Sex Marriage | Amendment Adopted - Senate (38 - 27) |
| 3/03 | SF 40 | Amends Licensing and Codes for Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (46 - 19) |
| 2/24 | HF 1 | Environmental Review Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 16) |
| 2/03 | HF 130 | 2010-2013 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 27) |
| 2/03 | SF 40 | Amends Licensing and Codes for Education | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 23) |
| 2/02 | SF 4 | Repealing the Ban on Construction of New Nuclear Power Plants | Bill Passed - Senate (50 - 14) |
| 1/24 | SF 86 | Repeals Carbon Dioxide Emissions Prohibition |