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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 11, 2015 | MN | SF 455 | Amends Elections Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 28) |
| April 23, 2015 | MN | SF 878 | Authorizes Gun Silencers and Expands Ex-Felon Voting Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 22) |
| Feb. 26, 2015 | MN | SF 174 | Requires Legislative Approval for Certain Salary Increases | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 29) |
| Feb. 26, 2015 | MN | SF 174 | Requires Legislative Approval for Certain Salary Increases | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 29) |
| May 13, 2014 | MN | HF 3169 | Establishes a Legislative Salary Council | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 25) |
| May 13, 2014 | MN | HF 3169 | Establishes a Legislative Salary Council | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 25) |
| May 2, 2014 | MN | SF 2099 | Requires Political Contributions by Corporations to be Subject to the Individual Income Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 23) |
| April 29, 2014 | MN | HF 2096 | Authorizes Online Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 24) |
| May 19, 2013 | MN | HF 1823 | Establishes Council to Review Legislative Pay Changes | Amendment Adopted - Senate (43 - 23) |
| May 19, 2013 | MN | HF 1823 | Establishes Council to Review Legislative Pay Changes | Amendment Adopted - Senate (43 - 23) |
| May 19, 2013 | MN | HF 1823 | Establishes Council to Review Legislative Pay Changes | Amendment Adopted - Senate (43 - 23) |
| April 16, 2013 | MN | SF 1589 | Increases Legislator Salaries | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 32) |
| April 16, 2013 | MN | SF 1589 | Increases Legislator Salaries | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 32) |
| March 18, 2013 | MN | HF 5 | Establishes the Minnesota Health Insurance Exchange | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (39 - 28) |
| March 7, 2013 | MN | HF 5 | Establishes the Minnesota Health Insurance Exchange | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 28) |
| Feb. 14, 2013 | MN | HF 9 | Expands Medicaid Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 22) |
| Feb. 14, 2013 | MN | HF 9 | Expands Medicaid Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 22) |
| May 3, 2012 | MN | HF 2337 | Amends Property Taxes | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 25) |
| April 5, 2012 | MN | HF 2738 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 29) |
| April 5, 2012 | MN | HF 2738 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 29) |
| March 19, 2012 | MN | HF 545 | Requires State Budget to Include Federal Insolvency Contingency Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 12) |
| 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 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) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/11 | SF 455 | Amends Elections Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 28) |
| 4/23 | SF 878 | Authorizes Gun Silencers and Expands Ex-Felon Voting Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 22) |
| 2/26 | SF 174 | Requires Legislative Approval for Certain Salary Increases | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 29) |
| 2/26 | SF 174 | Requires Legislative Approval for Certain Salary Increases | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 29) |
| 5/13 | HF 3169 | Establishes a Legislative Salary Council | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 25) |
| 5/13 | HF 3169 | Establishes a Legislative Salary Council | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 25) |
| 5/02 | SF 2099 | Requires Political Contributions by Corporations to be Subject to the Individual Income Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 23) |
| 4/29 | HF 2096 | Authorizes Online Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 24) |
| 5/19 | HF 1823 | Establishes Council to Review Legislative Pay Changes | Amendment Adopted - Senate (43 - 23) |
| 5/19 | HF 1823 | Establishes Council to Review Legislative Pay Changes | Amendment Adopted - Senate (43 - 23) |
| 5/19 | HF 1823 | Establishes Council to Review Legislative Pay Changes | Amendment Adopted - Senate (43 - 23) |
| 4/16 | SF 1589 | Increases Legislator Salaries | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 32) |
| 4/16 | SF 1589 | Increases Legislator Salaries | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 32) |
| 3/18 | HF 5 | Establishes the Minnesota Health Insurance Exchange | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (39 - 28) |
| 3/07 | HF 5 | Establishes the Minnesota Health Insurance Exchange | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 28) |
| 2/14 | HF 9 | Expands Medicaid Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 22) |
| 2/14 | HF 9 | Expands Medicaid Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 22) |
| 5/03 | HF 2337 | Amends Property Taxes | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 25) |
| 4/05 | HF 2738 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 29) |
| 4/05 | HF 2738 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 29) |
| 3/19 | HF 545 | Requires State Budget to Include Federal Insolvency Contingency Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 12) |
| 5/17 | HF 1425 | Legislative Redistricting Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 29) |
| 5/17 | HF 1426 | Congressional Redistricting Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 28) |
| 5/17 | HF 1426 | Congressional Redistricting Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 28) |
| 5/11 | SF 1308 | Prohibiting Same-Sex Marriage | Amendment Adopted - Senate (38 - 27) |