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 4, 2009 | MN | SF 97 | Legalizing Medical Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 29) |
| May 4, 2009 | MN | SF 97 | Legalizing Medical Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 29) |
| April 17, 2009 | MN | SF 2083 | 2009-2011 Biennium Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 23) |
| April 2, 2009 | MN | Ending Prohibition on New Nuclear Power Plants | Amendment Adopted - Senate (42 - 24) | |
| May 15, 2008 | MN | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 22) |
| May 13, 2008 | MN | SF 2965 | Surrogate Mother Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 22) |
| May 13, 2008 | MN | SF 2965 | Surrogate Mother Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 22) |
| May 12, 2008 | MN | HF 3391 | Health Care Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 13) |
| April 30, 2008 | MN | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 21) |
| March 31, 2008 | MN | SF 3099 | Health Improvement Program | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 23) |
| March 27, 2008 | MN | Marty Amnd. | Health Improvement Program Amendments | Amendment Rejected - Senate (32 - 33) |
| March 6, 2008 | MN | HF 380 | Capital Improvements Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (57 - 9) |
| Feb. 14, 2008 | MN | HF 2285 | Funding for Natural Resources and Cultural Heritage | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (46 - 17) |
| May 19, 2007 | MN | HF 464 | School District Health Insurance Pool | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 16) |
| May 11, 2007 | MN | SF 238 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (43 - 21) |
| May 7, 2007 | MN | SF 2171 | 2008-2009 Health and Human Services Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (47 - 19) |
| May 3, 2007 | MN | SF 345 | Medical Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 29) |
| May 3, 2007 | MN | SF 345 | Medical Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 29) |
| April 27, 2007 | MN | SF 100 | Public Funding for Stem Cell Research | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 26) |
| March 29, 2007 | MN | SF 2171 | 2008-2009 Health and Human Services Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 23) |
| March 28, 2007 | MN | SF 276 | School District Health Insurance Pool | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 23) |
| March 27, 2007 | MN | SF 238 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 24) |
| May 20, 2006 | MN | SF 762 | Clean Water Legacy Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 12) |
| April 3, 2006 | MN | SF 2734 | Sales Tax Dedicated to the Environment and the Arts Constitutional Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (42 - 22) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/04 | SF 97 | Legalizing Medical Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 29) |
| 5/04 | SF 97 | Legalizing Medical Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 29) |
| 4/17 | SF 2083 | 2009-2011 Biennium Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 23) |
| 4/02 | Ending Prohibition on New Nuclear Power Plants | Amendment Adopted - Senate (42 - 24) | |
| 5/15 | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 22) |
| 5/13 | SF 2965 | Surrogate Mother Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 22) |
| 5/13 | SF 2965 | Surrogate Mother Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 22) |
| 5/12 | HF 3391 | Health Care Reform Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 13) |
| 4/30 | HF 3195 | Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cap and Trade Program Report | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 21) |
| 3/31 | SF 3099 | Health Improvement Program | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 23) |
| 3/27 | Marty Amnd. | Health Improvement Program Amendments | Amendment Rejected - Senate (32 - 33) |
| 3/06 | HF 380 | Capital Improvements Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (57 - 9) |
| 2/14 | HF 2285 | Funding for Natural Resources and Cultural Heritage | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (46 - 17) |
| 5/19 | HF 464 | School District Health Insurance Pool | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 16) |
| 5/11 | SF 238 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (43 - 21) |
| 5/07 | SF 2171 | 2008-2009 Health and Human Services Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (47 - 19) |
| 5/03 | SF 345 | Medical Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 29) |
| 5/03 | SF 345 | Medical Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 29) |
| 4/27 | SF 100 | Public Funding for Stem Cell Research | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 26) |
| 3/29 | SF 2171 | 2008-2009 Health and Human Services Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 23) |
| 3/28 | SF 276 | School District Health Insurance Pool | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 23) |
| 3/27 | SF 238 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 24) |
| 5/20 | SF 762 | Clean Water Legacy Act | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (52 - 12) |
| 4/03 | SF 2734 | Sales Tax Dedicated to the Environment and the Arts Constitutional Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (42 - 22) |