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 6, 2013 | MS | SB 2687 | Prohibits Local Government Management of Nutrition Labeling | Bill Passed - House (92 - 26) |
| May 3, 2012 | MS | JR 201 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (70 - 50) |
| May 3, 2012 | MS | JR 201 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (70 - 50) |
| May 2, 2012 | MS | HB 211 | Authorizes Certian Officials to Hire Their Own Lawyers | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (34 - 18) |
| May 2, 2012 | MS | JR 1 | State House Redistricting | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (38 - 14) |
| May 2, 2012 | MS | JR 1 | State House Redistricting | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (38 - 14) |
| May 2, 2012 | MS | JR 201 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 5) |
| May 2, 2012 | MS | JR 201 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 5) |
| May 1, 2012 | MS | HB 211 | Authorizes Certian Officials to Hire Their Own Lawyers | Conference Report Adopted - House (63 - 56) |
| April 26, 2012 | MS | HB 921 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 39) |
| April 26, 2012 | MS | JR 1 | State House Redistricting | Joint Resolution Passed - House (70 - 50) |
| April 26, 2012 | MS | JR 1 | State House Redistricting | Joint Resolution Passed - House (70 - 50) |
| April 10, 2012 | MS | HB 921 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14) |
| Feb. 15, 2012 | MS | HB 211 | Amends the Rules Regarding Hiring Outside Counsel | Bill Passed - House (59 - 56) |
| April 6, 2011 | MS | SCR 692 | Redistricting the State House and Senate | Bill Passed - House (63 - 53) |
| April 6, 2011 | MS | SCR 692 | Redistricting the State House and Senate | Bill Passed - House (63 - 53) |
| March 4, 2011 | MS | JR 1 | Redistricting for House of Representatives | Bill Passed - House (66 - 56) |
| March 4, 2011 | MS | JR 1 | Redistricting for House of Representatives | Bill Passed - House (66 - 56) |
| Feb. 18, 2010 | MS | SB 2688 | Restoring 2009-2010 Budget Cuts | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 22) |
| Feb. 11, 2010 | MS | SB 2688 | Restoring 2009-2010 Budget Cuts | Bill Passed - House (106 - 14) |
| Feb. 3, 2010 | MS | HB 959 | Sale of State Plane | Bill Passed - House (65 - 55) |
| Feb. 3, 2010 | MS | HB 959 | Sale of State Plane | Bill Passed - House (65 - 55) |
| Jan. 19, 2010 | MS | HB 392 | Limiting Gubernatorial Budget Reductions | Bill Passed - House (70 - 49) |
| Jan. 19, 2010 | MS | HB 392 | Limiting Gubernatorial Budget Reductions | Bill Passed - House (70 - 49) |
| Feb. 11, 2009 | MS | HB 1533 | Election Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (78 - 44) |
| Feb. 4, 2009 | MS | SB 2548 | Identification Requirements to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| Jan. 29, 2009 | MS | HB 364 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| Jan. 22, 2009 | MS | HB 1090 | Increasing Public Utilities Staff Oversight | Bill Passed - House (64 - 53) |
| Jan. 14, 2009 | MS | HB 364 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - House (81 - 39) |
| Jan. 7, 2009 | MS | HB 290 | 2008-2009 Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (87 - 34) |
| June 27, 2008 | MS | HB 17 | Medicaid Funds Bill | Bill Passed - House (68 - 44) |
| June 27, 2008 | MS | HB 17 | Medicaid Funds Bill | Bill Passed - House (68 - 44) |
| May 29, 2008 | MS | HB 17 | Medicaid Funds Bill | Bill Failed - House (55 - 53) |
| May 28, 2008 | MS | SB 2013 | Hospital Tax for Medicaid Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 7) |
| May 28, 2008 | MS | SB 2011 | Increasing Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (87 - 33) |
| May 22, 2008 | MS | SB 2004 | Voter Identification Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| May 22, 2008 | MS | SB 2011 | Increasing Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 3) |
| April 15, 2008 | MS | SB 2497 | Increasing Unemployment Compensation | Conference Report Adopted - House (112 - 10) |
| March 27, 2008 | MS | HB 520 | Reporting Sexual Activity of Minors | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 41) |
| March 26, 2008 | MS | SB 2188 | Attorney General-Private Attorney Contract Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (95 - 25) |
| March 26, 2008 | MS | SB 2188 | Attorney General-Private Attorney Contract Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (95 - 25) |
| March 26, 2008 | MS | SB 2188 | Attorney General-Private Attorney Contract Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (95 - 25) |
| March 24, 2008 | MS | HB 859 | Salary Adjustments for State Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 3) |
| March 24, 2008 | MS | HB 859 | Salary Adjustments for State Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 3) |
| March 24, 2008 | MS | HB 859 | Salary Adjustments for State Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 3) |
| March 19, 2008 | MS | SB 2264 | Authorizing Wire-tapping Out of State | Bill Passed - House (97 - 21) |
| March 18, 2008 | MS | SB 2497 | Increasing Unemployment Compensation | Bill Passed - House (71 - 48) |
| March 6, 2008 | MS | HB 1601 | Medicaid Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (74 - 41) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | MS | SB 2998 | Immunity for Physicians Treating Medicaid Recipients | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 18) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | MS | SB 2550 | Covenant Marriage Act | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 13) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/06 | SB 2687 | Prohibits Local Government Management of Nutrition Labeling | Bill Passed - House (92 - 26) |
| 5/03 | JR 201 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (70 - 50) |
| 5/03 | JR 201 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (70 - 50) |
| 5/02 | HB 211 | Authorizes Certian Officials to Hire Their Own Lawyers | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (34 - 18) |
| 5/02 | JR 1 | State House Redistricting | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (38 - 14) |
| 5/02 | JR 1 | State House Redistricting | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (38 - 14) |
| 5/02 | JR 201 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 5) |
| 5/02 | JR 201 | State Senate Redistricting | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 5) |
| 5/01 | HB 211 | Authorizes Certian Officials to Hire Their Own Lawyers | Conference Report Adopted - House (63 - 56) |
| 4/26 | HB 921 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 39) |
| 4/26 | JR 1 | State House Redistricting | Joint Resolution Passed - House (70 - 50) |
| 4/26 | JR 1 | State House Redistricting | Joint Resolution Passed - House (70 - 50) |
| 4/10 | HB 921 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14) |
| 2/15 | HB 211 | Amends the Rules Regarding Hiring Outside Counsel | Bill Passed - House (59 - 56) |
| 4/06 | SCR 692 | Redistricting the State House and Senate | Bill Passed - House (63 - 53) |
| 4/06 | SCR 692 | Redistricting the State House and Senate | Bill Passed - House (63 - 53) |
| 3/04 | JR 1 | Redistricting for House of Representatives | Bill Passed - House (66 - 56) |
| 3/04 | JR 1 | Redistricting for House of Representatives | Bill Passed - House (66 - 56) |
| 2/18 | SB 2688 | Restoring 2009-2010 Budget Cuts | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 22) |
| 2/11 | SB 2688 | Restoring 2009-2010 Budget Cuts | Bill Passed - House (106 - 14) |
| 2/03 | HB 959 | Sale of State Plane | Bill Passed - House (65 - 55) |
| 2/03 | HB 959 | Sale of State Plane | Bill Passed - House (65 - 55) |
| 1/19 | HB 392 | Limiting Gubernatorial Budget Reductions | Bill Passed - House (70 - 49) |
| 1/19 | HB 392 | Limiting Gubernatorial Budget Reductions | Bill Passed - House (70 - 49) |
| 2/11 | HB 1533 | Election Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (78 - 44) |
| 2/04 | SB 2548 | Identification Requirements to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| 1/29 | HB 364 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| 1/22 | HB 1090 | Increasing Public Utilities Staff Oversight | Bill Passed - House (64 - 53) |
| 1/14 | HB 364 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - House (81 - 39) |
| 1/07 | HB 290 | 2008-2009 Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (87 - 34) |
| 6/27 | HB 17 | Medicaid Funds Bill | Bill Passed - House (68 - 44) |
| 6/27 | HB 17 | Medicaid Funds Bill | Bill Passed - House (68 - 44) |
| 5/29 | HB 17 | Medicaid Funds Bill | Bill Failed - House (55 - 53) |
| 5/28 | SB 2013 | Hospital Tax for Medicaid Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 7) |
| 5/28 | SB 2011 | Increasing Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (87 - 33) |
| 5/22 | SB 2004 | Voter Identification Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| 5/22 | SB 2011 | Increasing Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 3) |
| 4/15 | SB 2497 | Increasing Unemployment Compensation | Conference Report Adopted - House (112 - 10) |
| 3/27 | HB 520 | Reporting Sexual Activity of Minors | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 41) |
| 3/26 | SB 2188 | Attorney General-Private Attorney Contract Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (95 - 25) |
| 3/26 | SB 2188 | Attorney General-Private Attorney Contract Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (95 - 25) |
| 3/26 | SB 2188 | Attorney General-Private Attorney Contract Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (95 - 25) |
| 3/24 | HB 859 | Salary Adjustments for State Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 3) |
| 3/24 | HB 859 | Salary Adjustments for State Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 3) |
| 3/24 | HB 859 | Salary Adjustments for State Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 3) |
| 3/19 | SB 2264 | Authorizing Wire-tapping Out of State | Bill Passed - House (97 - 21) |
| 3/18 | SB 2497 | Increasing Unemployment Compensation | Bill Passed - House (71 - 48) |
| 3/06 | HB 1601 | Medicaid Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (74 - 41) |
| 2/27 | SB 2998 | Immunity for Physicians Treating Medicaid Recipients | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 18) |
| 2/26 | SB 2550 | Covenant Marriage Act | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 13) |