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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 4, 2009 | SD | HB 1171 | Exemptions from School District Minimum Size Requirements | Bill Passed - House (36 - 34) |
| March 17, 2008 | SD | HB 1233 | Government Spending Database | Veto Override Failed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| March 17, 2008 | SD | HB 1233 | Government Spending Database | Veto Override Passed - House (61 - 8) |
| March 17, 2008 | SD | HB 1233 | Government Spending Database | Veto Override Passed - House (61 - 8) |
| March 17, 2008 | SD | HB 1233 | Government Spending Database | Veto Override Failed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | SD | HB 1085 | Constructing Science Facilities at Universities | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 3) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | SD | HB 1233 | Government Spending Database | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | SD | SB 174 | Railroad Eminent Domain | Bill Passed - House (54 - 16) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | SD | HB 1233 | Government Spending Database | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | SD | HB 1250 | Legislative Pay Raise | Bill Tabled - Senate (29 - 4) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | SD | HB 1250 | Legislative Pay Raise | Bill Tabled - Senate (29 - 4) |
| Feb. 14, 2008 | SD | HB 1124 | Teacher Compensation and Performance | Bill Passed - House (39 - 29) |
| Feb. 13, 2008 | SD | SB 174 | Railroad Eminent Domain | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| Feb. 13, 2008 | SD | HB 1085 | Constructing Science Facilities at Universities | Bill Passed - House (61 - 6) |
| Feb. 13, 2008 | SD | SJR 1 | Eliminating Term Limits | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| Feb. 13, 2008 | SD | HB 1233 | Government Spending Database | Bill Passed - House (47 - 22) |
| Feb. 13, 2008 | SD | HB 1233 | Government Spending Database | Bill Passed - House (47 - 22) |
| Feb. 11, 2008 | SD | SB 189 | Accessibility of Public Records | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| Feb. 11, 2008 | SD | SB 189 | Accessibility of Public Records | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| Feb. 5, 2008 | SD | HB 1250 | Legislative Pay Raise | Bill Passed - House (54 - 14) |
| Feb. 5, 2008 | SD | HB 1250 | Legislative Pay Raise | Bill Passed - House (54 - 14) |
| March 3, 2007 | SD | HB 1048 | Campaign Contribution Reform | Conference Report Adopted - House (45 - 22) |
| March 3, 2007 | SD | HB 1048 | Campaign Contribution Reform | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 16) |
| Feb. 26, 2007 | SD | HB 1139 | Tobacco Tax Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| Feb. 22, 2007 | SD | HB 1048 | Campaign Contribution Reform | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
| Feb. 13, 2007 | SD | HB 1048 | Campaign Contribution Reform | Bill Passed - House (47 - 23) |
| Feb. 7, 2007 | SD | HB 1139 | Tobacco Tax Funds | Bill Passed - House (60 - 10) |
| Feb. 6, 2007 | SD | SJR 7 | Extension of Term Limits | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (17 - 18) |
| Feb. 6, 2007 | SD | SJR 7 | Extension of Term Limits | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (17 - 18) |
| March 21, 2006 | SD | SB 210 | 2006-2007 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (63 - 3) |
| March 21, 2006 | SD | SB 210 | 2006-2007 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 4) |
| Feb. 23, 2006 | SD | SB 1 | Mandatory Bodily Substance Samples in Drunk Driving Arrests | Bill Passed - House (52 - 17) |
| Feb. 22, 2006 | SD | S Amdt 1215re | Abortion Ban on Ballot | Amendment Rejected - Senate (15 - 20) |
| Feb. 22, 2006 | SD | S Amdt 1215cb | Exception to Abortion Ban in Cases Where the Health of the Woman is Seriously Threatened | Amendment Rejected - Senate (13 - 22) |
| Jan. 23, 2006 | SD | SB 1 | Mandatory Bodily Substance Samples in Drunk Driving Arrests | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/04 | HB 1171 | Exemptions from School District Minimum Size Requirements | Bill Passed - House (36 - 34) |
| 3/17 | HB 1233 | Government Spending Database | Veto Override Failed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| 3/17 | HB 1233 | Government Spending Database | Veto Override Passed - House (61 - 8) |
| 3/17 | HB 1233 | Government Spending Database | Veto Override Passed - House (61 - 8) |
| 3/17 | HB 1233 | Government Spending Database | Veto Override Failed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| 2/27 | HB 1085 | Constructing Science Facilities at Universities | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 3) |
| 2/26 | HB 1233 | Government Spending Database | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 2/26 | SB 174 | Railroad Eminent Domain | Bill Passed - House (54 - 16) |
| 2/26 | HB 1233 | Government Spending Database | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 2/21 | HB 1250 | Legislative Pay Raise | Bill Tabled - Senate (29 - 4) |
| 2/21 | HB 1250 | Legislative Pay Raise | Bill Tabled - Senate (29 - 4) |
| 2/14 | HB 1124 | Teacher Compensation and Performance | Bill Passed - House (39 - 29) |
| 2/13 | SB 174 | Railroad Eminent Domain | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| 2/13 | HB 1085 | Constructing Science Facilities at Universities | Bill Passed - House (61 - 6) |
| 2/13 | SJR 1 | Eliminating Term Limits | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| 2/13 | HB 1233 | Government Spending Database | Bill Passed - House (47 - 22) |
| 2/13 | HB 1233 | Government Spending Database | Bill Passed - House (47 - 22) |
| 2/11 | SB 189 | Accessibility of Public Records | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| 2/11 | SB 189 | Accessibility of Public Records | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| 2/05 | HB 1250 | Legislative Pay Raise | Bill Passed - House (54 - 14) |
| 2/05 | HB 1250 | Legislative Pay Raise | Bill Passed - House (54 - 14) |
| 3/03 | HB 1048 | Campaign Contribution Reform | Conference Report Adopted - House (45 - 22) |
| 3/03 | HB 1048 | Campaign Contribution Reform | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 16) |
| 2/26 | HB 1139 | Tobacco Tax Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 2/22 | HB 1048 | Campaign Contribution Reform | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
| 2/13 | HB 1048 | Campaign Contribution Reform | Bill Passed - House (47 - 23) |
| 2/07 | HB 1139 | Tobacco Tax Funds | Bill Passed - House (60 - 10) |
| 2/06 | SJR 7 | Extension of Term Limits | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (17 - 18) |
| 2/06 | SJR 7 | Extension of Term Limits | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (17 - 18) |
| 3/21 | SB 210 | 2006-2007 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (63 - 3) |
| 3/21 | SB 210 | 2006-2007 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 4) |
| 2/23 | SB 1 | Mandatory Bodily Substance Samples in Drunk Driving Arrests | Bill Passed - House (52 - 17) |
| 2/22 | S Amdt 1215re | Abortion Ban on Ballot | Amendment Rejected - Senate (15 - 20) |
| 2/22 | S Amdt 1215cb | Exception to Abortion Ban in Cases Where the Health of the Woman is Seriously Threatened | Amendment Rejected - Senate (13 - 22) |
| 1/23 | SB 1 | Mandatory Bodily Substance Samples in Drunk Driving Arrests | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |