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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 24, 2011 | SD | HB 1001 | State Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (50 - 18) |
| Oct. 24, 2011 | SD | HB 1001 | State Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (50 - 18) |
| March 30, 2010 | SD | SB 196 | 2010-2011 Budget | Bill Passed - House (44 - 25) |
| March 30, 2010 | SD | SB 196 | 2010-2011 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14) |
| March 29, 2010 | SD | HB 1060 | Wind Energy Facility Tax Refunds | Veto Override Passed - House (49 - 19) |
| March 4, 2010 | SD | Cooper Nomination | John L. Cooper, Game, Fish and Parks Commission | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| March 3, 2010 | SD | SB 89 | Exempts Certain Firearms From Federal Regulation | Bill Passed - House (49 - 19) |
| Feb. 23, 2010 | SD | HB 1083 | Appropriations for the Sanford Lab at Homestake | Bill Failed - House (45 - 23) |
| Feb. 19, 2010 | SD | HB 1107 | Driver's License Renewal by Mail | Bill Failed - House (33 - 30) |
| Feb. 18, 2010 | SD | SB 89 | Exempts Certain Firearms From Federal Regulation | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 4) |
| Feb. 11, 2010 | SD | Jerstad Amdt | Per Student Funding Increase | Amendment Rejected - Senate (17 - 18) |
| Feb. 10, 2010 | SD | HB 1060 | Agriculture and Business Facility Tax Refund Reductions | Bill Passed - House (48 - 19) |
| March 13, 2009 | SD | HB | Fiscal Year 2009-2010 State Budget | Bill Passed - House (42 - 28) |
| March 13, 2009 | SD | HB 1300 | 2009-2010 Budget | Bill Passed - House (42 - 28) |
| March 13, 2009 | SD | HB 1300 | 2009-2010 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
| March 12, 2009 | SD | HB 1197 | Tax Changes Relating to Single Family Dwellings Under Construction | Veto Override Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| March 11, 2009 | SD | HB 1197 | Tax Changes Relating to Single Family Dwellings Under Construction | Veto Override Passed - House (60 - 10) |
| March 5, 2009 | SD | SJR 3 | Extending Senate Terms and Legislative Term-Limits | Bill Failed - House (17 - 49) |
| Feb. 18, 2009 | SD | HB 1171 | Exemptions from School District Minimum Size Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12) |
| Feb. 18, 2009 | SD | HB 1171 | Exemptions from School District Minimum Size Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12) |
| Feb. 17, 2009 | SD | HB 1278 | Ban on Local Firearm Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (46 - 20) |
| Feb. 17, 2009 | SD | SB 106 | School Funding Formula Revision | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| Feb. 9, 2009 | SD | SJR 3 | Extending Senate Terms and Legislative Term-Limits | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| Feb. 9, 2009 | SD | SJR 3 | Extending Senate Terms and Legislative Term-Limits | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| Feb. 4, 2009 | SD | HB 1171 | Exemptions from School District Minimum Size Requirements | Bill Passed - House (36 - 34) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10/24 | HB 1001 | State Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (50 - 18) |
| 10/24 | HB 1001 | State Legislative Redistricting | Bill Passed - House (50 - 18) |
| 3/30 | SB 196 | 2010-2011 Budget | Bill Passed - House (44 - 25) |
| 3/30 | SB 196 | 2010-2011 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14) |
| 3/29 | HB 1060 | Wind Energy Facility Tax Refunds | Veto Override Passed - House (49 - 19) |
| 3/04 | Cooper Nomination | John L. Cooper, Game, Fish and Parks Commission | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| 3/03 | SB 89 | Exempts Certain Firearms From Federal Regulation | Bill Passed - House (49 - 19) |
| 2/23 | HB 1083 | Appropriations for the Sanford Lab at Homestake | Bill Failed - House (45 - 23) |
| 2/19 | HB 1107 | Driver's License Renewal by Mail | Bill Failed - House (33 - 30) |
| 2/18 | SB 89 | Exempts Certain Firearms From Federal Regulation | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 4) |
| 2/11 | Jerstad Amdt | Per Student Funding Increase | Amendment Rejected - Senate (17 - 18) |
| 2/10 | HB 1060 | Agriculture and Business Facility Tax Refund Reductions | Bill Passed - House (48 - 19) |
| 3/13 | HB | Fiscal Year 2009-2010 State Budget | Bill Passed - House (42 - 28) |
| 3/13 | HB 1300 | 2009-2010 Budget | Bill Passed - House (42 - 28) |
| 3/13 | HB 1300 | 2009-2010 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
| 3/12 | HB 1197 | Tax Changes Relating to Single Family Dwellings Under Construction | Veto Override Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| 3/11 | HB 1197 | Tax Changes Relating to Single Family Dwellings Under Construction | Veto Override Passed - House (60 - 10) |
| 3/05 | SJR 3 | Extending Senate Terms and Legislative Term-Limits | Bill Failed - House (17 - 49) |
| 2/18 | HB 1171 | Exemptions from School District Minimum Size Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12) |
| 2/18 | HB 1171 | Exemptions from School District Minimum Size Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12) |
| 2/17 | HB 1278 | Ban on Local Firearm Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (46 - 20) |
| 2/17 | SB 106 | School Funding Formula Revision | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| 2/09 | SJR 3 | Extending Senate Terms and Legislative Term-Limits | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 2/09 | SJR 3 | Extending Senate Terms and Legislative Term-Limits | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 2/04 | HB 1171 | Exemptions from School District Minimum Size Requirements | Bill Passed - House (36 - 34) |