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 9, 2010 | SD | HB 1231 | Prescription Drug Registry | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 5) |
| March 4, 2010 | SD | Cooper Nomination | John L. Cooper, Game, Fish and Parks Commission | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| March 1, 2010 | SD | HCR 1009 | Urges Changes to the Public School Environmental Curriculum | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (37 - 33) |
| Feb. 24, 2010 | SD | HCR 1009 | Urges Changes to the Public School Environmental Curriculum | Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| Feb. 17, 2010 | SD | HCR 1009 | Urges Changes to the Public School Environmental Curriculum | Resolution Passed - House (36 - 30) |
| March 9, 2009 | SD | HB 1240 | Smoking Ban | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (46 - 23) |
| March 4, 2009 | SD | HB 1240 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| Feb. 23, 2009 | SD | HB 1240 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - House (43 - 27) |
| Feb. 23, 2009 | SD | SB 195 | Stem Cell Research Amendments | Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 20) |
| Feb. 3, 2009 | SD | SB 83 | Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 18) |
| Feb. 20, 2008 | SD | SB 88 | Offering Sonograms to Women Considering Abortion | Bill Passed - House (38 - 32) |
| Feb. 20, 2008 | SD | SB 88 | Offering Sonograms to Women Considering Abortion | Bill Passed - House (38 - 32) |
| Feb. 6, 2008 | SD | SB 164 | Right to Obtain Contraception | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 22) |
| Feb. 6, 2008 | SD | SB 164 | Right to Obtain Contraception | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 22) |
| Jan. 29, 2008 | SD | SB 88 | Offering Sonograms to Women Considering Abortion | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| Jan. 29, 2008 | SD | SB 88 | Offering Sonograms to Women Considering Abortion | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| Jan. 29, 2008 | SD | HB 1193 | Offering Sonograms to Women Considering Abortion | Bill Passed - House (38 - 31) |
| Jan. 29, 2008 | SD | HB 1193 | Offering Sonograms to Women Considering Abortion | Bill Passed - House (38 - 31) |
| Feb. 26, 2007 | SD | HB 1139 | Tobacco Tax Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| Feb. 20, 2007 | SD | SB 208 | Tanning Restrictions | Bill Failed - Senate (10 - 24) |
| Feb. 14, 2007 | SD | SB 196 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| Feb. 7, 2007 | SD | HB 1139 | Tobacco Tax Funds | Bill Passed - House (60 - 10) |
| Jan. 24, 2007 | SD | SB 74 | Allowing Friends to Make Medical Decisions | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10) |
| 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 1215ca | Exceptions to Abortion Ban in Cases of Rape or Incest Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (14 - 21) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/09 | HB 1231 | Prescription Drug Registry | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 5) |
| 3/04 | Cooper Nomination | John L. Cooper, Game, Fish and Parks Commission | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| 3/01 | HCR 1009 | Urges Changes to the Public School Environmental Curriculum | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (37 - 33) |
| 2/24 | HCR 1009 | Urges Changes to the Public School Environmental Curriculum | Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| 2/17 | HCR 1009 | Urges Changes to the Public School Environmental Curriculum | Resolution Passed - House (36 - 30) |
| 3/09 | HB 1240 | Smoking Ban | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (46 - 23) |
| 3/04 | HB 1240 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 2/23 | HB 1240 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - House (43 - 27) |
| 2/23 | SB 195 | Stem Cell Research Amendments | Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 20) |
| 2/03 | SB 83 | Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 18) |
| 2/20 | SB 88 | Offering Sonograms to Women Considering Abortion | Bill Passed - House (38 - 32) |
| 2/20 | SB 88 | Offering Sonograms to Women Considering Abortion | Bill Passed - House (38 - 32) |
| 2/06 | SB 164 | Right to Obtain Contraception | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 22) |
| 2/06 | SB 164 | Right to Obtain Contraception | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 22) |
| 1/29 | SB 88 | Offering Sonograms to Women Considering Abortion | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| 1/29 | SB 88 | Offering Sonograms to Women Considering Abortion | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| 1/29 | HB 1193 | Offering Sonograms to Women Considering Abortion | Bill Passed - House (38 - 31) |
| 1/29 | HB 1193 | Offering Sonograms to Women Considering Abortion | Bill Passed - House (38 - 31) |
| 2/26 | HB 1139 | Tobacco Tax Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 2/20 | SB 208 | Tanning Restrictions | Bill Failed - Senate (10 - 24) |
| 2/14 | SB 196 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| 2/07 | HB 1139 | Tobacco Tax Funds | Bill Passed - House (60 - 10) |
| 1/24 | SB 74 | Allowing Friends to Make Medical Decisions | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10) |
| 2/23 | SB 1 | Mandatory Bodily Substance Samples in Drunk Driving Arrests | Bill Passed - House (52 - 17) |
| 2/22 | S Amdt 1215ca | Exceptions to Abortion Ban in Cases of Rape or Incest Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (14 - 21) |