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. 3, 2009 | SD | SB 79 | Primary Seat Belt Enforcement | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| Feb. 3, 2009 | SD | SB 83 | Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 18) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | SD | HB 1085 | Constructing Science Facilities at Universities | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 3) |
| Feb. 13, 2008 | SD | SB 174 | Railroad Eminent Domain | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| Feb. 6, 2008 | SD | SB 164 | Right to Obtain Contraception | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 22) |
| Jan. 31, 2008 | SD | SB 173 | Eliminating Restrictions on Corporate Dairy Farms | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| Jan. 29, 2008 | SD | SB 88 | Offering Sonograms to Women Considering Abortion | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| Jan. 22, 2008 | SD | SB 26 | State Regulation of Preschools | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| March 1, 2007 | SD | HB 1082 | School District Consolidation | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
| Feb. 26, 2007 | SD | HB 1139 | Tobacco Tax Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 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. 15, 2007 | SD | SB 157 | Teacher Compensation | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 5) |
| Feb. 14, 2007 | SD | SB 196 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| Feb. 12, 2007 | SD | SB 199 | Mandatory School Attendance | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| Jan. 24, 2007 | SD | SB 74 | Allowing Friends to Make Medical Decisions | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10) |
| Feb. 22, 2006 | SD | S Amdt 1215ca | Exceptions to Abortion Ban in Cases of Rape or Incest Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (14 - 21) |
| 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) |
| Feb. 22, 2006 | SD | HB 1215 | Abortion Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| Feb. 21, 2006 | SD | HB 1235 | Compulsory High School Education Age to 18 | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 23) |
| Jan. 31, 2006 | SD | SB 175 | Emergency Contraceptives for Rape Victims | Bill Failed - Senate (9 - 26) |
| Jan. 17, 2006 | SD | SB 27 | State Fair Appropriation | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 4) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/03 | SB 79 | Primary Seat Belt Enforcement | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 2/03 | SB 83 | Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 18) |
| 2/27 | HB 1085 | Constructing Science Facilities at Universities | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 3) |
| 2/13 | SB 174 | Railroad Eminent Domain | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| 2/06 | SB 164 | Right to Obtain Contraception | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 22) |
| 1/31 | SB 173 | Eliminating Restrictions on Corporate Dairy Farms | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| 1/29 | SB 88 | Offering Sonograms to Women Considering Abortion | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| 1/22 | SB 26 | State Regulation of Preschools | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| 3/01 | HB 1082 | School District Consolidation | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
| 2/26 | HB 1139 | Tobacco Tax Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 2/26 | HB 1139 | Tobacco Tax Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 2/20 | SB 208 | Tanning Restrictions | Bill Failed - Senate (10 - 24) |
| 2/15 | SB 157 | Teacher Compensation | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 5) |
| 2/14 | SB 196 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| 2/12 | SB 199 | Mandatory School Attendance | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| 1/24 | SB 74 | Allowing Friends to Make Medical Decisions | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10) |
| 2/22 | S Amdt 1215ca | Exceptions to Abortion Ban in Cases of Rape or Incest Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (14 - 21) |
| 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) |
| 2/22 | HB 1215 | Abortion Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 2/21 | HB 1235 | Compulsory High School Education Age to 18 | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 23) |
| 1/31 | SB 175 | Emergency Contraceptives for Rape Victims | Bill Failed - Senate (9 - 26) |
| 1/17 | SB 27 | State Fair Appropriation | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 4) |