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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 9, 2011 | TX | SB 14 | Voter Identification Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 12) |
| May 9, 2011 | TX | SB 1581 | Concealed Handguns on Campus | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11) |
| Feb. 17, 2011 | TX | SB 16 | Abortion Procedures Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10) |
| Jan. 26, 2011 | TX | SB 14 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| May 11, 2009 | TX | HB 1736 | Increasing Wrongful Conviction Compensation | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4) |
| May 11, 2009 | TX | HB 1736 | Increasing Wrongful Conviction Compensation | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4) |
| April 15, 2009 | TX | SB 1049 | Increasing Age Restriction on Tobacco Purchases | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 5) |
| April 15, 2009 | TX | SB 1049 | Increasing Age Restriction on Tobacco Purchases | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 5) |
| March 31, 2009 | TX | SB 298 | Authorizing Sobriety Checkpoints | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11) |
| March 31, 2009 | TX | SB 298 | Authorizing Sobriety Checkpoints | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11) |
| March 19, 2009 | TX | SB 188 | Authorizes Needle Exchange Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 6) |
| March 11, 2009 | TX | SB 362 | Requiring Proof of Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
| May 23, 2007 | TX | CSHB 3678 | Religious Expression at Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 3) |
| May 23, 2007 | TX | CSHB 3678 | Religious Expression at Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 3) |
| May 1, 2007 | TX | CSSB 966 | Journalist Confidentiality Protection | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4) |
| April 27, 2007 | TX | CSSB 308 | Syringe Exchange Program | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 8) |
| April 17, 2007 | TX | CSSB 1909 | Treatment for Drug Possession Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| April 17, 2007 | TX | CSSB 1909 | Treatment for Drug Possession Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| May 2, 2006 | TX | HB 3 | Business Tax Revisions | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 14) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/09 | SB 14 | Voter Identification Requirements | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 12) |
| 5/09 | SB 1581 | Concealed Handguns on Campus | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11) |
| 2/17 | SB 16 | Abortion Procedures Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10) |
| 1/26 | SB 14 | Voter Identification Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| 5/11 | HB 1736 | Increasing Wrongful Conviction Compensation | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4) |
| 5/11 | HB 1736 | Increasing Wrongful Conviction Compensation | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4) |
| 4/15 | SB 1049 | Increasing Age Restriction on Tobacco Purchases | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 5) |
| 4/15 | SB 1049 | Increasing Age Restriction on Tobacco Purchases | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 5) |
| 3/31 | SB 298 | Authorizing Sobriety Checkpoints | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11) |
| 3/31 | SB 298 | Authorizing Sobriety Checkpoints | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11) |
| 3/19 | SB 188 | Authorizes Needle Exchange Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 6) |
| 3/11 | SB 362 | Requiring Proof of Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
| 5/23 | CSHB 3678 | Religious Expression at Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 3) |
| 5/23 | CSHB 3678 | Religious Expression at Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 3) |
| 5/01 | CSSB 966 | Journalist Confidentiality Protection | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4) |
| 4/27 | CSSB 308 | Syringe Exchange Program | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 8) |
| 4/17 | CSSB 1909 | Treatment for Drug Possession Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| 4/17 | CSSB 1909 | Treatment for Drug Possession Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| 5/02 | HB 3 | Business Tax Revisions | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 14) |