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 13, 2009 | WI | SB 181 | Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| April 28, 2009 | WI | SB 20 | Discriminatory Pay Compensation | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| Feb. 18, 2009 | WI | SB 62 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| Feb. 10, 2009 | WI | SB 1 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
| May 13, 2008 | WI | AB 1 | Budget Repair Plan | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 16) |
| March 25, 2008 | WI | AB 1 | Budget Repair Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
| March 6, 2008 | WI | SB 523 | Great Lakes Water Resources Compact | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 6) |
| March 4, 2008 | WI | SB 537 | John Doe Proceedings | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | WI | AB 377 | Emergency Contraception for Sexual Assault Victims | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 6) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | WI | AB 581 | Gun Possession During Emergencies | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 5) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | WI | SB 178 | Insurance Coverage for Autism Treatment | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| Feb. 19, 2008 | WI | S Amnd. 1 | Virtual Charter School Enrollment Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (17 - 16) |
| Feb. 19, 2008 | WI | S Amnd. 1 | Virtual Charter School Enrollment Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (16 - 17) |
| Feb. 19, 2008 | WI | SB 396 | Virtual Charter Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| Feb. 19, 2008 | WI | SB 171 | Financing of Judicial Campaigns | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| Jan. 15, 2008 | WI | SB 130 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 13) |
| Dec. 11, 2007 | WI | SJR 5 | Limiting Governor's Partial Veto Authority | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (33 - 0) |
| Dec. 11, 2007 | WI | SB 176 | Compensation for Discharged Police Officers | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 3) |
| Nov. 8, 2007 | WI | SB 299 | School Tax Credit Formula | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| Oct. 30, 2007 | WI | SB 15 | Secretary of Natural Resources Appointment | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| Oct. 23, 2007 | WI | AS SB 40 | 2007-2009 Biennium Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (18 - 15) |
| Oct. 15, 2007 | WI | SB 2 | Transportation Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
| Oct. 15, 2007 | WI | SB 1 | 2007-2008 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
| June 26, 2007 | WI | SS SB 40 | 2007-2009 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| May 16, 2007 | WI | SB 129 | Emergency Contraception for Sexual Assault Victims | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6) |
| May 9, 2007 | WI | SB 77 | Financial Disclosure For Issue Based Groups | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| May 16, 2006 | WI | SJR 5 | Advisory Referendum on the Death Penalty | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| May 4, 2006 | WI | SSA 1 | Spending Limit | Amendment Rejected - Senate (12 - 20) |
| May 4, 2006 | WI | SJR 63 | Spending Limit | Amendment Rejected - Senate (11 - 21) |
| May 3, 2006 | WI | AB 414 | Smoking Ban Expansion | Nonconcurrence Vote Passed - Senate (17 - 14) |
| April 25, 2006 | WI | AB 4 | Tax Deduction for Health Savings Account | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| March 9, 2006 | WI | ASA 3 | Ethanol Bill | Motion Agreed - Senate (17 - 15) |
| March 7, 2006 | WI | SJR 5 | Advisory Referendum on the Death Penalty | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| March 7, 2006 | WI | AB 1073 | Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Caps | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| March 3, 2006 | WI | SB 618 | School Voucher Program Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 13) |
| Feb. 23, 2006 | WI | SB 567 | Limit Public Assistance to Citizens or Legal Residents of the United States | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| Jan. 26, 2006 | WI | SB 403 | Concealed Weapons | Veto Override Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| Jan. 17, 2006 | WI | SB 403 | Concealed Weapons | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 5) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/13 | SB 181 | Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| 4/28 | SB 20 | Discriminatory Pay Compensation | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| 2/18 | SB 62 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| 2/10 | SB 1 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
| 5/13 | AB 1 | Budget Repair Plan | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 16) |
| 3/25 | AB 1 | Budget Repair Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
| 3/06 | SB 523 | Great Lakes Water Resources Compact | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 6) |
| 3/04 | SB 537 | John Doe Proceedings | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| 2/28 | AB 377 | Emergency Contraception for Sexual Assault Victims | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 6) |
| 2/28 | AB 581 | Gun Possession During Emergencies | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 5) |
| 2/26 | SB 178 | Insurance Coverage for Autism Treatment | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| 2/19 | S Amnd. 1 | Virtual Charter School Enrollment Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (17 - 16) |
| 2/19 | S Amnd. 1 | Virtual Charter School Enrollment Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (16 - 17) |
| 2/19 | SB 396 | Virtual Charter Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| 2/19 | SB 171 | Financing of Judicial Campaigns | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| 1/15 | SB 130 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 13) |
| 12/11 | SJR 5 | Limiting Governor's Partial Veto Authority | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (33 - 0) |
| 12/11 | SB 176 | Compensation for Discharged Police Officers | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 3) |
| 11/08 | SB 299 | School Tax Credit Formula | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| 10/30 | SB 15 | Secretary of Natural Resources Appointment | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| 10/23 | AS SB 40 | 2007-2009 Biennium Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (18 - 15) |
| 10/15 | SB 2 | Transportation Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
| 10/15 | SB 1 | 2007-2008 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
| 6/26 | SS SB 40 | 2007-2009 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| 5/16 | SB 129 | Emergency Contraception for Sexual Assault Victims | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6) |
| 5/09 | SB 77 | Financial Disclosure For Issue Based Groups | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| 5/16 | SJR 5 | Advisory Referendum on the Death Penalty | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| 5/04 | SSA 1 | Spending Limit | Amendment Rejected - Senate (12 - 20) |
| 5/04 | SJR 63 | Spending Limit | Amendment Rejected - Senate (11 - 21) |
| 5/03 | AB 414 | Smoking Ban Expansion | Nonconcurrence Vote Passed - Senate (17 - 14) |
| 4/25 | AB 4 | Tax Deduction for Health Savings Account | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| 3/09 | ASA 3 | Ethanol Bill | Motion Agreed - Senate (17 - 15) |
| 3/07 | SJR 5 | Advisory Referendum on the Death Penalty | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| 3/07 | AB 1073 | Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Caps | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| 3/03 | SB 618 | School Voucher Program Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 13) |
| 2/23 | SB 567 | Limit Public Assistance to Citizens or Legal Residents of the United States | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| 1/26 | SB 403 | Concealed Weapons | Veto Override Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| 1/17 | SB 403 | Concealed Weapons | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 5) |