Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Dec. 17, 2011 National S Amdt 1465 Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Extension Amendment Adopted - Senate (89 - 10)
Dec. 1, 2011 National S 1931 Reduces Payroll Tax Rate Motion Rejected - Senate (20 - 78)
Dec. 1, 2011 MI SB 806 Reduces Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
Oct. 11, 2011 National S 1660 American Jobs Act of 2011 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49)
Aug. 31, 2011 CA AB 6 Repeals Fingerprinting Requirement for CalFresh Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 11)
July 13, 2011 MI HB 4409 Amending the Social Welfare Act Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
July 13, 2011 MI HB 4410 Amending the Jet Program of the Social Welfare Act Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
June 30, 2011 PA HB 960 Public Assistance Program Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15)
June 21, 2011 LA HB 7 Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 12)
May 6, 2011 FL HB 7107 Medicaid Managed Care Program Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 11)
April 28, 2011 MO HB 73 Drug Testing Of Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 5)
April 21, 2011 TN SB 485 Equal Opportunity Scholarship Act Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10)
April 20, 2011 IA SF 525 Revises the Iowa Mental Health System Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23)
April 19, 2011 IN HB 1210 Repealing Medicaid Funding for Planned Parenthood Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 13)
April 14, 2011 NC HB 383 Relating to Unemployment Insurance Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17)
April 5, 2011 AZ HB 2619 Unemployment Security Special Assessment Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8)
March 28, 2011 ID H 260 Medicaid Funding Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8)
March 23, 2011 MI HB 4408 Employment Compensation Fund Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13)
March 2, 2011 KY HB 305 2010-2012 Biennium Budget Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
March 1, 2011 SC S 434 Prohibiting DHHS From Reducing Provider Rates Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (24 - 8)
Jan. 28, 2011 WY HB 244 Unemployment Insurance Amendments
Date No. Title Outcome
12/17 S Amdt 1465 Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Extension Amendment Adopted - Senate (89 - 10)
12/01 S 1931 Reduces Payroll Tax Rate Motion Rejected - Senate (20 - 78)
12/01 SB 806 Reduces Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
10/11 S 1660 American Jobs Act of 2011 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49)
8/31 AB 6 Repeals Fingerprinting Requirement for CalFresh Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 11)
7/13 HB 4409 Amending the Social Welfare Act Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
7/13 HB 4410 Amending the Jet Program of the Social Welfare Act Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
6/30 HB 960 Public Assistance Program Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15)
6/21 HB 7 Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 12)
5/06 HB 7107 Medicaid Managed Care Program Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 11)
4/28 HB 73 Drug Testing Of Welfare Recipients Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 5)
4/21 SB 485 Equal Opportunity Scholarship Act Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10)
4/20 SF 525 Revises the Iowa Mental Health System Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23)
4/19 HB 1210 Repealing Medicaid Funding for Planned Parenthood Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 13)
4/14 HB 383 Relating to Unemployment Insurance Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17)
4/05 HB 2619 Unemployment Security Special Assessment Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8)
3/28 H 260 Medicaid Funding Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8)
3/23 HB 4408 Employment Compensation Fund Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13)
3/02 HB 305 2010-2012 Biennium Budget Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
3/01 S 434 Prohibiting DHHS From Reducing Provider Rates Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (24 - 8)
1/28 HB 244 Unemployment Insurance Amendments

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