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
June 16, 2011 LA HB 591 Permanent Cigarette Tax Veto Override Failed - House (58 - 44)
June 2, 2011 LA HB 591 Permanent Cigarette Tax Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8)
June 1, 2011 CA AB 131 In-State College Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - House (50 - 27)
May 24, 2011 LA HB 591 Permanent Cigarette Tax Bill Passed - House (70 - 30)
April 6, 2011 MN SF 1047 2012-2013 Budget Bill Passed - House (72 - 61)
March 10, 2011 WI AB 11 Collective Bargaining Rights for Public Employees Conference Report Adopted - House (53 - 42)
March 9, 2011 WI AB 11 Collective Bargaining Rights for Public Employees Conference Report Adopted - Senate (18 - 1)
March 2, 2011 KY HB 305 2010-2012 Biennium Budget Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
Feb. 25, 2011 WI AB 11 Collective Bargaining Rights for Public Employees Bill Passed - House (51 - 17)
Feb. 16, 2011 AR HB 1002 Capital Gains Reduction Act Bill Passed - House (53 - 43)
Feb. 16, 2011 IA SF 166 Funding for Public Schools Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24)
Feb. 15, 2011 CA AB 110 Wrongful Death Claim of Josefa Godinez Merida Resolution Passed - House (7 - 1)
Feb. 1, 2011 ID H 26 Increment in fees for felonies and misdemeanors Bill Failed - House (31 - 35)
Jan. 25, 2011 WI AB 5 Requiring a Two-Thirds Vote in the Legislature for Tax Increases Bill Passed - House (57 - 36)
Jan. 25, 2011 WI AB 7 Small Business Tax Credit Bill Passed - House (60 - 33)
Jan. 20, 2011 WI SB 2 Tax Benefits for Health Savings Accounts Bill Passed - House (66 - 28)
Jan. 20, 2011 WI SB 2 Tax Benefits for Health Savings Accounts Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/16 HB 591 Permanent Cigarette Tax Veto Override Failed - House (58 - 44)
6/02 HB 591 Permanent Cigarette Tax Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8)
6/01 AB 131 In-State College Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - House (50 - 27)
5/24 HB 591 Permanent Cigarette Tax Bill Passed - House (70 - 30)
4/06 SF 1047 2012-2013 Budget Bill Passed - House (72 - 61)
3/10 AB 11 Collective Bargaining Rights for Public Employees Conference Report Adopted - House (53 - 42)
3/09 AB 11 Collective Bargaining Rights for Public Employees Conference Report Adopted - Senate (18 - 1)
3/02 HB 305 2010-2012 Biennium Budget Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
2/25 AB 11 Collective Bargaining Rights for Public Employees Bill Passed - House (51 - 17)
2/16 HB 1002 Capital Gains Reduction Act Bill Passed - House (53 - 43)
2/16 SF 166 Funding for Public Schools Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24)
2/15 AB 110 Wrongful Death Claim of Josefa Godinez Merida Resolution Passed - House (7 - 1)
2/01 H 26 Increment in fees for felonies and misdemeanors Bill Failed - House (31 - 35)
1/25 AB 5 Requiring a Two-Thirds Vote in the Legislature for Tax Increases Bill Passed - House (57 - 36)
1/25 AB 7 Small Business Tax Credit Bill Passed - House (60 - 33)
1/20 SB 2 Tax Benefits for Health Savings Accounts Bill Passed - House (66 - 28)
1/20 SB 2 Tax Benefits for Health Savings Accounts Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12)

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