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 10, 2012 | DE | SB 205 | Requires Manufactured Home Community Owners to Explain Rent Increases | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 9) |
March 9, 2012 | FL | HB 1205 | Authorizes Random Drug Tests of State Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 14) |
March 7, 2012 | GA | SB 469 | Prohibits Picketing in Certain Circumstances | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 18) |
March 7, 2012 | GA | SB 469 | Prohibits Picketing in Certain Circumstances | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 18) |
Feb. 17, 2012 | GA | SB 362 | Authorizes the Recovery and Sale of Deadhead Logs | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 12) |
March 7, 2012 | GA | SB 460 | Exempts Religious Employers from Insurance Requirements for Coverage of Contraception | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 15) |
May 29, 2012 | IL | SB 2194 | Increases Cigarette Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 27) |
May 31, 2012 | IL | SB 3442 | Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 15) |
May 31, 2012 | IL | HB 1447 | Pension Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24) |
May 31, 2012 | IL | HB 5440 | Establishes a 5 Percent Fee on Satellite TV Companies | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 27) |
March 9, 2012 | IN | HB 1149 | Prohibits Smoking in Public Places | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 22) |
Feb. 29, 2012 | IN | HB 1149 | Prohibits Smoking in Public Places | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21) |
Jan. 23, 2012 | IN | SB 170 | Nepotism and Conflicts of Interest in Local Government | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 11) |
Jan. 23, 2012 | IN | SB 170 | Nepotism and Conflicts of Interest in Local Government | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 11) |
Jan. 23, 2012 | IN | SB 269 | Prohibits Employers from Requiring Employees to Join or Pay Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 22) |
Jan. 23, 2012 | IN | SB 269 | Prohibits Employers from Requiring Employees to Join or Pay Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 22) |
Feb. 23, 2012 | KS | HCR 5007 | Authorizes Kansas to Determine Its Health Care Policies | Bill Failed - Senate (26 - 14) |
May 3, 2012 | KS | HB 2333 | Amends State Pension System | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 8) |
May 3, 2012 | KS | King Amendment | Amends the State Retirement System for New Public Employees | Amendment Rejected - Senate (20 - 20) |
March 30, 2012 | KY | SB 3 | Limits Over-the-Counter Purchases of Cold Medicine | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 8) |
Feb. 23, 2012 | KY | SB 151 | Authorizes Casinos | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 21) |
May 30, 2012 | LA | HB 61 | Amends State Workers Pensions | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 8) |
April 4, 2012 | LA | HB 974 | Amends Teacher Tenure Policy | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 16) |
May 10, 2012 | LA | SB 740 | Limits Cost of Living Adjustments for Pensions | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
May 15, 2012 | MD | SB 1301 | Amends Teacher Pension Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 13) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
5/10 | SB 205 | Requires Manufactured Home Community Owners to Explain Rent Increases | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 9) |
3/09 | HB 1205 | Authorizes Random Drug Tests of State Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 14) |
3/07 | SB 469 | Prohibits Picketing in Certain Circumstances | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 18) |
3/07 | SB 469 | Prohibits Picketing in Certain Circumstances | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 18) |
2/17 | SB 362 | Authorizes the Recovery and Sale of Deadhead Logs | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 12) |
3/07 | SB 460 | Exempts Religious Employers from Insurance Requirements for Coverage of Contraception | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 15) |
5/29 | SB 2194 | Increases Cigarette Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 27) |
5/31 | SB 3442 | Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 15) |
5/31 | HB 1447 | Pension Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24) |
5/31 | HB 5440 | Establishes a 5 Percent Fee on Satellite TV Companies | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 27) |
3/09 | HB 1149 | Prohibits Smoking in Public Places | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 22) |
2/29 | HB 1149 | Prohibits Smoking in Public Places | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21) |
1/23 | SB 170 | Nepotism and Conflicts of Interest in Local Government | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 11) |
1/23 | SB 170 | Nepotism and Conflicts of Interest in Local Government | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 11) |
1/23 | SB 269 | Prohibits Employers from Requiring Employees to Join or Pay Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 22) |
1/23 | SB 269 | Prohibits Employers from Requiring Employees to Join or Pay Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 22) |
2/23 | HCR 5007 | Authorizes Kansas to Determine Its Health Care Policies | Bill Failed - Senate (26 - 14) |
5/03 | HB 2333 | Amends State Pension System | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 8) |
5/03 | King Amendment | Amends the State Retirement System for New Public Employees | Amendment Rejected - Senate (20 - 20) |
3/30 | SB 3 | Limits Over-the-Counter Purchases of Cold Medicine | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 8) |
2/23 | SB 151 | Authorizes Casinos | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 21) |
5/30 | HB 61 | Amends State Workers Pensions | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 8) |
4/04 | HB 974 | Amends Teacher Tenure Policy | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 16) |
5/10 | SB 740 | Limits Cost of Living Adjustments for Pensions | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
5/15 | SB 1301 | Amends Teacher Pension Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 13) |