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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Jan. 9, 2012 NJ S 3172 Authorizes Direct Shipping By Local and Out-of-State Wineries Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 9)
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)
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)
March 8, 2012 MO HB 1219 Workplace Discrimination Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 8)
Feb. 8, 2012 MO SB 592 Limits Punitive Damages for Workplace Discrimination Lawsuits Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8)
Feb. 27, 2012 SD HB 1234 Eliminates Teacher Tenure Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12)
Feb. 13, 2012 NM SB 9 Changes Corporate Income Tax Rates and Filing Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 13)
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)
Feb. 14, 2012 VA SB 438 Amends Teacher Contracts Bill Failed - Senate (18 - 20)
Feb. 16, 2012 AZ SB 1484 Prohibits Certain Deductions from Public Employee Paychecks Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11)
Feb. 27, 2012 MN HF 1870 Authorizes School Districts to Dismiss Teachers Based on Performance Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 26)
Feb. 17, 2012 GA SB 362 Authorizes the Recovery and Sale of Deadhead Logs Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 12)
Feb. 21, 2012 CO SB 3 Limits Employers' Use Of Credit Histories Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
Feb. 23, 2012 KS HCR 5007 Authorizes Kansas to Determine Its Health Care Policies Bill Failed - Senate (26 - 14)
Feb. 23, 2012 KY SB 151 Authorizes Casinos Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 21)
Feb. 28, 2012 AZ SB 1336 Limiting Manufacturer Eligibility for Punitive Damages Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11)
Feb. 28, 2012 AZ SB 1486 Prohibits Public Employers from Providing Compensation for Union Activities Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 11)
Feb. 28, 2012 AZ SB 1365 Authorizes religious objections by professionals Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9)
March 9, 2012 FL HB 1205 Authorizes Random Drug Tests of State Employees Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 14)
Aug. 29, 2012 CA AB 889 Establishes Work Condition Requirements for Domestic Work Employees Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
March 30, 2012 KY SB 3 Limits Over-the-Counter Purchases of Cold Medicine Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 8)
March 8, 2012 AZ SB 1338 Requires Online Retailers to Pay Sales Taxes Bill Failed - Senate (8 - 20)
Date No. Title Outcome
1/09 S 3172 Authorizes Direct Shipping By Local and Out-of-State Wineries Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 9)
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)
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)
3/08 HB 1219 Workplace Discrimination Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 8)
2/08 SB 592 Limits Punitive Damages for Workplace Discrimination Lawsuits Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8)
2/27 HB 1234 Eliminates Teacher Tenure Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12)
2/13 SB 9 Changes Corporate Income Tax Rates and Filing Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 13)
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)
2/14 SB 438 Amends Teacher Contracts Bill Failed - Senate (18 - 20)
2/16 SB 1484 Prohibits Certain Deductions from Public Employee Paychecks Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11)
2/27 HF 1870 Authorizes School Districts to Dismiss Teachers Based on Performance Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 26)
2/17 SB 362 Authorizes the Recovery and Sale of Deadhead Logs Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 12)
2/21 SB 3 Limits Employers' Use Of Credit Histories Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
2/23 HCR 5007 Authorizes Kansas to Determine Its Health Care Policies Bill Failed - Senate (26 - 14)
2/23 SB 151 Authorizes Casinos Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 21)
2/28 SB 1336 Limiting Manufacturer Eligibility for Punitive Damages Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11)
2/28 SB 1486 Prohibits Public Employers from Providing Compensation for Union Activities Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 11)
2/28 SB 1365 Authorizes religious objections by professionals Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9)
3/09 HB 1205 Authorizes Random Drug Tests of State Employees Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 14)
8/29 AB 889 Establishes Work Condition Requirements for Domestic Work Employees Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
3/30 SB 3 Limits Over-the-Counter Purchases of Cold Medicine Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 8)
3/08 SB 1338 Requires Online Retailers to Pay Sales Taxes Bill Failed - Senate (8 - 20)

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