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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dec. 15, 2011 | National | HR 1540 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (86 - 13) |
April 21, 2011 | WA | HB 1267 | Definition of Parenthood | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 21) |
Feb. 16, 2011 | HI | SB 232 | Civil Unions for All Couples | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 5) |
Sept. 13, 2011 | NC | SB 514 | Constitutional Amendment to Define Marriage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 16) |
Feb. 18, 2011 | WY | HB 74 | Prohibiting the Recognition of Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 14) |
June 24, 2011 | NY | A 8354 | Marriage Equality Enactment | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 29) |
March 24, 2011 | CO | SB 172 | Authorizes Civil Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
May 11, 2011 | MN | SF 1308 | Prohibiting Same-Sex Marriage | Amendment Adopted - Senate (38 - 27) |
Jan. 27, 2011 | WY | SJ 5 | Definition of Marriage | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
April 7, 2011 | DE | SB 30 | Same-Sex Civil Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 6) |
Jan. 28, 2011 | HI | SB 232 | Civil Unions for All Couples | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 6) |
Feb. 23, 2011 | MD | SB 116 | Civil Marriage Protection Act | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 22) |
March 2, 2011 | WY | HB 74 | Prohibiting Recognition of Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (14 - 16) |
Feb. 22, 2011 | UT | SB 96 | Alimony Amendments | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 17) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
12/15 | HR 1540 | National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (86 - 13) |
4/21 | HB 1267 | Definition of Parenthood | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 21) |
2/16 | SB 232 | Civil Unions for All Couples | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 5) |
9/13 | SB 514 | Constitutional Amendment to Define Marriage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 16) |
2/18 | HB 74 | Prohibiting the Recognition of Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 14) |
6/24 | A 8354 | Marriage Equality Enactment | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 29) |
3/24 | SB 172 | Authorizes Civil Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
5/11 | SF 1308 | Prohibiting Same-Sex Marriage | Amendment Adopted - Senate (38 - 27) |
1/27 | SJ 5 | Definition of Marriage | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
4/07 | SB 30 | Same-Sex Civil Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 6) |
1/28 | SB 232 | Civil Unions for All Couples | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 6) |
2/23 | SB 116 | Civil Marriage Protection Act | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 22) |
3/02 | HB 74 | Prohibiting Recognition of Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (14 - 16) |
2/22 | SB 96 | Alimony Amendments | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 17) |