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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 1, 2012 | FL | HB 1209 | Prohibits Courts from Basing Decisions on Foreign Laws | Bill Passed - House (92 - 24) |
Feb. 28, 2012 | SD | HB 1253 | Prohibits State Enforcement of Religious Codes | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 4) |
Feb. 14, 2012 | SD | HB 1253 | Prohibits State Enforcement of Religious Codes | Bill Passed - House (47 - 22) |
March 14, 2012 | NH | HB 1264 | Authorizes Individuals to Refuse to Provide Services for Marriages | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (246 - 85) |
March 7, 2012 | NH | HB 1546 | Authorizes Employers to Not Provide Contraception Coverage in Health Insurance Plans | Bill Passed - House (196 - 150) |
Feb. 13, 2012 | WA | HB 2330 | Requires Health Insurers to Cover Abortion | Bill Passed - House (52 - 46) |
Feb. 21, 2012 | AZ | HB 2563 | Authorizing High School Elective Courses about the Bible | Bill Passed - House (42 - 15) |
April 25, 2012 | AZ | HB 2625 | Authorizes Employers to Refuse to Provide Coverage for Contraception | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 9) |
April 19, 2012 | AZ | HB 2625 | Authorizes Employers to Refuse to Provide Coverage for Contraception | Conference Report Adopted - House (36 - 21) |
April 12, 2012 | AZ | HB 2625 | Authorizes Employers to Refuse to Provide Coverage for Contraception | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13) |
March 28, 2012 | AZ | HB 2625 | Authorizes Employers to Refuse to Provide Coverage for Contraception | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 17) |
March 1, 2012 | AZ | HB 2625 | Authorizes Employers to Refuse to Provide Coverage for Contraception | Bill Passed - House (39 - 18) |
Feb. 23, 2012 | MD | HB 438 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 22) |
Feb. 17, 2012 | MD | HB 438 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (72 - 67) |
March 14, 2012 | MS | HB 638 | Authorizes Prayer in Schools | Bill Passed - House (93 - 24) |
Jan. 30, 2012 | SD | HCR 1004 | Urging Academic Study of the Bible in Public Schools | Resolution Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
Jan. 25, 2012 | SD | HCR 1004 | Urging Academic Study of the Bible in Public Schools | Resolution Passed - House (55 - 13) |
Feb. 23, 2012 | ID | HJM 10 | Urges Congress to Pass Rights of Conscience Act | Joint Resolution Passed - House (53 - 15) |
Feb. 6, 2012 | NY | S 6087-A | Authorizes the Use of School Property for Religious Meetings and Worship | Bill Passed - Senate (54 - 7) |
March 1, 2012 | National | S Amdt 1520 | Authorizes Moral and Religious Objections to Certain Health Care Items and Services | Amendment Tabled - Senate (51 - 48) |
May 31, 2012 | CA | SB 1140 | Exempts Religious Institutions from Performing Same-Sex Marriages | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
Feb. 28, 2012 | AZ | SB 1365 | Authorizes religious objections by professionals | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
April 30, 2012 | TN | SB 3597 | Prohibits Discrimination Against Religious Student Groups at Public Universities | Bill Passed - House (61 - 22) |
April 30, 2012 | TN | SB 3597 | Prohibits Discrimination Against Religious Student Groups at Public Universities | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
March 7, 2012 | GA | SB 460 | Exempts Religious Employers from Insurance Requirements for Coverage of Contraception | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 15) |
Jan. 26, 2012 | VA | SB 464 | Authorizes Hunting on Sundays | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 11) |
March 29, 2012 | MO | SB 749 | Authorizes Employers to Exempt Contraception from Healthcare Coverage | (26 - 5) |
Jan. 31, 2012 | IN | SB 89 | Authorizes the Instruction of Origin of Life Theories from Multiple Religions | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 22) |
Feb. 29, 2012 | CO | SB 93 | Requires Hospitals to Disclose Religious Objections | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14) |
March 1, 2012 | FL | SB 98 | Authorizes Student-Led Prayer in School | Bill Passed - House (88 - 27) |
Feb. 1, 2012 | FL | SB 98 | Authorizes Student-Led Prayer in School | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 8) |
April 27, 2012 | CO | SM 3 | Urges Congress to Authorize Religious Exemptions to Providing Birth Control | Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 20) |