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
March 16, 2006 IA HF 2671 Undocumented Immigrants Restrictions Bill Passed - House (69 - 25)
March 14, 2006 IA SF 2330 Prohibition of Video Gambling Machines Bill Passed - House (80 - 18)
May 3, 2006 IA SF 2377 Confinement Feeding Operations Bill Passed - House (66 - 25)
March 21, 2006 IA HF 2709 School Year Minimum Hours Requirement Bill Passed - House (55 - 44)
March 22, 2006 IA HF 2597 Voter Identification Act Bill Passed - House (51 - 48)
March 15, 2006 IA H-8178 Preschool Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (46 - 51)
March 15, 2006 IA H-8172 Teacher Salary Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (46 - 51)
Jan. 31, 2006 IA HF 2045 Senior Citizen Tax Revision Bill Passed - House (81 - 18)
March 15, 2006 IA HF 2527 2006-2007 Education Budget Bill Passed - House (53 - 44)
July 14, 2006 IA HF 2351 Eminent Domain Veto Override Passed - House (90 - 8)
May 2, 2006 IA SF 2408 Elderly Income Tax Reduction Bill Passed - House (89 - 6)
Jan. 23, 2007 IA HF 1 Minimum Wage Increase Bill Passed - House (79 - 19)
Feb. 22, 2007 IA SF 61 Harassment In Schools Concurrence Vote Passed - House (56 - 42)
Feb. 7, 2007 IA SF 61 Harassment In Schools Bill Passed - House (62 - 37)
Feb. 22, 2007 IA SF 162 Stem Cell Research and Penalties Bill Passed - House (52 - 46)
Feb. 1, 2007 IA HF 5 Maximum Title Loan Finance Charge Bill Passed - House (84 - 12)
March 13, 2007 IA SF 128 Tobacco Tax Increase Bill Passed - House (58 - 40)
March 20, 2007 IA HF 653 Election Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (54 - 45)
March 28, 2007 IA HF 877 Statewide Preschool Program Bill Passed - House (56 - 43)
March 29, 2007 IA HF 611 Research-Based Sex Education Bill Passed - House (55 - 40)
April 18, 2007 IA SF 430 Recognition of Tribal Court Decisions Bill Passed - House (63 - 34)
April 18, 2007 IA SF 485 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Bill Passed - House (66 - 32)
April 18, 2007 IA SF 263 Land-Based Casinos Bill Passed - House (71 - 26)
April 5, 2007 IA SF 277 Teacher Pay and Incentive Programs Bill Passed - House (90 - 7)
April 23, 2007 IA SF 277 Teacher Pay and Incentive Programs Conference Report Adopted - House (93 - 3)
April 27, 2007 IA HF 920 Univeristy Capital Improvement Bonds Bill Passed - House (51 - 44)
April 25, 2007 IA SF 427 Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity Discrimination Bill Passed - House (59 - 37)
April 8, 2008 IA HF 2212 Smoking Ban Conference Report Adopted - House (54 - 45)
March 12, 2008 IA HF 2212 Smoking Ban Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 40)
Feb. 19, 2008 IA HF 2212 Smoking Ban Bill Passed - House (56 - 44)
April 14, 2008 IA SF 2216 State-Mandated Curriculum for Schools Bill Passed - House (97 - 3)
March 5, 2008 IA HF 2359 Veterans Trust Fund Bill Passed - House (75 - 21)
March 19, 2008 IA HF 2645 Public Employee Collective Bargaining and Teacher Termination Policy Bill Passed - House (52 - 47)
March 20, 2008 IA HF 2145 Mandatory HPV Vaccination Coverage Bill Passed - House (81 - 16)
April 9, 2008 IA HF 2663 Statewide Sales Tax Increase for School Infrastructure Funding Bill Passed - House (59 - 41)
April 10, 2008 IA SJR 2002 Natural Resources Trust Fund Joint Resolution Passed - House (88 - 10)
April 16, 2008 IA SF 2420 Increasing Vehicle Registration Fees Bill Passed - House (53 - 47)
April 16, 2008 IA HF 2686 Employee Identification Verification Bill Passed - House (84 - 16)
April 25, 2008 IA SF 2432 Prison and Infrastructure Funding Bill Passed - House (53 - 43)
April 25, 2008 IA H 8672 DUI Appeals Amendment Rejected - House (45 - 50)
April 25, 2008 IA SF 2425 2008-2009 Health and Human Services Budget Conference Report Adopted - House (53 - 45)
Jan. 29, 2009 IA SF 44 Expediting Local-Option Tax Approval in Disaster Areas Bill Passed - House (55 - 37)
Feb. 26, 2009 IA SF 218 Growth Percentage for State School Foundation Program Bill Passed - House (53 - 44)
Feb. 18, 2009 IA HF 311 Health Insurance Coverage for Prosthetics Bill Passed - House (64 - 33)
Feb. 19, 2009 IA HF 333 Wage Standards for Public Project Workers Bill Failed - House (49 - 49)
Feb. 26, 2009 IA HF 414 2008-2009 Budget Amendments Bill Passed - House (55 - 43)
March 18, 2009 IA HF 243 Gender Requirements for Certain Local Government Positions Bill Passed - House (71 - 27)
March 17, 2009 IA HF 670 Early Absentee Vote Counting Bill Passed - House (76 - 22)
April 24, 2009 IA SF 376 Bonds Issuance for Infrastructure Projects and the Creation of an Iowa Jobs Program, Board, and Fund. Bill Passed - House (53 - 43)
April 25, 2009 IA SF 477 Appropriation Bonds Bill Passed - House (52 - 44)
Jan. 26, 2010 IA HF 2110 Military Spouse Relocation Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - House (56 - 44)
Feb. 9, 2010 IA HJR 6 Constitutionally Defining Marriage as Between One Man and One Woman Motion Rejected - House (45 - 54)
Feb. 12, 2010 IA Amdt 8053 Omnibus Spending Cuts Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (43 - 54)
Feb. 17, 2010 IA Amdt 8140 Animal Abuse and Neglect Penalties Amendment Rejected - House (44 - 52)
Feb. 17, 2010 IA Amdt 8145 Animal Facility Regulations Amendment Rejected - House (42 - 53)
Feb. 23, 2010 IA HF 2456 Texting While Driving Ban Bill Passed - House (65 - 31)
March 10, 2010 IA SF 2357 Prohibiting Firearm Possession by Domestic Violence Perpetrators Bill Passed - House (73 - 25)
March 10, 2010 IA Amdt 8381 Free Self Defense Courses for Domestic Violence Victims Amendment Rejected - House (44 - 53)
March 19, 2010 IA SF 2380 Tax Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (54 - 43)
March 22, 2010 IA Amdt 8522 Allowing Cuts to Teacher Salary Supplement Amendment Rejected - House (49 - 50)
March 17, 2010 IA HF 2518 Retirement Contribution Rate Amendments Bill Passed - House (53 - 43)
March 23, 2010 IA HF 2456 Texting While Driving Ban Conference Report Adopted - House (66 - 33)
March 29, 2010 IA SF 2389 Iowa Jobs II Program and Budget Amendments Bill Passed - House (52 - 47)
March 30, 2010 IA HF 2531 Appropriations and Tax Law Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 48)
March 29, 2010 IA SF 2379 Requiring County Sheriffs to Issue Concealed Weapons Permits to Qualified Applicants Bill Passed - House (81 - 16)
March 22, 2010 IA SF 2376 2010-2011 Education Budget Bill Passed - House (55 - 44)
April 25, 2007 IA SF 588 2008-2009 Education Budget Bill Passed - House (56 - 40)
April 20, 2007 IA HF 909 2007-2008 Health and Human Services Budget Bill Passed - House (53 - 44)
May 3, 2006 IA HF 2540 2006-2007 Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Conference Report Adopted - House (62 - 32)
March 6, 2006 IA HF 2540 2006-2007 Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Bill Passed - House (52 - 47)
March 7, 2006 IA HF 2558 2006-2007 Department of Justice, Corrections, Public Defense, and Public Safety Budget Bill Passed - House (54 - 45)
Feb. 2, 2011 IA HF 111 Purchase of Health Care Bill Passed - House (59 - 39)
Feb. 1, 2011 IA HJR 6 Banning Same Sex Marriage Amendment Adopted - House (62 - 37)
Feb. 16, 2011 IA HF 194 Individual Income Tax Rate Reduction Bill Passed - House (62 - 33)
Feb. 17, 2011 IA HF 260 House Rule School Governance Bill Passed - House (65 - 30)
March 8, 2011 IA HF 535 Repeals Statewide Preschool Program Bill Passed - House (55 - 45)
March 23, 2011 IA SF 464 Establishment of an Open Season for Hunting Mourning Doves Bill Passed - House (58 - 39)
March 22, 2011 IA HF 534 School Instructional Hours and Days Bill Passed - House (62 - 33)
March 28, 2011 IA HF 590 Establishes Economic Programs Bill Passed - House (66 - 33)
May 10, 2011 IA SF 522 Establishing a Property Tax Credit Bill Passed - House (58 - 40)
June 8, 2011 IA SF 534 Abortion Restrictions Bill Passed - House (54 - 37)
June 8, 2011 IA HF 697 State Budget for 2011-2012 Bill Passed - House (54 - 38)
June 30, 2011 IA HF 649 Appropriations for Health and Human Services Conference Report Adopted - House (61 - 33)
Feb. 14, 2012 IA HF 2274 Commercial and Industrial Property Tax Exemption Bill Passed - House (59 - 40)
Feb. 28, 2012 IA HF 589 Prohibits Obtaining Employment at Agriculture Facilities Under False Pretenses Concurrence Vote Passed - House (69 - 28)
Feb. 29, 2012 IA HF 2215 Authorizes the Use of Deadly Force in Self-Defense Bill Passed - House (60 - 38)
Feb. 29, 2012 IA HJR 2009 Prohibiting Mandatory Licensing and Registration of Guns Amendment Adopted - House (61 - 37)
March 13, 2012 IA HF 2380 Amends Education Provisions Bill Passed - House (53 - 46)
March 13, 2012 IA HF 2385 Authorizes Professionals to Teach Certain High School Courses Bill Passed - House (61 - 36)
April 3, 2012 IA HF 2450 Prohibits the Use of Traffic Cameras Bill Passed - House (58 - 42)
May 7, 2012 IA HF 2475 Reduces Certain Business Property Taxes Bill Passed - House (71 - 26)
May 8, 2012 IA SF 2284 Education Law Amendments Conference Report Adopted - House (87 - 9)
May 9, 2012 IA SF 2315 Amends the Mental Health and Disability Services Program Conference Report Adopted - House (66 - 31)
Feb. 19, 2013 IA HF 215 Appropriates Education Funding and Establishes New Programs Bill Passed - House (52 - 44)
March 13, 2013 IA HF 478 Authorizes an Alternative Flat Income Tax Bill Passed - House (53 - 47)
March 25, 2013 IA HF 527 Requires DNA Samples from Individuals Convicted Of Aggravated Misdemeanors Bill Passed - House (79 - 18)
April 16, 2013 IA SF 430 2013-2014 Economic Development Budget Bill Passed - House (52 - 46)
April 23, 2013 IA SF 447 2013-2014 Justice Department Budget Bill Passed - House (51 - 46)
April 8, 2013 IA HF 619 Authorizes Use of All-Terrain Vehicles on Certain Roads Bill Passed - House (75 - 22)
April 17, 2013 IA SF 295 Establishes a Business Property Tax Credit Fund Bill Passed - House (54 - 45)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/16 HF 2671 Undocumented Immigrants Restrictions Bill Passed - House (69 - 25)
3/14 SF 2330 Prohibition of Video Gambling Machines Bill Passed - House (80 - 18)
5/03 SF 2377 Confinement Feeding Operations Bill Passed - House (66 - 25)
3/21 HF 2709 School Year Minimum Hours Requirement Bill Passed - House (55 - 44)
3/22 HF 2597 Voter Identification Act Bill Passed - House (51 - 48)
3/15 H-8178 Preschool Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (46 - 51)
3/15 H-8172 Teacher Salary Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (46 - 51)
1/31 HF 2045 Senior Citizen Tax Revision Bill Passed - House (81 - 18)
3/15 HF 2527 2006-2007 Education Budget Bill Passed - House (53 - 44)
7/14 HF 2351 Eminent Domain Veto Override Passed - House (90 - 8)
5/02 SF 2408 Elderly Income Tax Reduction Bill Passed - House (89 - 6)
1/23 HF 1 Minimum Wage Increase Bill Passed - House (79 - 19)
2/22 SF 61 Harassment In Schools Concurrence Vote Passed - House (56 - 42)
2/07 SF 61 Harassment In Schools Bill Passed - House (62 - 37)
2/22 SF 162 Stem Cell Research and Penalties Bill Passed - House (52 - 46)
2/01 HF 5 Maximum Title Loan Finance Charge Bill Passed - House (84 - 12)
3/13 SF 128 Tobacco Tax Increase Bill Passed - House (58 - 40)
3/20 HF 653 Election Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - House (54 - 45)
3/28 HF 877 Statewide Preschool Program Bill Passed - House (56 - 43)
3/29 HF 611 Research-Based Sex Education Bill Passed - House (55 - 40)
4/18 SF 430 Recognition of Tribal Court Decisions Bill Passed - House (63 - 34)
4/18 SF 485 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Bill Passed - House (66 - 32)
4/18 SF 263 Land-Based Casinos Bill Passed - House (71 - 26)
4/05 SF 277 Teacher Pay and Incentive Programs Bill Passed - House (90 - 7)
4/23 SF 277 Teacher Pay and Incentive Programs Conference Report Adopted - House (93 - 3)
4/27 HF 920 Univeristy Capital Improvement Bonds Bill Passed - House (51 - 44)
4/25 SF 427 Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity Discrimination Bill Passed - House (59 - 37)
4/08 HF 2212 Smoking Ban Conference Report Adopted - House (54 - 45)
3/12 HF 2212 Smoking Ban Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 40)
2/19 HF 2212 Smoking Ban Bill Passed - House (56 - 44)
4/14 SF 2216 State-Mandated Curriculum for Schools Bill Passed - House (97 - 3)
3/05 HF 2359 Veterans Trust Fund Bill Passed - House (75 - 21)
3/19 HF 2645 Public Employee Collective Bargaining and Teacher Termination Policy Bill Passed - House (52 - 47)
3/20 HF 2145 Mandatory HPV Vaccination Coverage Bill Passed - House (81 - 16)
4/09 HF 2663 Statewide Sales Tax Increase for School Infrastructure Funding Bill Passed - House (59 - 41)
4/10 SJR 2002 Natural Resources Trust Fund Joint Resolution Passed - House (88 - 10)
4/16 SF 2420 Increasing Vehicle Registration Fees Bill Passed - House (53 - 47)
4/16 HF 2686 Employee Identification Verification Bill Passed - House (84 - 16)
4/25 SF 2432 Prison and Infrastructure Funding Bill Passed - House (53 - 43)
4/25 H 8672 DUI Appeals Amendment Rejected - House (45 - 50)
4/25 SF 2425 2008-2009 Health and Human Services Budget Conference Report Adopted - House (53 - 45)
1/29 SF 44 Expediting Local-Option Tax Approval in Disaster Areas Bill Passed - House (55 - 37)
2/26 SF 218 Growth Percentage for State School Foundation Program Bill Passed - House (53 - 44)
2/18 HF 311 Health Insurance Coverage for Prosthetics Bill Passed - House (64 - 33)
2/19 HF 333 Wage Standards for Public Project Workers Bill Failed - House (49 - 49)
2/26 HF 414 2008-2009 Budget Amendments Bill Passed - House (55 - 43)
3/18 HF 243 Gender Requirements for Certain Local Government Positions Bill Passed - House (71 - 27)
3/17 HF 670 Early Absentee Vote Counting Bill Passed - House (76 - 22)
4/24 SF 376 Bonds Issuance for Infrastructure Projects and the Creation of an Iowa Jobs Program, Board, and Fund. Bill Passed - House (53 - 43)
4/25 SF 477 Appropriation Bonds Bill Passed - House (52 - 44)
1/26 HF 2110 Military Spouse Relocation Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - House (56 - 44)
2/09 HJR 6 Constitutionally Defining Marriage as Between One Man and One Woman Motion Rejected - House (45 - 54)
2/12 Amdt 8053 Omnibus Spending Cuts Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (43 - 54)
2/17 Amdt 8140 Animal Abuse and Neglect Penalties Amendment Rejected - House (44 - 52)
2/17 Amdt 8145 Animal Facility Regulations Amendment Rejected - House (42 - 53)
2/23 HF 2456 Texting While Driving Ban Bill Passed - House (65 - 31)
3/10 SF 2357 Prohibiting Firearm Possession by Domestic Violence Perpetrators Bill Passed - House (73 - 25)
3/10 Amdt 8381 Free Self Defense Courses for Domestic Violence Victims Amendment Rejected - House (44 - 53)
3/19 SF 2380 Tax Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (54 - 43)
3/22 Amdt 8522 Allowing Cuts to Teacher Salary Supplement Amendment Rejected - House (49 - 50)
3/17 HF 2518 Retirement Contribution Rate Amendments Bill Passed - House (53 - 43)
3/23 HF 2456 Texting While Driving Ban Conference Report Adopted - House (66 - 33)
3/29 SF 2389 Iowa Jobs II Program and Budget Amendments Bill Passed - House (52 - 47)
3/30 HF 2531 Appropriations and Tax Law Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 48)
3/29 SF 2379 Requiring County Sheriffs to Issue Concealed Weapons Permits to Qualified Applicants Bill Passed - House (81 - 16)
3/22 SF 2376 2010-2011 Education Budget Bill Passed - House (55 - 44)
4/25 SF 588 2008-2009 Education Budget Bill Passed - House (56 - 40)
4/20 HF 909 2007-2008 Health and Human Services Budget Bill Passed - House (53 - 44)
5/03 HF 2540 2006-2007 Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Conference Report Adopted - House (62 - 32)
3/06 HF 2540 2006-2007 Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Bill Passed - House (52 - 47)
3/07 HF 2558 2006-2007 Department of Justice, Corrections, Public Defense, and Public Safety Budget Bill Passed - House (54 - 45)
2/02 HF 111 Purchase of Health Care Bill Passed - House (59 - 39)
2/01 HJR 6 Banning Same Sex Marriage Amendment Adopted - House (62 - 37)
2/16 HF 194 Individual Income Tax Rate Reduction Bill Passed - House (62 - 33)
2/17 HF 260 House Rule School Governance Bill Passed - House (65 - 30)
3/08 HF 535 Repeals Statewide Preschool Program Bill Passed - House (55 - 45)
3/23 SF 464 Establishment of an Open Season for Hunting Mourning Doves Bill Passed - House (58 - 39)
3/22 HF 534 School Instructional Hours and Days Bill Passed - House (62 - 33)
3/28 HF 590 Establishes Economic Programs Bill Passed - House (66 - 33)
5/10 SF 522 Establishing a Property Tax Credit Bill Passed - House (58 - 40)
6/08 SF 534 Abortion Restrictions Bill Passed - House (54 - 37)
6/08 HF 697 State Budget for 2011-2012 Bill Passed - House (54 - 38)
6/30 HF 649 Appropriations for Health and Human Services Conference Report Adopted - House (61 - 33)
2/14 HF 2274 Commercial and Industrial Property Tax Exemption Bill Passed - House (59 - 40)
2/28 HF 589 Prohibits Obtaining Employment at Agriculture Facilities Under False Pretenses Concurrence Vote Passed - House (69 - 28)
2/29 HF 2215 Authorizes the Use of Deadly Force in Self-Defense Bill Passed - House (60 - 38)
2/29 HJR 2009 Prohibiting Mandatory Licensing and Registration of Guns Amendment Adopted - House (61 - 37)
3/13 HF 2380 Amends Education Provisions Bill Passed - House (53 - 46)
3/13 HF 2385 Authorizes Professionals to Teach Certain High School Courses Bill Passed - House (61 - 36)
4/03 HF 2450 Prohibits the Use of Traffic Cameras Bill Passed - House (58 - 42)
5/07 HF 2475 Reduces Certain Business Property Taxes Bill Passed - House (71 - 26)
5/08 SF 2284 Education Law Amendments Conference Report Adopted - House (87 - 9)
5/09 SF 2315 Amends the Mental Health and Disability Services Program Conference Report Adopted - House (66 - 31)
2/19 HF 215 Appropriates Education Funding and Establishes New Programs Bill Passed - House (52 - 44)
3/13 HF 478 Authorizes an Alternative Flat Income Tax Bill Passed - House (53 - 47)
3/25 HF 527 Requires DNA Samples from Individuals Convicted Of Aggravated Misdemeanors Bill Passed - House (79 - 18)
4/16 SF 430 2013-2014 Economic Development Budget Bill Passed - House (52 - 46)
4/23 SF 447 2013-2014 Justice Department Budget Bill Passed - House (51 - 46)
4/08 HF 619 Authorizes Use of All-Terrain Vehicles on Certain Roads Bill Passed - House (75 - 22)
4/17 SF 295 Establishes a Business Property Tax Credit Fund Bill Passed - House (54 - 45)

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