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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
May 9, 2012 IA SF 2315 Amends the Mental Health and Disability Services Program Conference Report Adopted - House (66 - 31)
May 8, 2012 IA SF 2284 Education Law Amendments Conference Report Adopted - House (87 - 9)
May 8, 2012 IA SF 2284 Education Law Amendments Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 15)
Feb. 28, 2012 IA HF 589 Prohibits Obtaining Employment at Agriculture Facilities Under False Pretenses Concurrence Vote Passed - House (69 - 28)
April 24, 2012 IA HF 2460 Limits Tax Increment Financing Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 22)
Feb. 28, 2012 IA HF 589 Prohibits Obtaining Employment at Agriculture Facilities Under False Pretenses Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 10)
March 13, 2012 IA HF 2385 Authorizes Professionals to Teach Certain High School Courses Bill Passed - House (61 - 36)
Feb. 14, 2012 IA HF 2274 Commercial and Industrial Property Tax Exemption Bill Passed - House (59 - 40)
April 9, 2012 IA SF 2284 Education Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24)
May 7, 2012 IA HF 2475 Reduces Certain Business Property Taxes Bill Passed - House (71 - 26)
April 3, 2012 IA HF 2450 Prohibits the Use of Traffic Cameras Bill Passed - House (58 - 42)
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 5, 2012 IA SF 2304 Requires DNA Samples from all Individuals Convicted of Certain Misdemeanors Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16)
March 13, 2012 IA HF 2380 Amends Education Provisions Bill Passed - House (53 - 46)
March 13, 2012 IA SF 2275 Authorizes Internet Gambling Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 20)
May 8, 2012 IA SF 2344 Reduces Certain Business Property Taxes Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 23)
April 12, 2012 IA S 5206 Prohibits State Funding For Abortions Amendment Rejected - Senate (22 - 25)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/09 SF 2315 Amends the Mental Health and Disability Services Program Conference Report Adopted - House (66 - 31)
5/08 SF 2284 Education Law Amendments Conference Report Adopted - House (87 - 9)
5/08 SF 2284 Education Law Amendments Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 15)
2/28 HF 589 Prohibits Obtaining Employment at Agriculture Facilities Under False Pretenses Concurrence Vote Passed - House (69 - 28)
4/24 HF 2460 Limits Tax Increment Financing Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 22)
2/28 HF 589 Prohibits Obtaining Employment at Agriculture Facilities Under False Pretenses Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 10)
3/13 HF 2385 Authorizes Professionals to Teach Certain High School Courses Bill Passed - House (61 - 36)
2/14 HF 2274 Commercial and Industrial Property Tax Exemption Bill Passed - House (59 - 40)
4/09 SF 2284 Education Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24)
5/07 HF 2475 Reduces Certain Business Property Taxes Bill Passed - House (71 - 26)
4/03 HF 2450 Prohibits the Use of Traffic Cameras Bill Passed - House (58 - 42)
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)
3/05 SF 2304 Requires DNA Samples from all Individuals Convicted of Certain Misdemeanors Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16)
3/13 HF 2380 Amends Education Provisions Bill Passed - House (53 - 46)
3/13 SF 2275 Authorizes Internet Gambling Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 20)
5/08 SF 2344 Reduces Certain Business Property Taxes Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 23)
4/12 S 5206 Prohibits State Funding For Abortions Amendment Rejected - Senate (22 - 25)

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