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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Jan. 30, 2012 | MN | Anderson Nomination | Confirmation of Ellen Anderson as Public Utilities Commissioner | Motion Rejected - Senate (29 - 37) |
Feb. 29, 2012 | MN | HF 1467 | Expands the Use of Deadly Force in Self-Defense | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (85 - 47) |
Feb. 23, 2012 | MN | HF 1467 | Expands the Use of Deadly Force in Self-Defense | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 23) |
May 7, 2012 | MN | HF 1485 | Authorizes New Vikings Stadium | Bill Passed - House (73 - 58) |
May 8, 2012 | MN | HF 1752 | Authorizes Bonds for Construction Works | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (97 - 33) |
May 7, 2012 | MN | HF 1752 | Authorizes Bonds for Construction Works | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 22) |
May 7, 2012 | MN | HF 1752 | Authorizes Bonds for Construction Works | Bill Passed - House (99 - 32) |
Feb. 27, 2012 | MN | HF 1870 | Authorizes School Districts to Dismiss Teachers Based on Performance | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 26) |
Feb. 16, 2012 | MN | HF 1870 | Authorizes School Districts to Dismiss Teachers Based on Performance | Bill Passed - House (68 - 61) |
April 2, 2012 | MN | HF 2083 | Requires State Reserve Funds to be Used to Reduce School Debt | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 28) |
April 2, 2012 | MN | HF 2083 | Requires State Reserve Funds to be Used to Reduce School Debt | Conference Report Adopted - House (75 - 56) |
March 15, 2012 | MN | HF 2083 | Requires State Reserve Funds to be Used to Reduce School Debt | Bill Passed - House (74 - 59) |
April 28, 2012 | MN | HF 2171 | Increases Hunting and Fishing Fees | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (34 - 28) |
April 28, 2012 | MN | HF 2171 | Increases Hunting and Fishing Fees | Conference Report Adopted - House (68 - 62) |
May 3, 2012 | MN | HF 2337 | Amends Property Taxes | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 25) |
May 1, 2012 | MN | HF 2337 | Amends Property Taxes | Conference Report Adopted - House (73 - 57) |
March 21, 2012 | MN | HF 2337 | Amends Property Taxes | Bill Passed - House (72 - 62) |
April 23, 2012 | MN | HF 2341 | Requires Physicians to Administer Abortion Drugs In Person | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 25) |
April 18, 2012 | MN | HF 2341 | Requires Physicians to Administer Abortion Drugs In Person | Bill Passed - House (80 - 48) |
April 5, 2012 | MN | HF 2738 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 29) |
April 3, 2012 | MN | HF 2738 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Conference Report Adopted - House (72 - 57) |
March 20, 2012 | MN | HF 2738 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - House (72 - 62) |
April 30, 2012 | MN | HF 2795 | Expands Gambling | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (97 - 34) |
April 28, 2012 | MN | HF 2795 | Expands Gambling | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 18) |
May 10, 2012 | MN | HF 2958 | Authorizes New Viking Stadium | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (38 - 28) |
May 9, 2012 | MN | HF 2958 | Authorizes New Viking Stadium | Conference Report Adopted - House (71 - 60) |
March 26, 2012 | MN | HF 545 | Requires State Budget to Include Federal Insolvency Contingency Plan | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (70 - 60) |
March 19, 2012 | MN | HF 545 | Requires State Budget to Include Federal Insolvency Contingency Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 12) |
March 27, 2012 | MN | HF 657 | Amends Ticket Sales Practices | Bill Passed - House (83 - 50) |
May 3, 2012 | MN | SF 1694 | Authorizes the Sale of Certain Fireworks | Veto Override Failed - Senate (37 - 29) |
April 24, 2012 | MN | SF 1694 | Authorizes the Sale of Certain Fireworks | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (48 - 17) |
April 23, 2012 | MN | SF 1694 | Authorizes the Sale of Certain Fireworks | Bill Passed - House (77 - 50) |
April 20, 2012 | MN | SF 1921 | Increases Requirements for Abortion Providers | Bill Passed - House (80 - 47) |
April 18, 2012 | MN | SF 1921 | Increases Requirements for Abortion Providers | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 23) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
1/30 | Anderson Nomination | Confirmation of Ellen Anderson as Public Utilities Commissioner | Motion Rejected - Senate (29 - 37) |
2/29 | HF 1467 | Expands the Use of Deadly Force in Self-Defense | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (85 - 47) |
2/23 | HF 1467 | Expands the Use of Deadly Force in Self-Defense | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 23) |
5/07 | HF 1485 | Authorizes New Vikings Stadium | Bill Passed - House (73 - 58) |
5/08 | HF 1752 | Authorizes Bonds for Construction Works | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (97 - 33) |
5/07 | HF 1752 | Authorizes Bonds for Construction Works | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 22) |
5/07 | HF 1752 | Authorizes Bonds for Construction Works | Bill Passed - House (99 - 32) |
2/27 | HF 1870 | Authorizes School Districts to Dismiss Teachers Based on Performance | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 26) |
2/16 | HF 1870 | Authorizes School Districts to Dismiss Teachers Based on Performance | Bill Passed - House (68 - 61) |
4/02 | HF 2083 | Requires State Reserve Funds to be Used to Reduce School Debt | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 28) |
4/02 | HF 2083 | Requires State Reserve Funds to be Used to Reduce School Debt | Conference Report Adopted - House (75 - 56) |
3/15 | HF 2083 | Requires State Reserve Funds to be Used to Reduce School Debt | Bill Passed - House (74 - 59) |
4/28 | HF 2171 | Increases Hunting and Fishing Fees | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (34 - 28) |
4/28 | HF 2171 | Increases Hunting and Fishing Fees | Conference Report Adopted - House (68 - 62) |
5/03 | HF 2337 | Amends Property Taxes | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 25) |
5/01 | HF 2337 | Amends Property Taxes | Conference Report Adopted - House (73 - 57) |
3/21 | HF 2337 | Amends Property Taxes | Bill Passed - House (72 - 62) |
4/23 | HF 2341 | Requires Physicians to Administer Abortion Drugs In Person | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 25) |
4/18 | HF 2341 | Requires Physicians to Administer Abortion Drugs In Person | Bill Passed - House (80 - 48) |
4/05 | HF 2738 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 29) |
4/03 | HF 2738 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Conference Report Adopted - House (72 - 57) |
3/20 | HF 2738 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - House (72 - 62) |
4/30 | HF 2795 | Expands Gambling | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (97 - 34) |
4/28 | HF 2795 | Expands Gambling | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 18) |
5/10 | HF 2958 | Authorizes New Viking Stadium | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (38 - 28) |
5/09 | HF 2958 | Authorizes New Viking Stadium | Conference Report Adopted - House (71 - 60) |
3/26 | HF 545 | Requires State Budget to Include Federal Insolvency Contingency Plan | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (70 - 60) |
3/19 | HF 545 | Requires State Budget to Include Federal Insolvency Contingency Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 12) |
3/27 | HF 657 | Amends Ticket Sales Practices | Bill Passed - House (83 - 50) |
5/03 | SF 1694 | Authorizes the Sale of Certain Fireworks | Veto Override Failed - Senate (37 - 29) |
4/24 | SF 1694 | Authorizes the Sale of Certain Fireworks | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (48 - 17) |
4/23 | SF 1694 | Authorizes the Sale of Certain Fireworks | Bill Passed - House (77 - 50) |
4/20 | SF 1921 | Increases Requirements for Abortion Providers | Bill Passed - House (80 - 47) |
4/18 | SF 1921 | Increases Requirements for Abortion Providers | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 23) |