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
Jan. 31, 2008 SD SB 173 Eliminating Restrictions on Corporate Dairy Farms Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8)
Feb. 25, 2008 SD SB 173 Eliminating Restrictions on Corporate Dairy Farms Bill Passed - House (63 - 6)
Jan. 29, 2008 SD SB 88 Offering Sonograms to Women Considering Abortion Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12)
Feb. 20, 2008 SD SB 88 Offering Sonograms to Women Considering Abortion Bill Passed - House (38 - 32)
Feb. 8, 2007 SD SB 190 Liquor License Development Districts Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 20)
Jan. 24, 2006 SD SB 27 State Fair Appropriation Bill Passed - House (61 - 7)
Feb. 9, 2006 SD HB 1234 Mandatory Kindergarten Bill Passed - House (52 - 15)
Jan. 31, 2006 SD SB 175 Emergency Contraceptives for Rape Victims Bill Failed - Senate (9 - 26)
Feb. 21, 2006 SD HB 1235 Compulsory High School Education Age to 18 Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 23)
Feb. 10, 2006 SD HB 1235 Compulsory High School Education Age to 18 Bill Passed - House (51 - 14)
Feb. 23, 2006 SD SB 1 Mandatory Bodily Substance Samples in Drunk Driving Arrests Bill Passed - House (52 - 17)
Jan. 23, 2006 SD SB 1 Mandatory Bodily Substance Samples in Drunk Driving Arrests Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)
Feb. 22, 2006 SD HB 1215 Abortion Ban Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
Feb. 9, 2006 SD HB 1215 Abortion Ban Bill Passed - House (47 - 22)
Feb. 6, 2006 SD HB 1184 Medical Treatments that Violate Medical Workers Principles Bill Failed - House (34 - 35)
Feb. 7, 2006 SD HB 1217 Abstinence-Only Sex Education Bill Passed - House (46 - 24)
Feb. 9, 2006 SD HB 1194 Contraceptive Distribution at Public Schools Bill Passed - House (51 - 17)
Jan. 22, 2008 SD SB 26 State Regulation of Preschools Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
Feb. 7, 2007 SD HB 1139 Tobacco Tax Funds Bill Passed - House (60 - 10)
Feb. 5, 2007 SD HB 1296 Pre-Abortion Sonograms Bill Passed - House (43 - 24)
Jan. 24, 2007 SD SB 74 Allowing Friends to Make Medical Decisions Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10)
Feb. 13, 2007 SD HB 1048 Campaign Contribution Reform Bill Passed - House (47 - 23)
Feb. 14, 2007 SD HB 1293 Abortion Limitations Bill Passed - House (45 - 25)
Feb. 15, 2007 SD SB 157 Teacher Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 5)
Feb. 14, 2007 SD HB 1160 Physician Presence at Executions Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 3)
Date No. Title Outcome
1/31 SB 173 Eliminating Restrictions on Corporate Dairy Farms Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8)
2/25 SB 173 Eliminating Restrictions on Corporate Dairy Farms Bill Passed - House (63 - 6)
1/29 SB 88 Offering Sonograms to Women Considering Abortion Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12)
2/20 SB 88 Offering Sonograms to Women Considering Abortion Bill Passed - House (38 - 32)
2/08 SB 190 Liquor License Development Districts Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 20)
1/24 SB 27 State Fair Appropriation Bill Passed - House (61 - 7)
2/09 HB 1234 Mandatory Kindergarten Bill Passed - House (52 - 15)
1/31 SB 175 Emergency Contraceptives for Rape Victims Bill Failed - Senate (9 - 26)
2/21 HB 1235 Compulsory High School Education Age to 18 Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 23)
2/10 HB 1235 Compulsory High School Education Age to 18 Bill Passed - House (51 - 14)
2/23 SB 1 Mandatory Bodily Substance Samples in Drunk Driving Arrests Bill Passed - House (52 - 17)
1/23 SB 1 Mandatory Bodily Substance Samples in Drunk Driving Arrests Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)
2/22 HB 1215 Abortion Ban Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
2/09 HB 1215 Abortion Ban Bill Passed - House (47 - 22)
2/06 HB 1184 Medical Treatments that Violate Medical Workers Principles Bill Failed - House (34 - 35)
2/07 HB 1217 Abstinence-Only Sex Education Bill Passed - House (46 - 24)
2/09 HB 1194 Contraceptive Distribution at Public Schools Bill Passed - House (51 - 17)
1/22 SB 26 State Regulation of Preschools Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11)
2/07 HB 1139 Tobacco Tax Funds Bill Passed - House (60 - 10)
2/05 HB 1296 Pre-Abortion Sonograms Bill Passed - House (43 - 24)
1/24 SB 74 Allowing Friends to Make Medical Decisions Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10)
2/13 HB 1048 Campaign Contribution Reform Bill Passed - House (47 - 23)
2/14 HB 1293 Abortion Limitations Bill Passed - House (45 - 25)
2/15 SB 157 Teacher Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 5)
2/14 HB 1160 Physician Presence at Executions Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 3)

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