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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Nov. 28, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2985 | Repeals the Limit on the Use of Funds to Procure Alternative Fuel | Amendment Adopted - Senate (62 - 37) |
Nov. 28, 2012 | National | S Amdt 3095 | Repeals the Prohibition on Biofuel Refinery Construction | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 41) |
July 2, 2012 | NC | SB 820 | Authorizes Hydraulic Fracturing | Veto Override Passed - Senate (29 - 13) |
June 6, 2012 | NH | HB 1490 | Authorizes New Hamshire to Leave the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 6) |
June 6, 2012 | NC | SB 820 | Authorizes Hydraulic Fracturing | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 19) |
May 30, 2012 | CA | SB 1054 | Requires Notifying Property Owners Prior to Hydraulic Fracturing | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 18) |
May 15, 2012 | OH | SB 315 | Regulates Practice of Hydraulic Fracturing | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6) |
May 3, 2012 | HI | SB 2785 | Establishes Regulations for an Undersea Power Cable | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 3) |
April 11, 2012 | NE | LB 1161 | Authorizes Land Study in Nebraska for Keystone XL Pipeline Route | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 5) |
April 9, 2012 | AK | SB 203 | Establishes an Energy Assistance Program | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 4) |
March 29, 2012 | National | S 2204 | Amends Energy-Related Tax Credits | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 47) |
March 29, 2012 | National | S 2204 | Amends Energy-Related Tax Credits | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 47) |
March 15, 2012 | NJ | S 1322 | Requires Participation In the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
March 14, 2012 | ID | H 464 | Prohibits Local Ordinances from Limiting Oil and Gas Extraction | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
March 8, 2012 | National | S Amdt 1537 | Approving the Keystone XL Pipeline Project | Amendment Rejected - Senate (56 - 42) |
March 8, 2012 | FL | HB 4001 | Repeals Provisions for Cap and Trade Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 5) |
Feb. 28, 2012 | SD | HB 1228 | Tax Credits for Alternative Energy Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
Feb. 17, 2012 | National | HR 3630 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (60 - 36) |
Feb. 7, 2012 | PA | HB 1950 | Amends Statutes Concerning Oil and Gas Resources | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 19) |
Jan. 30, 2012 | MN | Anderson Nomination | Confirmation of Ellen Anderson as Public Utilities Commissioner | Motion Rejected - Senate (29 - 37) |
Jan. 25, 2012 | NH | Amdt 367s | Restricting Eminent Domain Petitions | Amendment Adopted - Senate (16 - 8) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
11/28 | S Amdt 2985 | Repeals the Limit on the Use of Funds to Procure Alternative Fuel | Amendment Adopted - Senate (62 - 37) |
11/28 | S Amdt 3095 | Repeals the Prohibition on Biofuel Refinery Construction | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 41) |
7/02 | SB 820 | Authorizes Hydraulic Fracturing | Veto Override Passed - Senate (29 - 13) |
6/06 | HB 1490 | Authorizes New Hamshire to Leave the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 6) |
6/06 | SB 820 | Authorizes Hydraulic Fracturing | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 19) |
5/30 | SB 1054 | Requires Notifying Property Owners Prior to Hydraulic Fracturing | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 18) |
5/15 | SB 315 | Regulates Practice of Hydraulic Fracturing | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6) |
5/03 | SB 2785 | Establishes Regulations for an Undersea Power Cable | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 3) |
4/11 | LB 1161 | Authorizes Land Study in Nebraska for Keystone XL Pipeline Route | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 5) |
4/09 | SB 203 | Establishes an Energy Assistance Program | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 4) |
3/29 | S 2204 | Amends Energy-Related Tax Credits | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 47) |
3/29 | S 2204 | Amends Energy-Related Tax Credits | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 47) |
3/15 | S 1322 | Requires Participation In the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
3/14 | H 464 | Prohibits Local Ordinances from Limiting Oil and Gas Extraction | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
3/08 | S Amdt 1537 | Approving the Keystone XL Pipeline Project | Amendment Rejected - Senate (56 - 42) |
3/08 | HB 4001 | Repeals Provisions for Cap and Trade Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 5) |
2/28 | HB 1228 | Tax Credits for Alternative Energy Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
2/17 | HR 3630 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (60 - 36) |
2/07 | HB 1950 | Amends Statutes Concerning Oil and Gas Resources | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 19) |
1/30 | Anderson Nomination | Confirmation of Ellen Anderson as Public Utilities Commissioner | Motion Rejected - Senate (29 - 37) |
1/25 | Amdt 367s | Restricting Eminent Domain Petitions | Amendment Adopted - Senate (16 - 8) |