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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Oct. 17, 2012 | PA | SB 850 | Repeals Mandatory Life Sentences for Certain Juvenile Offenders | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 12) |
Oct. 17, 2012 | PA | HB 815 | Reduces the Offense of "Sexting" for Minors | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 12) |
Aug. 30, 2012 | CA | SB 1172 | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
Aug. 29, 2012 | CA | SB 1476 | Authorizes Courts to Designate More than 2 Individuals as Parents of a Child | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
Aug. 22, 2012 | CA | AB 1640 | Expands Cash Assistance Programs for Pregnant Teenagers | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
Aug. 22, 2012 | CA | AB 2109 | Requires Parents to Obtain a Waiver for Unvaccinated Children | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
Aug. 20, 2012 | CA | SB 9 | Sentence Reconsideration for Juvenile Offenders | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
May 31, 2012 | CA | SB 1140 | Exempts Religious Institutions from Performing Same-Sex Marriages | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
May 31, 2012 | NJ | S 1599 | Amends Surrogacy Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11) |
May 30, 2012 | CA | SB 1172 | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
May 30, 2012 | CA | SB 1476 | Authorizes Courts to Designate More than 2 Individuals as Parents of a Child | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
May 24, 2012 | IL | SB 2840 | Limits Medicaid Funding | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 13) |
May 15, 2012 | MD | SB 1302 | Increases Tax Rates for Certain Individuals | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19) |
May 3, 2012 | CT | HB 5312 | Authorizes Day Care and Personal Care Workers to Join Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
April 26, 2012 | TN | HB 2566 | Increases Kindergarten Age Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10) |
April 26, 2012 | CO | SB 2 | Authorizes Civil Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
April 18, 2012 | AZ | HB 2154 | Requires Car Seats for Certain Children | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 10) |
April 11, 2012 | NE | LB 599 | Prenatal Care for Children of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15) |
April 11, 2012 | NE | LB 599 | Prenatal Care for Children of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15) |
April 5, 2012 | CO | HB 1271 | Repeals Direct Filing of Juveniles by Prosecutors | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
April 3, 2012 | AZ | HB 2348 | Prohibits Cell Phone Use by Teens While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
March 27, 2012 | GA | HB 861 | Requires Drug Testing for Certain Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 15) |
March 15, 2012 | MD | SB 523 | Increases State Income Tax Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 20) |
March 15, 2012 | MI | SB 756 | Prohibits Teens from Using Cell Phones While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
March 14, 2012 | MD | SB 559 | Prohibits Smoking in a Vehicle with Children | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19) |
March 13, 2012 | RI | S 2322 | Prohibits The Use Of Tanning Facilities By Minors | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
March 9, 2012 | FL | SB 1718 | Authorizes Parent Involvement in School Turnaround Decisions | Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 20) |
March 8, 2012 | AZ | SB 1462 | Expands Penalties for Bullying | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 12) |
March 7, 2012 | GA | SB 292 | Requires Drug Tests for Certain Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 18) |
Feb. 27, 2012 | AZ | SB 1204 | Authorizes Parents to Vote to Close Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 14) |
Feb. 23, 2012 | MD | HB 438 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 22) |
Feb. 22, 2012 | UT | SB 41 | Authorizes Regulations of Tanning Facilities | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 9) |
Feb. 22, 2012 | UT | SB 41 | Authorizes Regulations of Tanning Facilities | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 9) |
Feb. 21, 2012 | VA | HB 189 | Authorizes Adoption Agencies to Refuse Adoptions for Religious Reasons | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
Feb. 13, 2012 | NJ | S 1 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
Feb. 9, 2012 | VA | SB 349 | Authorizing Private Adoption Agencies to Refuse Certain Placements | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
Feb. 7, 2012 | UT | SB 128 | Prohibits Minors from Using Cell Phones while Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 9) |
Feb. 1, 2012 | WA | SB 6239 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 21) |
Jan. 9, 2012 | NJ | A 4366 | Amending Annulment Requirements and Eliminating Marriage Wait Period | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |