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 2626 | Authorizes Employers to Keep Income Taxes Paid by their Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (111 - 80) |
Oct. 17, 2012 | PA | HB 2626 | Authorizes Employers to Keep Income Taxes Paid by their Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
Oct. 17, 2012 | PA | HB 815 | Reduces the Offense of "Sexting" for Minors | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 12) |
Oct. 17, 2012 | PA | SB 941 | Increases Penalties for Public Intoxication | Bill Passed - House (104 - 87) |
Oct. 16, 2012 | PA | SB 1115 | Amends Charter School Laws | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
Oct. 3, 2012 | PA | SB 1480 | 2012-2013 Supplemental Capital Budget | Bill Passed - House (142 - 55) |
Sept. 25, 2012 | PA | SB 367 | Authorizes Natural Resource Development | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (136 - 62) |
June 30, 2012 | PA | HB 254 | Expands Use of Red-Light Cameras | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (113 - 72) |
June 30, 2012 | PA | HB 761 | Exempts Certain Transfers from the Realty Transfer Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (140 - 56) |
June 30, 2012 | PA | HB 1261 | Repeals the General Assistance Cash Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (102 - 91) |
June 30, 2012 | PA | HB 3 | Authorizes Public-Private Partnerships for Transportation Projects | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (117 - 79) |
June 30, 2012 | PA | SB 1115 | Amends Charter School Laws | Bill Passed - House (120 - 77) |
June 30, 2012 | PA | SB 1263 | Prohibits Gas Drilling in Certain Areas | Bill Passed - House (123 - 74) |
June 29, 2012 | PA | SB 1466 | 2012-2013 Budget | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
June 29, 2012 | PA | HB 254 | Expands Use of Red-Light Cameras | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 15) |
June 29, 2012 | PA | HB 1261 | Repeals the General Assistance Cash Program | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18) |
June 28, 2012 | PA | HB 1307 | Authorizes State Control of Financially Distressed Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (106 - 95) |
June 28, 2012 | PA | SB 1466 | 2012-2013 Budget | Bill Passed - House (120 - 81) |
June 19, 2012 | PA | HB 1307 | Authorizes State Control of Financially Distressed Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 21) |
June 18, 2012 | PA | HB 1521 | Prohibits Hidden Compartments in Vehicles | Bill Passed - House (114 - 83) |
June 13, 2012 | PA | HB 2400 | Expands Wiretapping Authority | Bill Passed - House (145 - 52) |
June 6, 2012 | PA | SB 1310 | Authorizes Repayment of Unemployment Debt to the Federal Government | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (129 - 67) |
June 6, 2012 | PA | HB 2191 | Authorizes Payday Loans | Bill Passed - House (102 - 90) |
June 5, 2012 | PA | SB 1310 | Authorizes Repayment of Unemployment Debt to the Federal Government | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 19) |
April 4, 2012 | PA | HB 153 | Reduces the Number of Members in the General Assembly | Bill Passed - House (140 - 49) |
March 14, 2012 | PA | HB 934 | Amends Voter Identification Laws | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (104 - 88) |
March 7, 2012 | PA | HB 934 | Amends Voter Identification Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
Feb. 8, 2012 | PA | HB 1950 | Amends Statutes Concerning Oil and Gas Resources | Conference Report Adopted - House (101 - 90) |
Feb. 7, 2012 | PA | HB 1950 | Amends Statutes Concerning Oil and Gas Resources | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 19) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
10/17 | SB 850 | Repeals Mandatory Life Sentences for Certain Juvenile Offenders | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 12) |
10/17 | HB 2626 | Authorizes Employers to Keep Income Taxes Paid by their Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (111 - 80) |
10/17 | HB 2626 | Authorizes Employers to Keep Income Taxes Paid by their Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
10/17 | HB 815 | Reduces the Offense of "Sexting" for Minors | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 12) |
10/17 | SB 941 | Increases Penalties for Public Intoxication | Bill Passed - House (104 - 87) |
10/16 | SB 1115 | Amends Charter School Laws | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
10/03 | SB 1480 | 2012-2013 Supplemental Capital Budget | Bill Passed - House (142 - 55) |
9/25 | SB 367 | Authorizes Natural Resource Development | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (136 - 62) |
6/30 | HB 254 | Expands Use of Red-Light Cameras | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (113 - 72) |
6/30 | HB 761 | Exempts Certain Transfers from the Realty Transfer Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (140 - 56) |
6/30 | HB 1261 | Repeals the General Assistance Cash Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (102 - 91) |
6/30 | HB 3 | Authorizes Public-Private Partnerships for Transportation Projects | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (117 - 79) |
6/30 | SB 1115 | Amends Charter School Laws | Bill Passed - House (120 - 77) |
6/30 | SB 1263 | Prohibits Gas Drilling in Certain Areas | Bill Passed - House (123 - 74) |
6/29 | SB 1466 | 2012-2013 Budget | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
6/29 | HB 254 | Expands Use of Red-Light Cameras | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 15) |
6/29 | HB 1261 | Repeals the General Assistance Cash Program | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18) |
6/28 | HB 1307 | Authorizes State Control of Financially Distressed Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (106 - 95) |
6/28 | SB 1466 | 2012-2013 Budget | Bill Passed - House (120 - 81) |
6/19 | HB 1307 | Authorizes State Control of Financially Distressed Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 21) |
6/18 | HB 1521 | Prohibits Hidden Compartments in Vehicles | Bill Passed - House (114 - 83) |
6/13 | HB 2400 | Expands Wiretapping Authority | Bill Passed - House (145 - 52) |
6/06 | SB 1310 | Authorizes Repayment of Unemployment Debt to the Federal Government | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (129 - 67) |
6/06 | HB 2191 | Authorizes Payday Loans | Bill Passed - House (102 - 90) |
6/05 | SB 1310 | Authorizes Repayment of Unemployment Debt to the Federal Government | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 19) |
4/04 | HB 153 | Reduces the Number of Members in the General Assembly | Bill Passed - House (140 - 49) |
3/14 | HB 934 | Amends Voter Identification Laws | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (104 - 88) |
3/07 | HB 934 | Amends Voter Identification Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
2/08 | HB 1950 | Amends Statutes Concerning Oil and Gas Resources | Conference Report Adopted - House (101 - 90) |
2/07 | HB 1950 | Amends Statutes Concerning Oil and Gas Resources | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 19) |