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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 9, 2008 | IA | HF 2663 | Statewide Sales Tax Increase for School Infrastructure Funding | Bill Passed - House (59 - 41) |
| April 7, 2008 | IA | HF 2539 | Health Care Expansion Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 6) |
| March 24, 2008 | IA | HF 2645 | Public Employee Collective Bargaining and Teacher Termination Policy | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23) |
| March 19, 2008 | IA | HF 2645 | Public Employee Collective Bargaining and Teacher Termination Policy | Bill Passed - House (52 - 47) |
| March 19, 2008 | IA | SJR 2002 | Natural Resources Trust Fund | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (47 - 2) |
| March 10, 2008 | IA | HF 2359 | Veterans Trust Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| March 5, 2008 | IA | HF 2359 | Veterans Trust Fund | Bill Passed - House (75 - 21) |
| April 27, 2007 | IA | HF 920 | Univeristy Capital Improvement Bonds | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 10) |
| April 27, 2007 | IA | HF 920 | Univeristy Capital Improvement Bonds | Bill Passed - House (51 - 44) |
| April 25, 2007 | IA | SF 588 | 2008-2009 Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (56 - 40) |
| April 25, 2007 | IA | HF 909 | 2007-2008 Health and Human Services Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| April 25, 2007 | IA | SF 604 | Commercial Residential Property Tax Reduction | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 22) |
| April 23, 2007 | IA | SF 277 | Teacher Pay and Incentive Programs | Conference Report Adopted - House (93 - 3) |
| April 20, 2007 | IA | HF 909 | 2007-2008 Health and Human Services Budget | Bill Passed - House (53 - 44) |
| April 19, 2007 | IA | SF 277 | Teacher Pay and Incentive Programs | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 14) |
| April 19, 2007 | IA | SF 599 | Iowa Power Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 13) |
| April 19, 2007 | IA | SF 596 | Electronic Downloads Tax Creation and Regulation Adjustments for Cigarette Retailers | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 20) |
| April 18, 2007 | IA | SF 588 | 2008-2009 Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 7) |
| April 18, 2007 | IA | HF 877 | Statewide Preschool Program | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 14) |
| April 16, 2007 | IA | SF 277 | Teacher Pay and Incentive Programs | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (43 - 7) |
| April 5, 2007 | IA | SF 277 | Teacher Pay and Incentive Programs | Bill Passed - House (90 - 7) |
| March 28, 2007 | IA | HF 877 | Statewide Preschool Program | Bill Passed - House (56 - 43) |
| March 13, 2007 | IA | SF 128 | Tobacco Tax Increase | Bill Passed - House (58 - 40) |
| March 7, 2007 | IA | SF 128 | Tobacco Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14) |
| Feb. 22, 2007 | IA | SF 162 | Stem Cell Research and Penalties | Bill Passed - House (52 - 46) |
| Feb. 14, 2007 | IA | SF 162 | Stem Cell Research and Penalties | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| May 3, 2006 | IA | HF 2540 | 2006-2007 Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (47 - 2) |
| May 3, 2006 | IA | HF 2540 | 2006-2007 Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (62 - 32) |
| May 2, 2006 | IA | SF 2408 | Elderly Income Tax Reduction | Bill Passed - House (89 - 6) |
| May 2, 2006 | IA | SF 2408 | Elderly Income Tax Reduction | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 4) |
| March 15, 2006 | IA | H-8178 | Preschool Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (46 - 51) |
| March 15, 2006 | IA | H-8172 | Teacher Salary Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (46 - 51) |
| March 15, 2006 | IA | HF 2527 | 2006-2007 Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (53 - 44) |
| March 7, 2006 | IA | HF 2558 | 2006-2007 Department of Justice, Corrections, Public Defense, and Public Safety Budget | Bill Passed - House (54 - 45) |
| March 6, 2006 | IA | HF 2540 | 2006-2007 Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget | Bill Passed - House (52 - 47) |
| Jan. 31, 2006 | IA | HF 2045 | Senior Citizen Tax Revision | Bill Passed - House (81 - 18) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/09 | HF 2663 | Statewide Sales Tax Increase for School Infrastructure Funding | Bill Passed - House (59 - 41) |
| 4/07 | HF 2539 | Health Care Expansion Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 6) |
| 3/24 | HF 2645 | Public Employee Collective Bargaining and Teacher Termination Policy | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23) |
| 3/19 | HF 2645 | Public Employee Collective Bargaining and Teacher Termination Policy | Bill Passed - House (52 - 47) |
| 3/19 | SJR 2002 | Natural Resources Trust Fund | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (47 - 2) |
| 3/10 | HF 2359 | Veterans Trust Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| 3/05 | HF 2359 | Veterans Trust Fund | Bill Passed - House (75 - 21) |
| 4/27 | HF 920 | Univeristy Capital Improvement Bonds | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 10) |
| 4/27 | HF 920 | Univeristy Capital Improvement Bonds | Bill Passed - House (51 - 44) |
| 4/25 | SF 588 | 2008-2009 Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (56 - 40) |
| 4/25 | HF 909 | 2007-2008 Health and Human Services Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| 4/25 | SF 604 | Commercial Residential Property Tax Reduction | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 22) |
| 4/23 | SF 277 | Teacher Pay and Incentive Programs | Conference Report Adopted - House (93 - 3) |
| 4/20 | HF 909 | 2007-2008 Health and Human Services Budget | Bill Passed - House (53 - 44) |
| 4/19 | SF 277 | Teacher Pay and Incentive Programs | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 14) |
| 4/19 | SF 599 | Iowa Power Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 13) |
| 4/19 | SF 596 | Electronic Downloads Tax Creation and Regulation Adjustments for Cigarette Retailers | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 20) |
| 4/18 | SF 588 | 2008-2009 Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 7) |
| 4/18 | HF 877 | Statewide Preschool Program | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 14) |
| 4/16 | SF 277 | Teacher Pay and Incentive Programs | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (43 - 7) |
| 4/05 | SF 277 | Teacher Pay and Incentive Programs | Bill Passed - House (90 - 7) |
| 3/28 | HF 877 | Statewide Preschool Program | Bill Passed - House (56 - 43) |
| 3/13 | SF 128 | Tobacco Tax Increase | Bill Passed - House (58 - 40) |
| 3/07 | SF 128 | Tobacco Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14) |
| 2/22 | SF 162 | Stem Cell Research and Penalties | Bill Passed - House (52 - 46) |
| 2/14 | SF 162 | Stem Cell Research and Penalties | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| 5/03 | HF 2540 | 2006-2007 Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (47 - 2) |
| 5/03 | HF 2540 | 2006-2007 Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (62 - 32) |
| 5/02 | SF 2408 | Elderly Income Tax Reduction | Bill Passed - House (89 - 6) |
| 5/02 | SF 2408 | Elderly Income Tax Reduction | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 4) |
| 3/15 | H-8178 | Preschool Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (46 - 51) |
| 3/15 | H-8172 | Teacher Salary Amendment | Amendment Rejected - House (46 - 51) |
| 3/15 | HF 2527 | 2006-2007 Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (53 - 44) |
| 3/07 | HF 2558 | 2006-2007 Department of Justice, Corrections, Public Defense, and Public Safety Budget | Bill Passed - House (54 - 45) |
| 3/06 | HF 2540 | 2006-2007 Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget | Bill Passed - House (52 - 47) |
| 1/31 | HF 2045 | Senior Citizen Tax Revision | Bill Passed - House (81 - 18) |