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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 10, 2010 | IA | SF 2357 | Prohibiting Firearm Possession by Domestic Violence Perpetrators | Bill Passed - House (73 - 25) |
| March 10, 2010 | IA | Amdt 8381 | Free Self Defense Courses for Domestic Violence Victims | Amendment Rejected - House (44 - 53) |
| March 10, 2010 | IA | Amdt 8381 | Free Self Defense Courses for Domestic Violence Victims | Amendment Rejected - House (44 - 53) |
| Feb. 23, 2010 | IA | HF 2456 | Texting While Driving Ban | Bill Passed - House (65 - 31) |
| Feb. 9, 2010 | IA | HJR 6 | Constitutionally Defining Marriage as Between One Man and One Woman | Motion Rejected - House (45 - 54) |
| March 18, 2009 | IA | HF 243 | Gender Requirements for Certain Local Government Positions | Bill Passed - House (71 - 27) |
| April 25, 2008 | IA | SF 2432 | Prison and Infrastructure Funding | Bill Passed - House (53 - 43) |
| April 25, 2008 | IA | H 8672 | DUI Appeals | Amendment Rejected - House (45 - 50) |
| April 25, 2008 | IA | H 8672 | DUI Appeals | Amendment Rejected - House (45 - 50) |
| April 8, 2008 | IA | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - House (54 - 45) |
| March 12, 2008 | IA | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 40) |
| Feb. 19, 2008 | IA | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - House (56 - 44) |
| April 25, 2007 | IA | SF 427 | Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity Discrimination | Bill Passed - House (59 - 37) |
| March 7, 2006 | IA | HF 2558 | 2006-2007 Department of Justice, Corrections, Public Defense, and Public Safety Budget | Bill Passed - House (54 - 45) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/10 | SF 2357 | Prohibiting Firearm Possession by Domestic Violence Perpetrators | Bill Passed - House (73 - 25) |
| 3/10 | Amdt 8381 | Free Self Defense Courses for Domestic Violence Victims | Amendment Rejected - House (44 - 53) |
| 3/10 | Amdt 8381 | Free Self Defense Courses for Domestic Violence Victims | Amendment Rejected - House (44 - 53) |
| 2/23 | HF 2456 | Texting While Driving Ban | Bill Passed - House (65 - 31) |
| 2/09 | HJR 6 | Constitutionally Defining Marriage as Between One Man and One Woman | Motion Rejected - House (45 - 54) |
| 3/18 | HF 243 | Gender Requirements for Certain Local Government Positions | Bill Passed - House (71 - 27) |
| 4/25 | SF 2432 | Prison and Infrastructure Funding | Bill Passed - House (53 - 43) |
| 4/25 | H 8672 | DUI Appeals | Amendment Rejected - House (45 - 50) |
| 4/25 | H 8672 | DUI Appeals | Amendment Rejected - House (45 - 50) |
| 4/08 | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - House (54 - 45) |
| 3/12 | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 40) |
| 2/19 | HF 2212 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - House (56 - 44) |
| 4/25 | SF 427 | Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity Discrimination | Bill Passed - House (59 - 37) |
| 3/07 | HF 2558 | 2006-2007 Department of Justice, Corrections, Public Defense, and Public Safety Budget | Bill Passed - House (54 - 45) |