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, 2011 | AZ | SCR 1019 | State Appropriations | Resolution Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| March 9, 2011 | WI | AB 11 | Collective Bargaining Rights for Public Employees | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (18 - 1) |
| March 9, 2011 | MI | SB 158 | Collective Bargaining Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| March 9, 2011 | NC | SB 13 | 2010-2011 Budget Amendments | Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| March 9, 2011 | National | HR 1 | Continuing Appropriations | Bill Failed - Senate (44 - 56) |
| March 9, 2011 | National | S Amdt 149 | Department of Defense funding and Continuing Appropriations | Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 58) |
| March 9, 2011 | TN | SJR 18 | Constitutional Amendment Prohibiting an Income Tax | Amendment Adopted - Senate (28 - 5) |
| March 3, 2011 | NJ | S 1216 | Loans for Women and Minority-Owned Businesses | Veto Override Failed - Senate (23 - 16) |
| March 2, 2011 | KY | HB 305 | 2010-2012 Biennium Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| March 2, 2011 | National | H J Res 44 | Continuing Appropriations Amendments | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (91 - 9) |
| March 2, 2011 | National | S Amdt 115 | Calling for a Balanced Budget Constitutional Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (58 - 40) |
| March 2, 2011 | AZ | SB 1231 | State Spending Cap | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| March 1, 2011 | National | S Amdt 112 | Prioritizing Payment of Public Debt | Amendment Tabled - Senate (52 - 47) |
| Feb. 28, 2011 | UT | SB 270 | Modifications to Sales and Use Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 9) |
| Feb. 23, 2011 | TX | SJR 1 | Urging Congress to Propose a Balanced Budget Amendment | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (24 - 7) |
| Feb. 22, 2011 | AR | SB 275 | Reduction of Excise Tax on Electricity and Natural Gas | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9) |
| Feb. 21, 2011 | VA | SB 1446 | Transportation Budget | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (1 - 38) |
| Feb. 17, 2011 | VA | HB 2527 | Virginia Transportation Infrastructure Fund and Bank | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| Feb. 17, 2011 | NJ | S2636 | Reduction of Toll Road Prices | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
| Feb. 16, 2011 | AZ | HB 2001 | Tax Reductions for Businesses | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
| Feb. 16, 2011 | IA | SF 166 | Funding for Public Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| Feb. 15, 2011 | KS | HB 2014 | 2011-2012 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| Feb. 7, 2011 | NC | SB 13 | 2010-2011 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 16) |
| Feb. 3, 2011 | MN | HF 130 | 2010-2013 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 27) |
| Feb. 2, 2011 | National | S Amdt 28 | Repealing the IRS 1099 Provision from the Health Care Law | Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 54) |
| Feb. 2, 2011 | National | S Amdt 9 | Repealing the IRS 1099 Provision from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act | Motion Agreed - Senate (81 - 17) |
| Jan. 31, 2011 | NY | S 2706 | Limitations on Tax Levies | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 17) |
| Jan. 31, 2011 | NY | S 2707 | Funding State Mandated Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 20) |
| Jan. 20, 2011 | WI | SB 2 | Tax Benefits for Health Savings Accounts | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| Jan. 19, 2011 | NY | S 1892 | Limiting State Spending | Amendment Adopted - Senate (41 - 19) |
| Jan. 19, 2011 | NY | S 1919 | Amends Rules for Legislature | Amendment Adopted - Senate (41 - 19) |
| Jan. 19, 2011 | NY | S 1891 | New York Jobs Tax Credit | Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 9) |
| Jan. 11, 2011 | IL | SB 2505 | Amends Property Tax Code | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 29) |
| Dec. 21, 2010 | National | HR 3082 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 16) |
| Dec. 15, 2010 | National | HR 4853 | Temporary Extension of Tax Relief | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (81 - 19) |
| Dec. 4, 2010 | National | S Amdt 4727 | Extension of Tax Cuts for Those Making Under $250,000 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 36) |
| Dec. 4, 2010 | National | S Amdt 4728 | Extension of Tax Cuts for Those Making Under $1 Million | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 37) |
| Nov. 30, 2010 | National | S Amdt 4697 | Prohibiting Earmarks | Motion Rejected - Senate (39 - 56) |
| Nov. 17, 2010 | PA | HB 101 | Education Law Amendments | Veto Override Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| Sept. 29, 2010 | National | HR 3081 | Continuing Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 30) |
| Sept. 29, 2010 | National | S Amdt 4676 | Reducing "Continuing Appropriation" Amounts by 5 Percent | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| Sept. 28, 2010 | National | S 3816 | Tax Law Amendments | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 45) |
| Sept. 23, 2010 | MI | SB 1226 | State Retirement Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 14) |
| Sept. 22, 2010 | MI | SB 884 | Tax Amnesty Period | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 4) |
| Sept. 21, 2010 | MI | SB 1152 | 2010-2011 Department of Community Health Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 10) |
| Sept. 20, 2010 | NJ | S 2139 | 2010-2011 Supplemental Health Services Budget | Veto Override Failed - Senate (23 - 17) |
| Sept. 16, 2010 | National | HR 5297 | Small Business Lending Fund and Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 38) |
| Sept. 15, 2010 | MI | SB 1151 | Community College Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 5) |
| Sept. 8, 2010 | MI | HB 6086 | 2009-2010 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| Aug. 31, 2010 | CA | SB 1391 | Business Tax Incentive Amendments | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (20 - 17) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/10 | SCR 1019 | State Appropriations | Resolution Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| 3/09 | AB 11 | Collective Bargaining Rights for Public Employees | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (18 - 1) |
| 3/09 | SB 158 | Collective Bargaining Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| 3/09 | SB 13 | 2010-2011 Budget Amendments | Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| 3/09 | HR 1 | Continuing Appropriations | Bill Failed - Senate (44 - 56) |
| 3/09 | S Amdt 149 | Department of Defense funding and Continuing Appropriations | Amendment Rejected - Senate (42 - 58) |
| 3/09 | SJR 18 | Constitutional Amendment Prohibiting an Income Tax | Amendment Adopted - Senate (28 - 5) |
| 3/03 | S 1216 | Loans for Women and Minority-Owned Businesses | Veto Override Failed - Senate (23 - 16) |
| 3/02 | HB 305 | 2010-2012 Biennium Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| 3/02 | H J Res 44 | Continuing Appropriations Amendments | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (91 - 9) |
| 3/02 | S Amdt 115 | Calling for a Balanced Budget Constitutional Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (58 - 40) |
| 3/02 | SB 1231 | State Spending Cap | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| 3/01 | S Amdt 112 | Prioritizing Payment of Public Debt | Amendment Tabled - Senate (52 - 47) |
| 2/28 | SB 270 | Modifications to Sales and Use Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 9) |
| 2/23 | SJR 1 | Urging Congress to Propose a Balanced Budget Amendment | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (24 - 7) |
| 2/22 | SB 275 | Reduction of Excise Tax on Electricity and Natural Gas | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9) |
| 2/21 | SB 1446 | Transportation Budget | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (1 - 38) |
| 2/17 | HB 2527 | Virginia Transportation Infrastructure Fund and Bank | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| 2/17 | S2636 | Reduction of Toll Road Prices | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
| 2/16 | HB 2001 | Tax Reductions for Businesses | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
| 2/16 | SF 166 | Funding for Public Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| 2/15 | HB 2014 | 2011-2012 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| 2/07 | SB 13 | 2010-2011 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 16) |
| 2/03 | HF 130 | 2010-2013 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 27) |
| 2/02 | S Amdt 28 | Repealing the IRS 1099 Provision from the Health Care Law | Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 54) |
| 2/02 | S Amdt 9 | Repealing the IRS 1099 Provision from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act | Motion Agreed - Senate (81 - 17) |
| 1/31 | S 2706 | Limitations on Tax Levies | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 17) |
| 1/31 | S 2707 | Funding State Mandated Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 20) |
| 1/20 | SB 2 | Tax Benefits for Health Savings Accounts | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| 1/19 | S 1892 | Limiting State Spending | Amendment Adopted - Senate (41 - 19) |
| 1/19 | S 1919 | Amends Rules for Legislature | Amendment Adopted - Senate (41 - 19) |
| 1/19 | S 1891 | New York Jobs Tax Credit | Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 9) |
| 1/11 | SB 2505 | Amends Property Tax Code | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 29) |
| 12/21 | HR 3082 | Continuing Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (79 - 16) |
| 12/15 | HR 4853 | Temporary Extension of Tax Relief | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (81 - 19) |
| 12/04 | S Amdt 4727 | Extension of Tax Cuts for Those Making Under $250,000 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 36) |
| 12/04 | S Amdt 4728 | Extension of Tax Cuts for Those Making Under $1 Million | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 37) |
| 11/30 | S Amdt 4697 | Prohibiting Earmarks | Motion Rejected - Senate (39 - 56) |
| 11/17 | HB 101 | Education Law Amendments | Veto Override Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| 9/29 | HR 3081 | Continuing Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (69 - 30) |
| 9/29 | S Amdt 4676 | Reducing "Continuing Appropriation" Amounts by 5 Percent | Amendment Rejected - Senate (48 - 51) |
| 9/28 | S 3816 | Tax Law Amendments | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 45) |
| 9/23 | SB 1226 | State Retirement Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 14) |
| 9/22 | SB 884 | Tax Amnesty Period | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 4) |
| 9/21 | SB 1152 | 2010-2011 Department of Community Health Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 10) |
| 9/20 | S 2139 | 2010-2011 Supplemental Health Services Budget | Veto Override Failed - Senate (23 - 17) |
| 9/16 | HR 5297 | Small Business Lending Fund and Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 38) |
| 9/15 | SB 1151 | Community College Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 5) |
| 9/08 | HB 6086 | 2009-2010 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 8/31 | SB 1391 | Business Tax Incentive Amendments | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (20 - 17) |