Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Feb. 2, 2011 National S Amdt 28 Repealing the IRS 1099 Provision from the Health Care Law Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 54)
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
2/02 S Amdt 28 Repealing the IRS 1099 Provision from the Health Care Law Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 54)
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)

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