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 7, 2014 | WA | SB 6065 | Prohibits the Use of Tanning Beds by Minors | Bill Passed - House (58 - 39) |
| March 7, 2014 | MD | HB 295 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (89 - 46) |
| March 6, 2014 | AL | HB 379 | Requires Confidentiality for Lethal-Injection Drug Suppliers | Bill Passed - House (77 - 19) |
| March 5, 2014 | NY | A 1793b | Amends Worker Paid Leave Laws | Bill Passed - House (89 - 44) |
| March 4, 2014 | HI | HB 2580 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (48 - 3) |
| March 4, 2014 | HI | SB 2609 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 1) |
| Feb. 28, 2014 | CO | SB 29 | Requires Paint Manufacturers to Establish Recycling Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| Feb. 27, 2014 | IN | SB 91 | Repeals Common Core Standards | Bill Passed - House (67 - 26) |
| Feb. 27, 2014 | MI | HB 5108 | Authorizes Individuals to Resell Admission Tickets | Bill Passed - House (66 - 42) |
| Feb. 27, 2014 | CO | HB 1054 | Prohibits the Use of Tanning Facilities By Minors | Bill Passed - House (33 - 31) |
| Feb. 26, 2014 | IN | SB 340 | Amends Customer Participation Requirements in Certain Energy Efficiency Programs | Bill Passed - House (69 - 26) |
| Feb. 26, 2014 | KS | HB 2456 | Amends Property Tax Laws for Certain Equipment | Bill Passed - House (100 - 23) |
| Feb. 25, 2014 | WV | HB 4001 | Authorizes False Claims Lawsuits | Bill Failed - House (42 - 55) |
| Feb. 25, 2014 | KY | SB 116 | Amends Patent Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 7) |
| Feb. 20, 2014 | MO | HB 1253 | Reduces Tax Rates for Businesses | Bill Passed - House (106 - 49) |
| Feb. 20, 2014 | MO | HB 1295 | Reduces Income Tax Rates | Bill Passed - House (106 - 47) |
| Feb. 20, 2014 | MO | SB 694 | Amends Payday Loan Terms and Interest Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| Feb. 20, 2014 | MO | SB 694 | Amends Payday Loan Terms and Interest Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| Feb. 19, 2014 | NM | SJR 13 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Joint Resolution Failed - House (33 - 29) |
| Feb. 18, 2014 | WV | SB 6 | Prohibits Sale of Medicines Containing Pseudoephedrine without Prescription | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 9) |
| Feb. 14, 2014 | NM | SJR 13 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (24 - 17) |
| Feb. 11, 2014 | VA | SB 590 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 20) |
| Feb. 11, 2014 | AL | SB 168 | Prohibits Smoking in Public Places | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| Feb. 6, 2014 | KY | HB 1 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (54 - 44) |
| Feb. 5, 2014 | MD | SB 75 | Prohibits the Sale of Alcoholic Products with Alcohol Content Above 95 Percent | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 10) |
| Feb. 4, 2014 | IN | SB 91 | Repeals Common Core Standards | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 12) |
| Feb. 4, 2014 | IN | SB 404 | Establishes Regulations for High-Fence Hunting Preserves | Bill Failed - Senate (25 - 23) |
| Feb. 3, 2014 | IN | SB 340 | Amends Customer Participation Requirements in Certain Energy Efficiency Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 11) |
| Jan. 30, 2014 | IN | HB 1321 | Authorizes Certain School Corporations to Establish Innovation Network Schools | Bill Passed - House (54 - 37) |
| Jan. 30, 2014 | IN | HB 1001 | Authorizes Property Tax Exemptions | Bill Passed - House (63 - 33) |
| Jan. 30, 2014 | CA | SB 383 | Authorizes Businesses to Collect Certain Cardholder Information in Online Transactions | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| Jan. 29, 2014 | IN | HB 1205 | Establishes Civil Proceeding Advance Payment Transactions | Bill Passed - House (57 - 39) |
| Jan. 29, 2014 | IN | HB 1205 | Establishes Civil Proceeding Advance Payment Transactions | Bill Passed - House (57 - 39) |
| Jan. 23, 2014 | SC | SB 308 | Authorizes Carrying Concealed Weapons into Businesses that Serve Alcohol | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (90 - 18) |
| Jan. 8, 2014 | NH | HB 544 | Expands Medicaid Eligibility | Bill Passed - House (182 - 154) |
| Dec. 12, 2013 | MI | SB 660 | Authorizes the Growth and Sale of Pharmaceutical-Grade Marijuana | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 18) |
| Dec. 12, 2013 | MI | SB 660 | Authorizes the Growth and Sale of Pharmaceutical-Grade Marijuana | Bill Passed - House (87 - 22) |
| Dec. 11, 2013 | MI | HB 4369 | Expands the Education Achievement Authority | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 18) |
| Dec. 11, 2013 | MI | Initiation of Legislation | Requires Abortion Coverage To Be Optional In Health Care Plans | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 11) |
| Dec. 11, 2013 | MI | Initiation of Legislation | Requires Abortion Coverage To Be Optional In Health Care Plans | Bill Passed - House (62 - 47) |
| Dec. 5, 2013 | National | H Amdt 521 | Authorizes Judicial Discretion in Awarding Legal Fees in Patent Lawsuits | Amendment Rejected - House (199 - 213) |
| Dec. 5, 2013 | National | H Amdt 524 | Limits Covered Customers to Businesses With Less Than $25 Million in Revenue | Amendment Rejected - House (144 - 266) |
| Dec. 5, 2013 | National | HR 3309 | Innovation Act | Bill Passed - House (325 - 91) |
| Dec. 4, 2013 | National | HR 1105 | Small Business Capital Access and Job Preservation Act | Bill Passed - House (254 - 159) |
| Nov. 19, 2013 | MA | Amdt 1 | Increases the Minimum Wage for Tipped Employees | Amendment Adopted - Senate (31 - 7) |
| Nov. 19, 2013 | MA | S 1925 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| Nov. 13, 2013 | MI | SB 660 | Authorizes the Growth and Sale of Pharmaceutical-Grade Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| Nov. 7, 2013 | National | S 815 | Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 | Bill Passed - Senate (64 - 32) |
| Nov. 7, 2013 | National | S Amdt 2013 | Exempts Religiously Affiliated Employers from the Prohibition on Employment Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity | Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 55) |
| Nov. 4, 2013 | National | S 815 | Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 | Cloture Invoked - Senate (61 - 30) |