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 25, 2015 | CO | SB 45 | Establishes Tax Credits for Private School Tuition | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| March 24, 2015 | KY | HB 299 | Increases Wholesale Gas Tax | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 9) |
| March 24, 2015 | MD | SB 190 | Amends Taxable Price for Sale or Use of Accommodations | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 15) |
| March 19, 2015 | NY | S 3709 | Limits Property Tax Increases for New York City | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 15) |
| March 12, 2015 | UT | HB 362 | Amends Motor Fuel Tax | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 8) |
| March 12, 2015 | ID | H 75 | Exempts Prescription Eyeglasses and Contact Lenses from Sales Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| March 2, 2015 | WA | SB 5987 | Increases Gas Tax and Amends Transportation Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| Feb. 24, 2015 | IA | SF 257 | Increases Fuel Taxes | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 21) |
| Feb. 16, 2015 | NV | SB 119 | Exempts Schools from Paying Prevailing Wages | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 9) |
| Feb. 16, 2015 | ND | SB 2223 | Exempts Certain Clothing from Sales Tax | Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 27) |
| Feb. 14, 2015 | MT | SB 200 | Restructures Income Tax Brackets | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 21) |
| Feb. 12, 2015 | NC | SB 20 | Restructures the Motor Fuel Tax Rate and the State Tax Code | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15) |
| Dec. 19, 2014 | MI | HB 5477 | Increases Gasoline and Diesel Tax | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 15) |
| Dec. 3, 2014 | OH | HB 5 | Amends Municipal Income Tax Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 8) |
| Nov. 13, 2014 | MI | HB 5477 | Increases Gasoline and Diesel Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| Oct. 23, 2014 | NJ | A 939 | Amends Tax Expenditure Report | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| Sept. 23, 2014 | PA | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (39 - 11) |
| Sept. 10, 2014 | MO | SB 841 | Establishes Regulations for Alternative Nicotine and Vapor Products | Veto Override Passed - Senate (26 - 6) |
| Aug. 1, 2014 | NC | HB 1224 | Amends Sales Tax Laws | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 11) |
| July 30, 2014 | National | S 2569 | Bring Jobs Home Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 42) |
| July 29, 2014 | National | S Amdt 3584 | Transportation Empowerment Act | Amendment Rejected - Senate (28 - 69) |
| July 29, 2014 | National | S Amdt 3583 | Appropriates Funds to the Highway Trust Fund | Amendment Adopted - Senate (66 - 31) |
| July 24, 2014 | NC | HB 1224 | Amends Sales Tax Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 16) |
| July 8, 2014 | PA | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette and Hotel Taxes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (43 - 5) |
| July 1, 2014 | PA | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette and Hotel Taxes | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 12) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/25 | SB 45 | Establishes Tax Credits for Private School Tuition | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| 3/24 | HB 299 | Increases Wholesale Gas Tax | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 9) |
| 3/24 | SB 190 | Amends Taxable Price for Sale or Use of Accommodations | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 15) |
| 3/19 | S 3709 | Limits Property Tax Increases for New York City | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 15) |
| 3/12 | HB 362 | Amends Motor Fuel Tax | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 8) |
| 3/12 | H 75 | Exempts Prescription Eyeglasses and Contact Lenses from Sales Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| 3/02 | SB 5987 | Increases Gas Tax and Amends Transportation Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| 2/24 | SF 257 | Increases Fuel Taxes | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 21) |
| 2/16 | SB 119 | Exempts Schools from Paying Prevailing Wages | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 9) |
| 2/16 | SB 2223 | Exempts Certain Clothing from Sales Tax | Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 27) |
| 2/14 | SB 200 | Restructures Income Tax Brackets | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 21) |
| 2/12 | SB 20 | Restructures the Motor Fuel Tax Rate and the State Tax Code | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15) |
| 12/19 | HB 5477 | Increases Gasoline and Diesel Tax | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 12/03 | HB 5 | Amends Municipal Income Tax Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 8) |
| 11/13 | HB 5477 | Increases Gasoline and Diesel Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| 10/23 | A 939 | Amends Tax Expenditure Report | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| 9/23 | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (39 - 11) |
| 9/10 | SB 841 | Establishes Regulations for Alternative Nicotine and Vapor Products | Veto Override Passed - Senate (26 - 6) |
| 8/01 | HB 1224 | Amends Sales Tax Laws | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 11) |
| 7/30 | S 2569 | Bring Jobs Home Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 42) |
| 7/29 | S Amdt 3584 | Transportation Empowerment Act | Amendment Rejected - Senate (28 - 69) |
| 7/29 | S Amdt 3583 | Appropriates Funds to the Highway Trust Fund | Amendment Adopted - Senate (66 - 31) |
| 7/24 | HB 1224 | Amends Sales Tax Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 16) |
| 7/08 | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette and Hotel Taxes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (43 - 5) |
| 7/01 | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette and Hotel Taxes | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 12) |