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 14, 2011 | AZ | SB 1345 | Limits Number and Compensation of Municipal Employees | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 16) |
| March 14, 2011 | GA | SB 40 | Immigration Status Verification of Private Business Workers | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 21) |
| March 13, 2011 | NM | HB 644 | Raises Retirement Age | Bill Failed - House (28 - 38) |
| March 10, 2011 | WI | AB 11 | Collective Bargaining Rights for Public Employees | Conference Report Adopted - House (53 - 42) |
| March 10, 2011 | TN | SB 1528 | Amends Requirements for Teacher Tenure | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| March 9, 2011 | WI | AB 11 | Collective Bargaining Rights for Public Employees | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (18 - 1) |
| March 9, 2011 | UT | HB 183 | School District Leave Policies | Conference Report Adopted - House (42 - 28) |
| March 9, 2011 | UT | SB 73 | Public School Teacher Tenure Modifications | Bill Passed - House (45 - 28) |
| March 8, 2011 | UT | HB 183 | School District Leave Policies | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 7) |
| March 8, 2011 | AZ | SB 1363 | Labor Organization Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| March 4, 2011 | ID | H 104a | Teacher Union Activities | Bill Passed - House (55 - 14) |
| March 4, 2011 | ID | H 104a | Teacher Union Activities | Bill Passed - House (55 - 14) |
| March 3, 2011 | MO | HB 61 | Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (92 - 60) |
| March 2, 2011 | WV | HB 2879 | One-Time Pay Raise for State Employees | Bill Passed - House (78 - 22) |
| March 2, 2011 | OH | SB 5 | Collective Bargaining Rights for Public Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 16) |
| Feb. 25, 2011 | WI | AB 11 | Collective Bargaining Rights for Public Employees | Bill Passed - House (51 - 17) |
| Feb. 24, 2011 | KS | HB 2130 | Prohibits Union Dues for Political Activities | Bill Passed - House (75 - 46) |
| Feb. 24, 2011 | MT | HB 334 | Workers Compensation Rates | Bill Passed - House (67 - 31) |
| Feb. 24, 2011 | ID | S 1108 | Education Provisions and Teacher Entitlements | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| Feb. 23, 2011 | UT | HB 116 | Guest Worker Program | Bill Passed - House (43 - 28) |
| Feb. 23, 2011 | UT | HB 183 | School District Leave Policies | Bill Passed - House (46 - 22) |
| Feb. 23, 2011 | SD | SB 156 | Prohibits Employment of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| Feb. 22, 2011 | ID | S 1006 | Right to Work Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (55 - 14) |
| Feb. 22, 2011 | ID | S 1006 | Right to Work Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (55 - 14) |
| Feb. 22, 2011 | ID | S 1007 | Labor Organizations | Bill Passed - House (55 - 15) |
| Feb. 22, 2011 | UT | HB 253 | Employment of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (49 - 20) |
| Feb. 19, 2011 | National | H Amdt 155 | Prohibits Use of Funds for Step Increase for General Schedule Employees | Amendment Rejected - House (191 - 230) |
| Feb. 18, 2011 | ND | HB 1228 | Retirement Plans for State Employees | Bill Failed - House (47 - 46) |
| Feb. 18, 2011 | ND | HB 1258 | Contribution Retirement Plans for Teachers | Bill Failed - House (38 - 56) |
| Feb. 17, 2011 | IN | SB 575 | Collective Bargaining for School Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 19) |
| Feb. 16, 2011 | OH | HB 1 | Establishes JobsOhio | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 35) |
| Feb. 16, 2011 | OH | HB 1 | Establishes JobsOhio | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 2) |
| Feb. 15, 2011 | National | S Amdt 14 | Prohibiting Transportation Security Administration Employees from Collective Bargaining | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51) |
| Feb. 15, 2011 | NH | HB 474 | Labor Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (221 - 131) |
| Feb. 8, 2011 | WY | SF 52 | Repealing Teacher Tenure | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 18) |
| Feb. 7, 2011 | AR | HB 1013 | Hiring of Unauthorized Workers | Bill Passed - House (54 - 39) |
| Feb. 4, 2011 | ID | S 1007 | Labor Organizations | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 8) |
| Feb. 2, 2011 | VA | SB 747 | Prohibits Discrimination in State Employment Based on Sexual Orientation | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| Feb. 1, 2011 | ID | S 1006 | Right to Work Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
| Feb. 1, 2011 | ID | S 1006 | Right to Work Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
| Jan. 19, 2011 | NH | SB 1 | Repeal of Automatic Continuation Requirement for Public Employee Collective Bargaining Agreements | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 5) |
| Jan. 18, 2011 | MT | HB 71 | Excludes Undocumented Immigrants from Workers' Compensation | Bill Passed - House (60 - 40) |
| Jan. 10, 2011 | IL | SB 3644 | Labor Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (64 - 49) |
| Dec. 8, 2010 | National | HR 6495 | Mine Safety Act | Bill Failed - House (214 - 193) |
| Dec. 8, 2010 | National | S 3991 | Allowing Collective Bargaining for Public Safety Officers | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 43) |
| Nov. 17, 2010 | National | S 3772 | Paycheck Fairness Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 41) |
| Nov. 15, 2010 | PA | HB 2497 | Amends State Employee Pension System | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (165 - 31) |
| Oct. 14, 2010 | PA | HB 2497 | Amends State Employee Pension System | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 8) |
| 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) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/14 | SB 1345 | Limits Number and Compensation of Municipal Employees | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 16) |
| 3/14 | SB 40 | Immigration Status Verification of Private Business Workers | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 21) |
| 3/13 | HB 644 | Raises Retirement Age | Bill Failed - House (28 - 38) |
| 3/10 | AB 11 | Collective Bargaining Rights for Public Employees | Conference Report Adopted - House (53 - 42) |
| 3/10 | SB 1528 | Amends Requirements for Teacher Tenure | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| 3/09 | AB 11 | Collective Bargaining Rights for Public Employees | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (18 - 1) |
| 3/09 | HB 183 | School District Leave Policies | Conference Report Adopted - House (42 - 28) |
| 3/09 | SB 73 | Public School Teacher Tenure Modifications | Bill Passed - House (45 - 28) |
| 3/08 | HB 183 | School District Leave Policies | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 7) |
| 3/08 | SB 1363 | Labor Organization Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| 3/04 | H 104a | Teacher Union Activities | Bill Passed - House (55 - 14) |
| 3/04 | H 104a | Teacher Union Activities | Bill Passed - House (55 - 14) |
| 3/03 | HB 61 | Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (92 - 60) |
| 3/02 | HB 2879 | One-Time Pay Raise for State Employees | Bill Passed - House (78 - 22) |
| 3/02 | SB 5 | Collective Bargaining Rights for Public Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 16) |
| 2/25 | AB 11 | Collective Bargaining Rights for Public Employees | Bill Passed - House (51 - 17) |
| 2/24 | HB 2130 | Prohibits Union Dues for Political Activities | Bill Passed - House (75 - 46) |
| 2/24 | HB 334 | Workers Compensation Rates | Bill Passed - House (67 - 31) |
| 2/24 | S 1108 | Education Provisions and Teacher Entitlements | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 2/23 | HB 116 | Guest Worker Program | Bill Passed - House (43 - 28) |
| 2/23 | HB 183 | School District Leave Policies | Bill Passed - House (46 - 22) |
| 2/23 | SB 156 | Prohibits Employment of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 2/22 | S 1006 | Right to Work Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (55 - 14) |
| 2/22 | S 1006 | Right to Work Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (55 - 14) |
| 2/22 | S 1007 | Labor Organizations | Bill Passed - House (55 - 15) |
| 2/22 | HB 253 | Employment of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - House (49 - 20) |
| 2/19 | H Amdt 155 | Prohibits Use of Funds for Step Increase for General Schedule Employees | Amendment Rejected - House (191 - 230) |
| 2/18 | HB 1228 | Retirement Plans for State Employees | Bill Failed - House (47 - 46) |
| 2/18 | HB 1258 | Contribution Retirement Plans for Teachers | Bill Failed - House (38 - 56) |
| 2/17 | SB 575 | Collective Bargaining for School Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 19) |
| 2/16 | HB 1 | Establishes JobsOhio | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 35) |
| 2/16 | HB 1 | Establishes JobsOhio | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 2) |
| 2/15 | S Amdt 14 | Prohibiting Transportation Security Administration Employees from Collective Bargaining | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 51) |
| 2/15 | HB 474 | Labor Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (221 - 131) |
| 2/08 | SF 52 | Repealing Teacher Tenure | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 18) |
| 2/07 | HB 1013 | Hiring of Unauthorized Workers | Bill Passed - House (54 - 39) |
| 2/04 | S 1007 | Labor Organizations | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 8) |
| 2/02 | SB 747 | Prohibits Discrimination in State Employment Based on Sexual Orientation | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| 2/01 | S 1006 | Right to Work Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
| 2/01 | S 1006 | Right to Work Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
| 1/19 | SB 1 | Repeal of Automatic Continuation Requirement for Public Employee Collective Bargaining Agreements | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 5) |
| 1/18 | HB 71 | Excludes Undocumented Immigrants from Workers' Compensation | Bill Passed - House (60 - 40) |
| 1/10 | SB 3644 | Labor Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (64 - 49) |
| 12/08 | HR 6495 | Mine Safety Act | Bill Failed - House (214 - 193) |
| 12/08 | S 3991 | Allowing Collective Bargaining for Public Safety Officers | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (55 - 43) |
| 11/17 | S 3772 | Paycheck Fairness Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (58 - 41) |
| 11/15 | HB 2497 | Amends State Employee Pension System | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (165 - 31) |
| 10/14 | HB 2497 | Amends State Employee Pension System | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 8) |
| 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) |