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 5, 2009 | NM | HB 616 | State Employee Return-to-Work Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (49 - 13) |
| March 4, 2009 | UT | HJR 8 | Mandating Secret Ballots | Bill Passed - House (53 - 22) |
| March 4, 2009 | WA | HB 1329 | Child Care Center Unionization | Bill Passed - House (65 - 31) |
| Feb. 25, 2009 | AR | HB 1464 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - House (67 - 27) |
| Feb. 25, 2009 | CO | HB 1001 | Tax Credit for Job Creation | Bill Passed - House (52 - 13) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | IN | HB 1379 | Unemployment Benefit Amendments | Bill Passed - House (55 - 41) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | CO | SB 88 | Extending State Employee Health Benefits to Domestic Partners | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | ID | H 173 | Restricting Eligibility for State Retiree Health Benefits | Bill Passed - House (59 - 11) |
| Feb. 19, 2009 | KS | SB 160 | Increasing Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 7) |
| Feb. 19, 2009 | IA | HF 333 | Wage Standards for Public Project Workers | Bill Failed - House (49 - 49) |
| Feb. 18, 2009 | NH | HB 103 | Laid Off Employees Payment Time-Frame | Bill Passed - House (194 - 164) |
| Feb. 16, 2009 | IA | SF 137 | Wage Discrimination Policy and Penalties | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| Feb. 10, 2009 | WI | SB 1 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
| Feb. 6, 2009 | WY | SF 18 | Expanding Workers Compensation Coverage to Include Mental Injury | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13) |
| Feb. 5, 2009 | MI | SB 93 | Prohibiting Mandatory Workplace Ergonomics Rules | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| Feb. 3, 2009 | MT | SB 253 | Allowing Employers to Count Tips as Credit Against Minimum Wage | Motion Rejected - Senate (21 - 29) |
| Jan. 13, 2009 | ND | HB 1036 | Workforce Safety and Insurance Premium Rate Regulation | Bill Passed - House (62 - 32) |
| Aug. 29, 2008 | CA | AB 2386 | Agricultural Union Election Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (45 - 31) |
| Aug. 29, 2008 | CA | AB 1107 | Drought-Related Unemployment Benefits | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 18) |
| Aug. 27, 2008 | CA | AB 2386 | Agricultural Union Election Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| Aug. 20, 2008 | CA | AB 2279 | Prohibiting Employment Discrimination Against Medical Marijuana Patients | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| Aug. 14, 2008 | CA | AB 1107 | Drought-Related Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
| Aug. 5, 2008 | CA | AB 2001 | Whistleblower Hotline | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
| June 23, 2008 | CT | HB 5105 | Minimum Wage Increase | Veto Override Passed - Senate (25 - 9) |
| June 23, 2008 | CT | HB 5105 | Minimum Wage Increase | Veto Override Passed - House (102 - 39) |
| June 23, 2008 | NJ | S 1962 | State Worker Retirement and Health Benefits | Bill Passed - House (52 - 13) |
| June 23, 2008 | NJ | S 1962 | State Worker Retirement and Health Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 8) |
| June 18, 2008 | DE | SB 280 | Minimum Wage Increase for Tipped Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 8) |
| June 4, 2008 | PA | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (19 - 31) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | AB 2076 | Prohibiting E-verify | Bill Passed - House (43 - 31) |
| May 28, 2008 | CA | AB 2279 | Prohibiting Employment Discrimination Against Medical Marijuana Patients | Bill Passed - House (41 - 35) |
| May 28, 2008 | MS | SB 2011 | Increasing Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (87 - 33) |
| May 28, 2008 | CA | AB 2716 | Paid Sick Leave | Bill Passed - House (45 - 33) |
| May 22, 2008 | MS | SB 2011 | Increasing Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 3) |
| May 21, 2008 | NH | HB 1436 | Automatic Continuation Clause in Collective Bargaining Agreements | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (186 - 128) |
| May 15, 2008 | CA | SB 1322 | Communist Party Membership | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| May 14, 2008 | SC | H 3032 | Immigration Reform | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (20 - 26) |
| May 8, 2008 | MN | SF 875 | Minimum Wage Increase | Conference Report Adopted - House (89 - 45) |
| May 8, 2008 | MN | SF 875 | Minimum Wage Increase | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (40 - 18) |
| May 8, 2008 | NH | HB 1436 | Automatic Continuation Clause in Collective Bargaining Agreements | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 11) |
| May 7, 2008 | SC | Amendment No. 8A | Requiring Employers to Verify Immigration the Status of Their Employees | Amendment Adopted - House (80 - 33) |
| May 5, 2008 | CO | HB 1325 | Seasonal Foreign Worker Pilot Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 17) |
| May 5, 2008 | CO | SB 200 | Sexual Orientation Nondiscrimination | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| May 5, 2008 | CT | HB 5105 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| May 2, 2008 | CO | SB 200 | Sexual Orientation Nondiscrimination | Bill Passed - House (38 - 26) |
| May 2, 2008 | CO | HB 1325 | Seasonal Foreign Worker Pilot Program | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| May 1, 2008 | MN | SF 875 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - House (82 - 45) |
| May 1, 2008 | CT | SB 217 | Mandatory Sick Leave | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| April 29, 2008 | RI | H 7107 | Employment Verification Program | Bill Passed - House (52 - 17) |
| April 28, 2008 | AZ | HB 2745 | Amending Undocumented Immigrant Employment Sanctions | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 4) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/05 | HB 616 | State Employee Return-to-Work Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (49 - 13) |
| 3/04 | HJR 8 | Mandating Secret Ballots | Bill Passed - House (53 - 22) |
| 3/04 | HB 1329 | Child Care Center Unionization | Bill Passed - House (65 - 31) |
| 2/25 | HB 1464 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - House (67 - 27) |
| 2/25 | HB 1001 | Tax Credit for Job Creation | Bill Passed - House (52 - 13) |
| 2/24 | HB 1379 | Unemployment Benefit Amendments | Bill Passed - House (55 - 41) |
| 2/24 | SB 88 | Extending State Employee Health Benefits to Domestic Partners | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
| 2/24 | H 173 | Restricting Eligibility for State Retiree Health Benefits | Bill Passed - House (59 - 11) |
| 2/19 | SB 160 | Increasing Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 7) |
| 2/19 | HF 333 | Wage Standards for Public Project Workers | Bill Failed - House (49 - 49) |
| 2/18 | HB 103 | Laid Off Employees Payment Time-Frame | Bill Passed - House (194 - 164) |
| 2/16 | SF 137 | Wage Discrimination Policy and Penalties | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| 2/10 | SB 1 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
| 2/06 | SF 18 | Expanding Workers Compensation Coverage to Include Mental Injury | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13) |
| 2/05 | SB 93 | Prohibiting Mandatory Workplace Ergonomics Rules | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| 2/03 | SB 253 | Allowing Employers to Count Tips as Credit Against Minimum Wage | Motion Rejected - Senate (21 - 29) |
| 1/13 | HB 1036 | Workforce Safety and Insurance Premium Rate Regulation | Bill Passed - House (62 - 32) |
| 8/29 | AB 2386 | Agricultural Union Election Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (45 - 31) |
| 8/29 | AB 1107 | Drought-Related Unemployment Benefits | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 18) |
| 8/27 | AB 2386 | Agricultural Union Election Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| 8/20 | AB 2279 | Prohibiting Employment Discrimination Against Medical Marijuana Patients | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| 8/14 | AB 1107 | Drought-Related Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 10) |
| 8/05 | AB 2001 | Whistleblower Hotline | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
| 6/23 | HB 5105 | Minimum Wage Increase | Veto Override Passed - Senate (25 - 9) |
| 6/23 | HB 5105 | Minimum Wage Increase | Veto Override Passed - House (102 - 39) |
| 6/23 | S 1962 | State Worker Retirement and Health Benefits | Bill Passed - House (52 - 13) |
| 6/23 | S 1962 | State Worker Retirement and Health Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 8) |
| 6/18 | SB 280 | Minimum Wage Increase for Tipped Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 8) |
| 6/04 | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (19 - 31) |
| 5/29 | AB 2076 | Prohibiting E-verify | Bill Passed - House (43 - 31) |
| 5/28 | AB 2279 | Prohibiting Employment Discrimination Against Medical Marijuana Patients | Bill Passed - House (41 - 35) |
| 5/28 | SB 2011 | Increasing Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (87 - 33) |
| 5/28 | AB 2716 | Paid Sick Leave | Bill Passed - House (45 - 33) |
| 5/22 | SB 2011 | Increasing Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 3) |
| 5/21 | HB 1436 | Automatic Continuation Clause in Collective Bargaining Agreements | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (186 - 128) |
| 5/15 | SB 1322 | Communist Party Membership | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| 5/14 | H 3032 | Immigration Reform | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (20 - 26) |
| 5/08 | SF 875 | Minimum Wage Increase | Conference Report Adopted - House (89 - 45) |
| 5/08 | SF 875 | Minimum Wage Increase | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (40 - 18) |
| 5/08 | HB 1436 | Automatic Continuation Clause in Collective Bargaining Agreements | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 11) |
| 5/07 | Amendment No. 8A | Requiring Employers to Verify Immigration the Status of Their Employees | Amendment Adopted - House (80 - 33) |
| 5/05 | HB 1325 | Seasonal Foreign Worker Pilot Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 17) |
| 5/05 | SB 200 | Sexual Orientation Nondiscrimination | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 5/05 | HB 5105 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| 5/02 | SB 200 | Sexual Orientation Nondiscrimination | Bill Passed - House (38 - 26) |
| 5/02 | HB 1325 | Seasonal Foreign Worker Pilot Program | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 5/01 | SF 875 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - House (82 - 45) |
| 5/01 | SB 217 | Mandatory Sick Leave | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| 4/29 | H 7107 | Employment Verification Program | Bill Passed - House (52 - 17) |
| 4/28 | HB 2745 | Amending Undocumented Immigrant Employment Sanctions | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 4) |