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) |
| 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) |