Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
May 26, 2009 CA SB 219 Extending Whistle-Blower Protection to UC Employees Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
May 1, 2009 FL HB 903 Capping Attorney Fees in Workers' Compensation Lawsuits Motion Agreed - Senate (22 - 16)
April 28, 2009 WI SB 20 Discriminatory Pay Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15)
April 28, 2009 CO HB 1170 Allowing Locked-Out Employees to Collect Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
April 23, 2009 CA SB 789 Amending Unionization Requirements for Agricultural Employees Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
April 16, 2009 ID S 1166 Workers' Compensation Dividend Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7)
April 14, 2009 HI HB 952 Amending Unionization Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 4)
April 13, 2009 CO SB 273 Appropriation of Pinnacol Assurance Funds Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14)
April 13, 2009 CO SB 281 Clarifying Pinnacol Assurance as a Subdivision of the State Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15)
April 10, 2009 MD HB 310 Extending Unemployment Benefits to Part-Time Employees Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 9)
April 3, 2009 ID H 173 Restricting Eligibility for State Retiree Health Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8)
March 24, 2009 IN HB 1379 Unemployment Benefit Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20)
March 16, 2009 NJ S 21 Local Government PERS/PFRS Contribution Deferral Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17)
March 13, 2009 WV SB 238 Ban on Sexual Orientation Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10)
March 12, 2009 TN SB 83 "Living" Wage Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
March 12, 2009 WA SB 6035 Retrospective Ratings Program Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 24)
March 6, 2009 UT HJR 8 Mandating Secret Ballots Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8)
Feb. 24, 2009 CO SB 88 Extending State Employee Health Benefits to Domestic Partners Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11)
Feb. 19, 2009 KS SB 160 Increasing Minimum Wage Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 7)
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)
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 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 22, 2008 MS SB 2011 Increasing Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 3)
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 - Senate (40 - 18)
May 8, 2008 NH HB 1436 Automatic Continuation Clause in Collective Bargaining Agreements Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 11)
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 HB 1325 Seasonal Foreign Worker Pilot Program Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
May 1, 2008 CT SB 217 Mandatory Sick Leave Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16)
April 28, 2008 AZ HB 2745 Amending Undocumented Immigrant Employment Sanctions Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 4)
April 10, 2008 NE LB 1082 Expanding Workers' Compensation Benefits Motion Rejected - Senate (22 - 18)
March 28, 2008 CO SB 122 Wage Transparency Act Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (19 - 14)
March 26, 2008 KS Brownlee Amnd. Prohibits Union from collecting dues from Undocumented Workers Amendment Adopted - Senate (19 - 18)
March 26, 2008 KS Huelskamp Amnd. 1 Employment Verification Amendment Rejected - Senate (11 - 27)
March 26, 2008 KS Barnett Amnd. Immigration Reform Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (12 - 27)
March 24, 2008 IA HF 2645 Public Employee Collective Bargaining and Teacher Termination Policy Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23)
March 20, 2008 NH SB 502 Expanding Unemployment Compensation Eligibility Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8)
March 19, 2008 ID S 1447 Capping Medical Benefits for State Government Retirees Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10)
March 19, 2008 CO HB 1189 State Employee Strike Prohibition Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 2)
March 12, 2008 IA SF 2355 Time Off to Attend Presidential Precinct Caucuses Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 10)
March 5, 2008 WA HB 2815 Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 19)
March 4, 2008 UT SB 81 Expanding Immigration Enforcement Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 4)
Feb. 29, 2008 ID S 1393 Non-Compete Agreements Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10)
Feb. 27, 2008 CO SB 122 Wage Transparency Act Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
Feb. 26, 2008 CO SB 139 Undocumented Immigrant Hiring Ban Notification Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 4)
Feb. 21, 2008 UT SB 81 Expanding Immigration Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5)
Feb. 1, 2008 MS SB 2037 Requirements for Public Works Laborers Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 5)
Jan. 30, 2008 KY SB 112 Restricting Public Employee Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5)
Jan. 29, 2008 IN SB 335 Immigration Bill Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 11)
Jan. 15, 2008 WI SB 130 Minimum Wage Increase Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 13)
Dec. 11, 2007 WI SB 176 Compensation for Discharged Police Officers Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 3)
Nov. 19, 2007 MD HB 1 2007-2008 Budget Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 13)
Oct. 1, 2007 MI H Sub for Sub SB 547 Public School Employee Retirement Plan Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 17)
Oct. 1, 2007 MI H Sub for S Sub SB 546 Public School Employee Retirement Benefits Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 15)
Aug. 30, 2007 MI Sub SB 689 State Employees' Retirement Act Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
July 16, 2007 PA SB 246 Smoking Ban Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (13 - 36)
July 3, 2007 NC SCS HB 973 Mental Health Insurance Coverage Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 12)
June 26, 2007 National HR 800 Union Organization Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 48)
June 26, 2007 MI Sub for SB 547 Public School Employee Retirement Plan Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 17)
June 26, 2007 PA SB 246 Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17)
June 25, 2007 LA HB 489 Salary Increase for Statewide Elected Officials Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
June 20, 2007 AZ HB 2779 Employment of Undocumented Immigrants Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 4)
June 19, 2007 RI LCO # 2572/2 to H5300A Privatization of State Services Repeal Amendment Rejected - Senate (9 - 24)
June 18, 2007 OR SB 571 Smoking Ban Expansion Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 12)
June 14, 2007 DE SB 36 State Employee Collective Bargaining Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 6)
June 7, 2007 CA SB 456 Diacetyl Toxic Substance Ban Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18)
May 31, 2007 CT Sub SB 847 Workers' Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15)
May 24, 2007 TN SB 1325 Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 5)
May 23, 2007 AZ HB 2779 Employment of Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 4)
May 21, 2007 CA SB 180 Collective Bargaining Representation for Agricultural Workers Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15)
May 19, 2007 MN HF 464 School District Health Insurance Pool Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 16)
May 11, 2007 MN SF 238 Smoking Ban Conference Report Adopted - Senate (43 - 21)
April 29, 2007 IN HB 1678 Employer Health Insurance Plans Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 13)
April 26, 2007 NH HB 514 Minimum Wage Increase Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 5)
April 24, 2007 AZ HB 2589 Labor Solicitation and Criminal Trespass Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13)
April 23, 2007 MN SF 875 Minimum Wage Increase Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 23)
April 10, 2007 SC S 332 Workers' Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 7)
April 9, 2007 MD HB 430 State Living Wage Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 16)
April 5, 2007 MD HB 359 Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14)
March 29, 2007 IL SB 500 Smoke Free Illinois Act Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 23)
March 28, 2007 MN SF 276 School District Health Insurance Pool Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 23)
March 27, 2007 KS SB 385 State Employee Pay Increase Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 11)
March 27, 2007 MN SF 238 Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 24)
March 26, 2007 MD SB 91 Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 13)
March 15, 2007 NJ A 1044 Notification of Job Loss and Plant Closures Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
March 8, 2007 IA SF 413 “Fair Share” Union Fees Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 21)
Feb. 13, 2007 ND SB 2122 Minimum Wage Increase Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 26)
Feb. 12, 2007 SD SB 207 Minimum Wage Increase Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 6)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/26 SB 219 Extending Whistle-Blower Protection to UC Employees Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
5/01 HB 903 Capping Attorney Fees in Workers' Compensation Lawsuits Motion Agreed - Senate (22 - 16)
4/28 SB 20 Discriminatory Pay Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15)
4/28 HB 1170 Allowing Locked-Out Employees to Collect Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
4/23 SB 789 Amending Unionization Requirements for Agricultural Employees Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
4/16 S 1166 Workers' Compensation Dividend Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7)
4/14 HB 952 Amending Unionization Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 4)
4/13 SB 273 Appropriation of Pinnacol Assurance Funds Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14)
4/13 SB 281 Clarifying Pinnacol Assurance as a Subdivision of the State Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15)
4/10 HB 310 Extending Unemployment Benefits to Part-Time Employees Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 9)
4/03 H 173 Restricting Eligibility for State Retiree Health Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8)
3/24 HB 1379 Unemployment Benefit Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20)
3/16 S 21 Local Government PERS/PFRS Contribution Deferral Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17)
3/13 SB 238 Ban on Sexual Orientation Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10)
3/12 SB 83 "Living" Wage Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
3/12 SB 6035 Retrospective Ratings Program Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 24)
3/06 HJR 8 Mandating Secret Ballots Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8)
2/24 SB 88 Extending State Employee Health Benefits to Domestic Partners Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11)
2/19 SB 160 Increasing Minimum Wage Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 7)
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)
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 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)
5/22 SB 2011 Increasing Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 3)
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 - Senate (40 - 18)
5/08 HB 1436 Automatic Continuation Clause in Collective Bargaining Agreements Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 11)
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 HB 1325 Seasonal Foreign Worker Pilot Program Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
5/01 SB 217 Mandatory Sick Leave Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16)
4/28 HB 2745 Amending Undocumented Immigrant Employment Sanctions Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 4)
4/10 LB 1082 Expanding Workers' Compensation Benefits Motion Rejected - Senate (22 - 18)
3/28 SB 122 Wage Transparency Act Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (19 - 14)
3/26 Brownlee Amnd. Prohibits Union from collecting dues from Undocumented Workers Amendment Adopted - Senate (19 - 18)
3/26 Huelskamp Amnd. 1 Employment Verification Amendment Rejected - Senate (11 - 27)
3/26 Barnett Amnd. Immigration Reform Amendment Amendment Rejected - Senate (12 - 27)
3/24 HF 2645 Public Employee Collective Bargaining and Teacher Termination Policy Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23)
3/20 SB 502 Expanding Unemployment Compensation Eligibility Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 8)
3/19 S 1447 Capping Medical Benefits for State Government Retirees Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10)
3/19 HB 1189 State Employee Strike Prohibition Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 2)
3/12 SF 2355 Time Off to Attend Presidential Precinct Caucuses Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 10)
3/05 HB 2815 Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 19)
3/04 SB 81 Expanding Immigration Enforcement Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 4)
2/29 S 1393 Non-Compete Agreements Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10)
2/27 SB 122 Wage Transparency Act Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
2/26 SB 139 Undocumented Immigrant Hiring Ban Notification Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 4)
2/21 SB 81 Expanding Immigration Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5)
2/01 SB 2037 Requirements for Public Works Laborers Bill Passed - Senate (46 - 5)
1/30 SB 112 Restricting Public Employee Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5)
1/29 SB 335 Immigration Bill Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 11)
1/15 SB 130 Minimum Wage Increase Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 13)
12/11 SB 176 Compensation for Discharged Police Officers Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 3)
11/19 HB 1 2007-2008 Budget Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 13)
10/01 H Sub for Sub SB 547 Public School Employee Retirement Plan Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 17)
10/01 H Sub for S Sub SB 546 Public School Employee Retirement Benefits Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 15)
8/30 Sub SB 689 State Employees' Retirement Act Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
7/16 SB 246 Smoking Ban Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (13 - 36)
7/03 SCS HB 973 Mental Health Insurance Coverage Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 12)
6/26 HR 800 Union Organization Bill Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 48)
6/26 Sub for SB 547 Public School Employee Retirement Plan Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 17)
6/26 SB 246 Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17)
6/25 HB 489 Salary Increase for Statewide Elected Officials Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
6/20 HB 2779 Employment of Undocumented Immigrants Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 4)
6/19 LCO # 2572/2 to H5300A Privatization of State Services Repeal Amendment Rejected - Senate (9 - 24)
6/18 SB 571 Smoking Ban Expansion Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 12)
6/14 SB 36 State Employee Collective Bargaining Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 6)
6/07 SB 456 Diacetyl Toxic Substance Ban Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18)
5/31 Sub SB 847 Workers' Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15)
5/24 SB 1325 Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 5)
5/23 HB 2779 Employment of Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 4)
5/21 SB 180 Collective Bargaining Representation for Agricultural Workers Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15)
5/19 HF 464 School District Health Insurance Pool Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 16)
5/11 SF 238 Smoking Ban Conference Report Adopted - Senate (43 - 21)
4/29 HB 1678 Employer Health Insurance Plans Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 13)
4/26 HB 514 Minimum Wage Increase Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 5)
4/24 HB 2589 Labor Solicitation and Criminal Trespass Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13)
4/23 SF 875 Minimum Wage Increase Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 23)
4/10 S 332 Workers' Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 7)
4/09 HB 430 State Living Wage Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 16)
4/05 HB 359 Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14)
3/29 SB 500 Smoke Free Illinois Act Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 23)
3/28 SF 276 School District Health Insurance Pool Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 23)
3/27 SB 385 State Employee Pay Increase Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 11)
3/27 SF 238 Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 24)
3/26 SB 91 Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 13)
3/15 A 1044 Notification of Job Loss and Plant Closures Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
3/08 SF 413 “Fair Share” Union Fees Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 21)
2/13 SB 2122 Minimum Wage Increase Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 26)
2/12 SB 207 Minimum Wage Increase Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 6)

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