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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 15, 2011 | CA | AB 110 | Wrongful Death Claim of Josefa Godinez Merida | Resolution Passed - House (7 - 1) |
| Feb. 1, 2011 | ID | H 26 | Increment in fees for felonies and misdemeanors | Bill Failed - House (31 - 35) |
| Jan. 25, 2011 | WI | AB 5 | Requiring a Two-Thirds Vote in the Legislature for Tax Increases | Bill Passed - House (57 - 36) |
| Jan. 25, 2011 | WI | AB 7 | Small Business Tax Credit | Bill Passed - House (60 - 33) |
| Jan. 20, 2011 | WI | SB 2 | Tax Benefits for Health Savings Accounts | Bill Passed - House (66 - 28) |
| Jan. 20, 2011 | WI | SB 2 | Tax Benefits for Health Savings Accounts | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| Nov. 17, 2010 | PA | HB 101 | Education Law Amendments | Veto Override Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| Nov. 15, 2010 | PA | HB 101 | Education Law Amendments | Veto Override Passed - House (171 - 24) |
| Sept. 30, 2010 | NJ | A 1678 | Establishing a New Jersey Homebuyer Tax Credit Program | Veto Override Failed - House (42 - 32) |
| Sept. 29, 2010 | PA | SB 1155 | Establishing a Natural Gas Severance Tax | Bill Passed - House (104 - 94) |
| Sept. 23, 2010 | MI | SB 1226 | State Retirement Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 14) |
| Sept. 23, 2010 | MI | SB 1226 | State Retirement Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (60 - 45) |
| Sept. 22, 2010 | MI | SB 884 | Tax Amnesty Period | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 48) |
| Sept. 22, 2010 | MI | SB 884 | Tax Amnesty Period | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 4) |
| Sept. 21, 2010 | MI | SB 1152 | 2010-2011 Department of Community Health Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (68 - 39) |
| Sept. 21, 2010 | MI | SB 1152 | 2010-2011 Department of Community Health Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 10) |
| Sept. 20, 2010 | NJ | S 2139 | 2010-2011 Supplemental Health Services Budget | Veto Override Failed - Senate (23 - 17) |
| Sept. 15, 2010 | MI | SB 1151 | Community College Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 5) |
| Sept. 15, 2010 | MI | SB 1151 | Community College Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - House (56 - 49) |
| Sept. 8, 2010 | MI | HB 6086 | 2009-2010 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| Aug. 25, 2010 | MI | HB 6086 | 2009-2010 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (57 - 47) |
| Aug. 3, 2010 | NY | A 9710D | 2010-2011 Budget Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 28) |
| July 14, 2010 | MO | HB 2 | Manufacturing Jobs Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (101 - 40) |
| July 13, 2010 | MO | HB 2 | Manufacturing Jobs Act | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
| July 12, 2010 | NJ | S 29 | Reducing the property tax levy cap | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (73 - 4) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/15 | AB 110 | Wrongful Death Claim of Josefa Godinez Merida | Resolution Passed - House (7 - 1) |
| 2/01 | H 26 | Increment in fees for felonies and misdemeanors | Bill Failed - House (31 - 35) |
| 1/25 | AB 5 | Requiring a Two-Thirds Vote in the Legislature for Tax Increases | Bill Passed - House (57 - 36) |
| 1/25 | AB 7 | Small Business Tax Credit | Bill Passed - House (60 - 33) |
| 1/20 | SB 2 | Tax Benefits for Health Savings Accounts | Bill Passed - House (66 - 28) |
| 1/20 | SB 2 | Tax Benefits for Health Savings Accounts | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| 11/17 | HB 101 | Education Law Amendments | Veto Override Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| 11/15 | HB 101 | Education Law Amendments | Veto Override Passed - House (171 - 24) |
| 9/30 | A 1678 | Establishing a New Jersey Homebuyer Tax Credit Program | Veto Override Failed - House (42 - 32) |
| 9/29 | SB 1155 | Establishing a Natural Gas Severance Tax | Bill Passed - House (104 - 94) |
| 9/23 | SB 1226 | State Retirement Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (20 - 14) |
| 9/23 | SB 1226 | State Retirement Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (60 - 45) |
| 9/22 | SB 884 | Tax Amnesty Period | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 48) |
| 9/22 | SB 884 | Tax Amnesty Period | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 4) |
| 9/21 | SB 1152 | 2010-2011 Department of Community Health Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (68 - 39) |
| 9/21 | SB 1152 | 2010-2011 Department of Community Health Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 10) |
| 9/20 | S 2139 | 2010-2011 Supplemental Health Services Budget | Veto Override Failed - Senate (23 - 17) |
| 9/15 | SB 1151 | Community College Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 5) |
| 9/15 | SB 1151 | Community College Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - House (56 - 49) |
| 9/08 | HB 6086 | 2009-2010 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 8/25 | HB 6086 | 2009-2010 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (57 - 47) |
| 8/03 | A 9710D | 2010-2011 Budget Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 28) |
| 7/14 | HB 2 | Manufacturing Jobs Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (101 - 40) |
| 7/13 | HB 2 | Manufacturing Jobs Act | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
| 7/12 | S 29 | Reducing the property tax levy cap | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (73 - 4) |