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 27, 2018 | CO | SB 18-200 | Amends Public Retirement System Policies | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
| March 26, 2018 | MD | SB 654 | Requires Extension of Union Contracts | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
| March 22, 2018 | KY | HB 2 | Amends Workers' Compensation Law | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| March 22, 2018 | MD | HB 1017 | Requires Equal Access to Collective Bargaining New Employee Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
| March 6, 2018 | WA | HB 1506 | Prohibits Employers from Retaliating Against Employees for Discussing Wages | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (36 - 12) |
| March 1, 2018 | WA | HB 1506 | Prohibits Employers from Retaliating Against Employees for Discussing Wages | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 12) |
| Feb. 20, 2018 | WI | AB 1 | Increases Work Hour Requirements for Welfare Recipients | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
| Feb. 15, 2018 | VT | S 40 | Increases State Minimum Wage to $15 per Hour | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| Feb. 10, 2018 | WA | SB 6199 | Authorizes Privatization of Home-Care Workforce | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 21) |
| Feb. 9, 2018 | National | HR 1892 | Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (71 - 28) |
| Jan. 31, 2018 | MI | SB 660 | Extends the Deadline for 100 Percent Cage-Free Eggs to 2025 | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 5) |
| Oct. 25, 2017 | PA | SB 936 | Establishes Prescription Drug Formulary for Injured Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 16) |
| Oct. 5, 2017 | MI | SB 353 | Prohibits Local Rules Regarding Employer Interview Practices | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
| July 7, 2017 | MA | H 3800 | Establishes State Budget for Fiscal Year 2018 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (36 - 2) |
| July 6, 2017 | OR | HB 2017 | Establishes Oregon's Transportation Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 7) |
| July 4, 2017 | IL | SB 6 | Establishes Budget for Fiscal Year 2017-2018 | Veto Override Passed - Senate (39 - 15) |
| June 30, 2017 | PA | HB 218 | Establishes a Budget for the Fiscal Year 2017-2018 | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 7) |
| June 21, 2017 | OR | HB 2391 | Establishes a Tax on Oregon Health Plan Insurance Plans | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| June 4, 2017 | NV | SB 546 | Establishes 2-Year State Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 6) |
| May 17, 2017 | IL | SB 6 | Establishes Budget for Fiscal Year 2017-2018 | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 21) |
| May 12, 2017 | NC | S 257 | Establishes State Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 15) |
| May 4, 2017 | AL | HB 155 | Establishes Budget for 2017-2018 | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 4) |
| April 27, 2017 | National | PN 88 | Nomination of Alexander Acosta to be Secretary of Labor | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (60 - 38) |
| April 26, 2017 | National | PN 88 | Nomination of Alexander Acosta to be Secretary of Labor | Cloture Invoked - Senate (61 - 39) |
| April 24, 2017 | NC | S 68 | Establishes Bipartisan Elections and Ethics Board | Veto Override Passed - Senate (33 - 15) |
| April 20, 2017 | MN | HF 600 | Prohibits Local Laws Regarding Minimum Wage or Paid Sick Leave | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 31) |
| April 20, 2017 | IA | SF 516 | Establishes Budget for Fiscal Year 2018-2019 | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20) |
| April 9, 2017 | NY | A 3009 | Establishes State Fiscal Plan | (53 - 4) |
| April 6, 2017 | KS | HB 2052 | Establishes State Budget for FY 2017 to FY 2021 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 10) |
| April 6, 2017 | CA | SB 1 | Increases Gas and Vehicle Taxes to Pay for Road and Bridge Repairs | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 11) |
| April 5, 2017 | WI | SB 76 | Reduces Regulations of High-Capacity Water Wells | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 13) |
| April 4, 2017 | IN | HB 1384 | Expands Indiana's Voucher Program | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 12) |
| April 4, 2017 | AL | SB 129 | Establishes Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 2) |
| March 30, 2017 | NC | HB 142 | Establishes Provisions Related to Gender-Based Bathroom Use | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 16) |
| March 29, 2017 | OH | HB 26 | Establishes Budget for Fiscal Year 2017-2018 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 5) |
| March 27, 2017 | IA | HF 518 | Requires Certain Restrictions Regarding Worker's Compensation | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21) |
| March 27, 2017 | IA | HF 295 | Prohibits Localities from Increasing Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21) |
| March 23, 2017 | WA | SB 5048 | Establishes 2017-2019 Fiscal Biennium Operating Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 24) |
| March 13, 2017 | OK | SB 170 | Repeals Automatic Income Tax Cut | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 6) |
| March 2, 2017 | MO | SB 43 | Requires Certain Changes to Discrimination Lawsuit Proceedings | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9) |
| Feb. 27, 2017 | WV | SB 330 | Repeals Provisions from the Workplace Freedom Act | (23 - 11) |
| Feb. 13, 2017 | National | PN 26 | Nomination of Steven T. Mnuchin to be Secretary of the Treasury | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (53 - 47) |
| Feb. 10, 2017 | National | PN 26 | Nomination of Steven T. Mnuchin to be Secretary of the Treasury | Cloture Invoked - Senate (53 - 46) |
| Feb. 2, 2017 | WY | SF 153 | Prohibits Discriminatory Practices in the Workplace | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 17) |
| Jan. 19, 2017 | NH | SB 11 | Prohibits Collective Bargaining Agreements That Require Employees to Join A Labor Union | Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 11) |
| May 5, 2015 | MI | SB 133 | 2015-2016 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| Aug. 1, 2014 | NC | SB 744 | 2014-2015 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (33 - 10) |
| June 26, 2014 | NJ | S 2015 | 2014-2015 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| March 18, 2014 | IA | SF 2318 | Amends School Harassment and Bullying Policies | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 19) |
| Feb. 5, 2014 | IA | SF 2079 | Increases School Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |