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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 7, 2011 | MI | HB 4770 | Prohibits Public Employers from Providing Medical Benefits to Public Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
| Dec. 1, 2011 | National | S 1931 | Reduces Payroll Tax Rate | Motion Rejected - Senate (20 - 78) |
| Dec. 1, 2011 | National | S 1917 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut and Establishes Tax on Income Over $1 Million | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 49) |
| Nov. 17, 2011 | RI | H 6319 | Amending the Pension System | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 2) |
| Nov. 10, 2011 | National | S Amdt 928 | American Jobs and Economic Growth | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 56) |
| Nov. 3, 2011 | WI | SB 202 | Repeals Punitive Damages for Workplace Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 16) |
| Oct. 20, 2011 | WI | SB 95 | Evaluating Teacher Performance Using Standardized Test Scores | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 16) |
| Oct. 11, 2011 | National | S 1660 | American Jobs Act of 2011 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49) |
| Sept. 22, 2011 | National | S Amdt 633 | Extends Trade Adjustment Assistance | Amendment Adopted - Senate (69 - 28) |
| Sept. 21, 2011 | National | S Amdt 625 | Reducing and Extending Trade Adjustment Assistance | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| Sept. 21, 2011 | National | S Amdt 641 | Requires Extension of Trade Adjustment Assistance to be Contingent Upon Ratification of Free Trade Agreements with Columbia, Korea and Panama | Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 54) |
| Sept. 21, 2011 | National | S Amdt 642 | Modifies Eligibility Requirements for Trade Adjustment Assistance | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 57) |
| Sept. 9, 2011 | CA | SB 922 | Project Labor Agreements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| Sept. 9, 2011 | CA | SB 922 | Project Labor Agreements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| Sept. 9, 2011 | CA | SB 931 | Payroll Debit Cards | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| Sept. 8, 2011 | CA | SB 299 | Pregnancy or Childbirth Leave for Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
| Sept. 8, 2011 | CA | AB 101 | Allows Family Child Care Providers to Organize | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| Sept. 6, 2011 | CA | AB 1236 | Prohibits Requirement of Electronic Employment Verification | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| Sept. 1, 2011 | CA | SB 185 | Considering Race, Ethnicity and Gender in College Admissions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| July 13, 2011 | NC | SB 727 | No Dues Checkoff for School Employees | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| June 30, 2011 | MI | HB 4628 | Amends Collective Bargaining Rights for Public Teachers | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 18) |
| June 23, 2011 | DE | HB 100 | Background Checks for Contractors on School Premises | Bill Failed - Senate (10 - 5) |
| June 22, 2011 | NH | HB 2 | Recertification of Employer Retirement Contribution Rates | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 5) |
| June 20, 2011 | NJ | S 2937 | Pension and Health Care Benefits for Public Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| June 19, 2011 | LA | HB 342 | Requires Certain Employers to Use E-Verify | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/07 | HB 4770 | Prohibits Public Employers from Providing Medical Benefits to Public Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
| 12/01 | S 1931 | Reduces Payroll Tax Rate | Motion Rejected - Senate (20 - 78) |
| 12/01 | S 1917 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut and Establishes Tax on Income Over $1 Million | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 49) |
| 11/17 | H 6319 | Amending the Pension System | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 2) |
| 11/10 | S Amdt 928 | American Jobs and Economic Growth | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 56) |
| 11/03 | SB 202 | Repeals Punitive Damages for Workplace Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 16) |
| 10/20 | SB 95 | Evaluating Teacher Performance Using Standardized Test Scores | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 16) |
| 10/11 | S 1660 | American Jobs Act of 2011 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49) |
| 9/22 | S Amdt 633 | Extends Trade Adjustment Assistance | Amendment Adopted - Senate (69 - 28) |
| 9/21 | S Amdt 625 | Reducing and Extending Trade Adjustment Assistance | Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53) |
| 9/21 | S Amdt 641 | Requires Extension of Trade Adjustment Assistance to be Contingent Upon Ratification of Free Trade Agreements with Columbia, Korea and Panama | Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 54) |
| 9/21 | S Amdt 642 | Modifies Eligibility Requirements for Trade Adjustment Assistance | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 57) |
| 9/09 | SB 922 | Project Labor Agreements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| 9/09 | SB 922 | Project Labor Agreements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| 9/09 | SB 931 | Payroll Debit Cards | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| 9/08 | SB 299 | Pregnancy or Childbirth Leave for Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
| 9/08 | AB 101 | Allows Family Child Care Providers to Organize | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 9/06 | AB 1236 | Prohibits Requirement of Electronic Employment Verification | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| 9/01 | SB 185 | Considering Race, Ethnicity and Gender in College Admissions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 7/13 | SB 727 | No Dues Checkoff for School Employees | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| 6/30 | HB 4628 | Amends Collective Bargaining Rights for Public Teachers | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 18) |
| 6/23 | HB 100 | Background Checks for Contractors on School Premises | Bill Failed - Senate (10 - 5) |
| 6/22 | HB 2 | Recertification of Employer Retirement Contribution Rates | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 5) |
| 6/20 | S 2937 | Pension and Health Care Benefits for Public Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| 6/19 | HB 342 | Requires Certain Employers to Use E-Verify | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |