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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Dec. 7, 2011 National HR 10 Congressional Approval of Regulations Bill Passed - House (241 - 184)
Dec. 2, 2011 National HR 3010 Establishes Additional Requirements for Regulatory Agencies Bill Passed - House (253 - 167)
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)
Dec. 1, 2011 National HR 527 Increases Requirements for Agencies that Promulgate Regulations Affecting Small Businesses Bill Passed - House (263 - 159)
Nov. 29, 2011 IL HB 1883 Property Tax Amendments Concurrence Vote Failed - House (8 - 99)
Nov. 29, 2011 IL HB 1883 Property Tax Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 18)
Nov. 17, 2011 RI H 6319 Amending the Pension System Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 2)
Nov. 17, 2011 RI H 6319 Amending the Pension System Bill Passed - House (57 - 15)
Nov. 15, 2011 PA HB 439 Hiring Undocumented Workers Bill Passed - House (122 - 74)
Nov. 10, 2011 National S Amdt 928 American Jobs and Economic Growth Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 56)
Nov. 10, 2011 National S J Res 6 Disapproval of FCC Regulation of Internet and Broadband Industry Motion Rejected - Senate (46 - 52)
Nov. 3, 2011 National H Amdt 853 Requires Crowdfunding Intermediaries to Disclose Methods of Compensation to Investors Amendment Rejected - House (189 - 234)
Nov. 3, 2011 National H Amdt 849 Requires Public Disclosure of Bonuses and Golden Parachute Arrangements Amendment Rejected - House (190 - 234)
Nov. 3, 2011 WI SB 202 Repeals Punitive Damages for Workplace Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 16)
Nov. 3, 2011 National HR 2930 Authorizes Crowdfunding for Small Businesses Bill Passed - House (407 - 17)
Nov. 2, 2011 MI HB 5002 Amends Workers' Compensation Law Bill Passed - House (59 - 49)
Oct. 27, 2011 WI SB 12 Limits Attorney Fees in Consumer Cases Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15)
Oct. 20, 2011 WI SB 95 Evaluating Teacher Performance Using Standardized Test Scores Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 16)
Oct. 18, 2011 National S Amdt 740 Repeals Funding for Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 55)
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 645 Repeals the Trade Adjustment Assistance Program for Firms Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 54)
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)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/07 HR 10 Congressional Approval of Regulations Bill Passed - House (241 - 184)
12/02 HR 3010 Establishes Additional Requirements for Regulatory Agencies Bill Passed - House (253 - 167)
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)
12/01 HR 527 Increases Requirements for Agencies that Promulgate Regulations Affecting Small Businesses Bill Passed - House (263 - 159)
11/29 HB 1883 Property Tax Amendments Concurrence Vote Failed - House (8 - 99)
11/29 HB 1883 Property Tax Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 18)
11/17 H 6319 Amending the Pension System Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 2)
11/17 H 6319 Amending the Pension System Bill Passed - House (57 - 15)
11/15 HB 439 Hiring Undocumented Workers Bill Passed - House (122 - 74)
11/10 S Amdt 928 American Jobs and Economic Growth Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 56)
11/10 S J Res 6 Disapproval of FCC Regulation of Internet and Broadband Industry Motion Rejected - Senate (46 - 52)
11/03 H Amdt 853 Requires Crowdfunding Intermediaries to Disclose Methods of Compensation to Investors Amendment Rejected - House (189 - 234)
11/03 H Amdt 849 Requires Public Disclosure of Bonuses and Golden Parachute Arrangements Amendment Rejected - House (190 - 234)
11/03 SB 202 Repeals Punitive Damages for Workplace Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 16)
11/03 HR 2930 Authorizes Crowdfunding for Small Businesses Bill Passed - House (407 - 17)
11/02 HB 5002 Amends Workers' Compensation Law Bill Passed - House (59 - 49)
10/27 SB 12 Limits Attorney Fees in Consumer Cases Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15)
10/20 SB 95 Evaluating Teacher Performance Using Standardized Test Scores Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 16)
10/18 S Amdt 740 Repeals Funding for Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 55)
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 645 Repeals the Trade Adjustment Assistance Program for Firms Amendment Rejected - Senate (43 - 54)
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)

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