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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 22, 2011 | NH | HB 2 | Recertification of Employer Retirement Contribution Rates | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 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) |
| June 9, 2011 | National | S Amdt 390 | Amending Small Business Regulations | Amendment Rejected - Senate (53 - 46) |
| June 8, 2011 | National | S Amdt 392 | Debit Card Transactions | Amendment Rejected - Senate (54 - 45) |
| June 6, 2011 | TX | SB 8 | Management and Operation of Public Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| June 2, 2011 | CA | SB 568 | Recycling Polystyrene Food Containers | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| May 31, 2011 | CA | SB 469 | Requirements for Expansion by Large Retailers | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| May 25, 2011 | CT | SB 913 | Requires Paid Sick Leave | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| May 25, 2011 | LA | SB 6 | Teacher Retirement | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 19) |
| May 18, 2011 | NC | HB 578 | State Health Plan Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
| May 18, 2011 | MI | SB 7 | Employee Contribution to Health Care Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| May 12, 2011 | MI | HB 4362 | Business Tax Reduction | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
| May 11, 2011 | NV | AB 211 | Prohibiting Discriminatory Employment Practices Based On Gender or Expression | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10) |
| May 11, 2011 | PA | SB 612 | Guidelines for Teacher Suspension | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 12) |
| May 11, 2011 | WI | SB 13 | Repealing Regulations for Telecommunications Services | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| May 7, 2011 | UT | HB 328 | State Government Work Week | Veto Override Passed - Senate (21 - 6) |
| May 6, 2011 | FL | HB 5007 | Amends Business Regulations | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (18 - 21) |
| April 29, 2011 | IN | HB 1216 | Public Works Projects | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 20) |
| April 18, 2011 | AZ | SB 1609 | Public Workers' Pensions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| April 14, 2011 | NC | SB 265 | Health Plan for Teachers and State Employees | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| April 12, 2011 | GA | HB 234 | Reduces Sales Taxes for Tourism Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 10) |
| April 11, 2011 | MD | HB 235 | Prohibiting Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Discrimination | Motion Agreed - Senate (27 - 20) |
| April 5, 2011 | AZ | HB 2619 | Unemployment Security Special Assessment | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/22 | HB 2 | Recertification of Employer Retirement Contribution Rates | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 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) |
| 6/09 | S Amdt 390 | Amending Small Business Regulations | Amendment Rejected - Senate (53 - 46) |
| 6/08 | S Amdt 392 | Debit Card Transactions | Amendment Rejected - Senate (54 - 45) |
| 6/06 | SB 8 | Management and Operation of Public Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 12) |
| 6/02 | SB 568 | Recycling Polystyrene Food Containers | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| 5/31 | SB 469 | Requirements for Expansion by Large Retailers | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 5/25 | SB 913 | Requires Paid Sick Leave | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| 5/25 | SB 6 | Teacher Retirement | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 19) |
| 5/18 | HB 578 | State Health Plan Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
| 5/18 | SB 7 | Employee Contribution to Health Care Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| 5/12 | HB 4362 | Business Tax Reduction | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
| 5/11 | AB 211 | Prohibiting Discriminatory Employment Practices Based On Gender or Expression | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10) |
| 5/11 | SB 612 | Guidelines for Teacher Suspension | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 12) |
| 5/11 | SB 13 | Repealing Regulations for Telecommunications Services | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| 5/07 | HB 328 | State Government Work Week | Veto Override Passed - Senate (21 - 6) |
| 5/06 | HB 5007 | Amends Business Regulations | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (18 - 21) |
| 4/29 | HB 1216 | Public Works Projects | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 20) |
| 4/18 | SB 1609 | Public Workers' Pensions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| 4/14 | SB 265 | Health Plan for Teachers and State Employees | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| 4/12 | HB 234 | Reduces Sales Taxes for Tourism Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 10) |
| 4/11 | HB 235 | Prohibiting Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Discrimination | Motion Agreed - Senate (27 - 20) |
| 4/05 | HB 2619 | Unemployment Security Special Assessment | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8) |