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 11, 2012 | RI | S 2374 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (60 - 8) |
| June 7, 2012 | RI | S 2374 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11) |
| June 6, 2012 | NH | HB 1666 | Requires Legislative Approval of Collective Bargaining Agreements | Conference Report Adopted - House (203 - 77) |
| June 5, 2012 | National | S 3220 | Paycheck Fairness Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47) |
| May 31, 2012 | IL | HB 1447 | Pension Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24) |
| May 31, 2012 | National | H Amdt 1160 | Project Labor Agreements | Amendment Adopted - House (218 - 198) |
| May 30, 2012 | LA | HB 61 | Amends State Workers Pensions | Conference Report Adopted - House (68 - 36) |
| May 30, 2012 | LA | HB 61 | Amends State Workers Pensions | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 8) |
| May 30, 2012 | CA | SB 1234 | Establishes Retirement Program for Private Sector Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| May 30, 2012 | CA | AB 1450 | Prohibits Discrimination Against Unemployed Workers | Bill Passed - House (51 - 26) |
| May 30, 2012 | MA | H 3986 | Authorizes Child Care Workers to Form Labor Organizations | Bill Passed - House (117 - 32) |
| May 24, 2012 | NJ | A 2162 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (46 - 33) |
| May 16, 2012 | AL | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (67 - 37) |
| May 16, 2012 | AL | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
| May 16, 2012 | MD | SB 1301 | Amends Teacher Pension Funding | Bill Passed - House (86 - 51) |
| May 15, 2012 | NY | A 9148 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (98 - 49) |
| May 15, 2012 | MD | SB 1301 | Amends Teacher Pension Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 13) |
| May 10, 2012 | LA | SB 740 | Limits Cost of Living Adjustments for Pensions | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| May 3, 2012 | KS | HB 2333 | Amends State Pension System | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 8) |
| May 3, 2012 | CT | HB 5312 | Authorizes Day Care and Personal Care Workers to Join Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| May 3, 2012 | KS | King Amendment | Amends the State Retirement System for New Public Employees | Amendment Rejected - Senate (20 - 20) |
| May 3, 2012 | MO | HB 1526 | Amends Teacher Dismissal Policies | Bill Passed - House (83 - 76) |
| May 1, 2012 | CT | SB 79 | Prohibits Discrimination Against Unemployed Job Applicants | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5) |
| April 30, 2012 | MS | SB 2576 | Amends worker's compensation | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 15) |
| April 30, 2012 | MS | SB 2576 | Amends worker's compensation | Conference Report Adopted - House (63 - 56) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/11 | S 2374 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (60 - 8) |
| 6/07 | S 2374 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11) |
| 6/06 | HB 1666 | Requires Legislative Approval of Collective Bargaining Agreements | Conference Report Adopted - House (203 - 77) |
| 6/05 | S 3220 | Paycheck Fairness Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 47) |
| 5/31 | HB 1447 | Pension Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24) |
| 5/31 | H Amdt 1160 | Project Labor Agreements | Amendment Adopted - House (218 - 198) |
| 5/30 | HB 61 | Amends State Workers Pensions | Conference Report Adopted - House (68 - 36) |
| 5/30 | HB 61 | Amends State Workers Pensions | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 8) |
| 5/30 | SB 1234 | Establishes Retirement Program for Private Sector Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| 5/30 | AB 1450 | Prohibits Discrimination Against Unemployed Workers | Bill Passed - House (51 - 26) |
| 5/30 | H 3986 | Authorizes Child Care Workers to Form Labor Organizations | Bill Passed - House (117 - 32) |
| 5/24 | A 2162 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (46 - 33) |
| 5/16 | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (67 - 37) |
| 5/16 | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
| 5/16 | SB 1301 | Amends Teacher Pension Funding | Bill Passed - House (86 - 51) |
| 5/15 | A 9148 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (98 - 49) |
| 5/15 | SB 1301 | Amends Teacher Pension Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 13) |
| 5/10 | SB 740 | Limits Cost of Living Adjustments for Pensions | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 5/03 | HB 2333 | Amends State Pension System | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 8) |
| 5/03 | HB 5312 | Authorizes Day Care and Personal Care Workers to Join Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| 5/03 | King Amendment | Amends the State Retirement System for New Public Employees | Amendment Rejected - Senate (20 - 20) |
| 5/03 | HB 1526 | Amends Teacher Dismissal Policies | Bill Passed - House (83 - 76) |
| 5/01 | SB 79 | Prohibits Discrimination Against Unemployed Job Applicants | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5) |
| 4/30 | SB 2576 | Amends worker's compensation | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 15) |
| 4/30 | SB 2576 | Amends worker's compensation | Conference Report Adopted - House (63 - 56) |