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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 22, 2014 | IL | SJRCA 75 | Ratifies the Equal Rights Amendment | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 11) |
| May 22, 2014 | MI | HB 5575 | Establishes the Mighigan Settlement Authority Administration | Bill Passed - House (75 - 35) |
| May 21, 2014 | OK | HB 2630 | Amends State Employee Retirement Plans | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 11) |
| May 20, 2014 | OK | HB 2630 | Amends State Employee Retirement Plans | Conference Report Adopted - House (58 - 33) |
| May 16, 2014 | MO | HJR 72 | Authorizes the Legislature to Override Certain Gubernatorial Spending Reductions | Amendment Adopted - Senate (25 - 4) |
| May 16, 2014 | MO | HJR 72 | Authorizes the Legislature to Override Certain Gubernatorial Spending Reductions | Amendment Adopted - Senate (25 - 4) |
| May 15, 2014 | MN | HF 3169 | Establishes a Legislative Salary Council | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 62) |
| May 14, 2014 | OK | HB 3143 | Requires Vendors on Military Bases to Collect Sales Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 42) |
| May 14, 2014 | NH | SB 390 | Prohibits an Employer from Discriminating Against a Victim of Domestic Violence | Bill Passed - House (190 - 137) |
| May 13, 2014 | MN | HF 3169 | Establishes a Legislative Salary Council | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 25) |
| May 8, 2014 | MN | HF 2536 | Increases Equal Pay and Establishes Certain Workplace Protections for Employees | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (43 - 24) |
| May 8, 2014 | NH | HB 1403 | Increases the Minimum Wage | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - Senate (13 - 11) |
| May 7, 2014 | MN | HF 2536 | Increases Equal Pay and Establishes Certain Workplace Protections for Employees | Conference Report Adopted - House (104 - 24) |
| May 7, 2014 | National | H Res 574 | Recommends that the House of Representatives Find Lois G. Lerner in Contempt of Congress | Resolution Passed - House (231 - 187) |
| May 2, 2014 | FL | HB 851 | Authorizes In-State Tuition for Non-Citizen Individuals | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (84 - 32) |
| May 1, 2014 | FL | HB 755 | Authorizes Certain Non-Citizen Individuals to be Admitted to the Bar | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (79 - 37) |
| May 1, 2014 | FL | HB 851 | Authorizes In-State Tuition for Non-Citizen Individuals | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| May 1, 2014 | MA | S 2123 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 5) |
| April 30, 2014 | FL | SJR 1188 | Authorizes Governor to Fill Prospective Judicial Vacancies | Joint Resolution Passed - House (74 - 45) |
| April 30, 2014 | MO | SB 673 | Limits Duration of Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (101 - 49) |
| April 30, 2014 | FL | SJR 1188 | Authorizes Governor to Fill Prospective Judicial Vacancies | Joint Resolution Passed - House (74 - 45) |
| April 30, 2014 | National | S 2223 | Minimum Wage Fairness Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (54 - 42) |
| April 29, 2014 | MO | SB 510 | Amends the Definition of Employee Misconduct for Unemployment Benefits Claims | Bill Passed - House (107 - 45) |
| April 25, 2014 | AK | HB 218 | Prohibits Use of Risk of Deportation as a Factor in a Felony Case Referral | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (28 - 10) |
| April 25, 2014 | IA | SF 2318 | Amends School Harassment and Bullying Policies | Bill Passed - House (68 - 27) |
| April 25, 2014 | CT | HB 5274 | Prohibits Employers from Discriminating Against Unemployed Applicants | Bill Passed - House (81 - 55) |
| April 25, 2014 | CT | HB 5274 | Prohibits Employers from Discriminating Against Unemployed Applicants | Bill Passed - House (81 - 55) |
| April 25, 2014 | FL | HB 7181 | Reforms Retirement Systems for State Employees | Bill Passed - House (74 - 44) |
| April 24, 2014 | OK | SJR 21 | Amends Selection Process for Judicial Nominating Commission | Bill Failed - House (31 - 65) |
| April 24, 2014 | OK | SJR 21 | Amends Selection Process for Judicial Nominating Commission | Bill Failed - House (31 - 65) |
| April 23, 2014 | CO | HB 1288 | Amends Student Immunization Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
| April 21, 2014 | AZ | HB 2462 | Authorizes the State to Create a Virtual Border | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (35 - 20) |
| April 17, 2014 | AZ | HB 2367 | Establishes Work Requirements for Certain Medicaid Recipients | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (35 - 22) |
| April 17, 2014 | AZ | HB 2462 | Authorizes the State to Create a Virtual Border | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8) |
| April 17, 2014 | ME | LD 1578 | Expands Medicaid Eligibility | Bill Passed - House (94 - 51) |
| April 17, 2014 | ME | LD 1578 | Expands Medicaid Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| April 17, 2014 | AZ | HB 2291 | Expands Eligibility to Empowerment Scholarship Account Program | Bill Failed - House (27 - 31) |
| April 16, 2014 | AZ | HB 2367 | Establishes Work Requirements for Certain Medicaid Recipients | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12) |
| April 13, 2014 | AK | HB 384 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (21 - 19) |
| April 10, 2014 | NE | LB 690 | Establishes the Aging Nebraskans Task Force | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 12) |
| April 10, 2014 | MN | HF 2091 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (71 - 60) |
| April 10, 2014 | IL | HB 8 | Requires Accommodations for Pregnant Workers | Bill Passed - House (65 - 36) |
| April 9, 2014 | MN | HF 2091 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 31) |
| April 9, 2014 | TN | SB 1391 | Prohibits Women from Using Illegal Substances While Pregnant | Bill Passed - House (64 - 30) |
| April 9, 2014 | National | S 2199 | Paycheck Fairness Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 44) |
| April 9, 2014 | OH | HB 485 | Establishes the Ohio Healthier Buckeye Council and the Office of Human Services Innovation | Bill Passed - House (62 - 30) |
| April 8, 2014 | IL | SB 1922 | Amends the City of Chicago Employee Pensions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 23) |
| April 8, 2014 | IL | SB 1922 | Amends the City of Chicago Employee Pensions | Bill Passed - House (73 - 41) |
| April 8, 2014 | National | HR 1871 | Baseline Reform Act of 2014 | Bill Passed - House (230 - 185) |
| April 7, 2014 | MD | HB 295 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (87 - 47) |