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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 26, 2015 | OK | HB 1749 | Prohibits Payroll Deductions for Public Employee Organizations | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 16) |
| March 26, 2015 | National | S Amdt 798 | Deficit-Neutral Reserve Fund for Legislation to Allow Americans to Earn Paid Sick Time | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 39) |
| March 25, 2015 | KS | HB 2326 | Amends Teacher Contracts | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 27) |
| March 18, 2015 | IA | SF 437 | Authorizes Employees to Take Unpaid Leave to Participate in a Presidential Precinct Caucus | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| March 16, 2015 | NJ | S 1593 | Establishes Interest-Free Housing Loans for Public Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| March 12, 2015 | AR | HB 1489 | Reduces Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 7) |
| March 12, 2015 | NH | SB 261 | Increases Minimum Wage | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - Senate (14 - 10) |
| March 12, 2015 | AR | SB 366 | Authorizes Additional Compensations to Teachers | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| March 10, 2015 | WA | SB 5513 | Reduces Minimum Age to Settle a Worker's Compensation Claim | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 21) |
| March 6, 2015 | UT | SB 296 | Prohibits Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 5) |
| March 3, 2015 | WV | SB 361 | Amends Prevailing Wage Laws | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| March 3, 2015 | WV | SB 361 | Amends Prevailing Wage Laws | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| Feb. 26, 2015 | MN | SF 174 | Requires Legislative Approval for Certain Salary Increases | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 29) |
| Feb. 25, 2015 | WI | SB 44 | Prohibits Employers from Mandating Employees to Join or Pay Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15) |
| Feb. 24, 2015 | IA | SF 269 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| Feb. 24, 2015 | IA | SF 270 | Prohibits Wage Diversion | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
| Feb. 23, 2015 | AZ | SB 1092 | Requires Waivers for Certain Health Insurance | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12) |
| Feb. 18, 2015 | SD | SB 177 | Establishes a Youth Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| Feb. 17, 2015 | ND | SB 2279 | Prohibits Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 22) |
| Feb. 16, 2015 | NV | SB 119 | Exempts Schools from Paying Prevailing Wages | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 9) |
| Feb. 12, 2015 | WV | SB 361 | Amends Prevailing Wage Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| Feb. 12, 2015 | WV | SB 361 | Amends Prevailing Wage Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| Feb. 10, 2015 | WY | SF 115 | Prohibits Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Idenity | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 6) |
| Feb. 5, 2015 | IL | SB 11 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 18) |
| Feb. 5, 2015 | KY | SB 9 | Exempts Certain Construction Projects from Prevailing Wage Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/26 | HB 1749 | Prohibits Payroll Deductions for Public Employee Organizations | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 16) |
| 3/26 | S Amdt 798 | Deficit-Neutral Reserve Fund for Legislation to Allow Americans to Earn Paid Sick Time | Amendment Adopted - Senate (61 - 39) |
| 3/25 | HB 2326 | Amends Teacher Contracts | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 27) |
| 3/18 | SF 437 | Authorizes Employees to Take Unpaid Leave to Participate in a Presidential Precinct Caucus | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| 3/16 | S 1593 | Establishes Interest-Free Housing Loans for Public Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| 3/12 | HB 1489 | Reduces Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 7) |
| 3/12 | SB 261 | Increases Minimum Wage | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - Senate (14 - 10) |
| 3/12 | SB 366 | Authorizes Additional Compensations to Teachers | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| 3/10 | SB 5513 | Reduces Minimum Age to Settle a Worker's Compensation Claim | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 21) |
| 3/06 | SB 296 | Prohibits Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 5) |
| 3/03 | SB 361 | Amends Prevailing Wage Laws | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| 3/03 | SB 361 | Amends Prevailing Wage Laws | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| 2/26 | SF 174 | Requires Legislative Approval for Certain Salary Increases | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 29) |
| 2/25 | SB 44 | Prohibits Employers from Mandating Employees to Join or Pay Unions | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15) |
| 2/24 | SF 269 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| 2/24 | SF 270 | Prohibits Wage Diversion | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
| 2/23 | SB 1092 | Requires Waivers for Certain Health Insurance | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12) |
| 2/18 | SB 177 | Establishes a Youth Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| 2/17 | SB 2279 | Prohibits Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 22) |
| 2/16 | SB 119 | Exempts Schools from Paying Prevailing Wages | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 9) |
| 2/12 | SB 361 | Amends Prevailing Wage Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| 2/12 | SB 361 | Amends Prevailing Wage Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| 2/10 | SF 115 | Prohibits Discrimination Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Idenity | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 6) |
| 2/05 | SB 11 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 18) |
| 2/05 | SB 9 | Exempts Certain Construction Projects from Prevailing Wage Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |