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 18, 2014 | MA | S 2123 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Conference Report Adopted - House (124 - 24) |
| June 18, 2014 | MA | S 2132 | Establishes Labor Standards for Domestic Workers | Bill Passed - House (126 - 22) |
| June 18, 2014 | MA | H 4184 | Authorizes Parole Eligibility for Certain Juveniles Sentenced to Life Imprisonment | Bill Passed - House (129 - 16) |
| June 12, 2014 | MA | S 2123 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 4) |
| June 12, 2014 | MA | H 4111 | Appropriates Funds for the Expansion of the Boston Convention Center | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6) |
| June 11, 2014 | MA | Amdt 46 | Establishes a Sales Tax Holiday | Amendment Adopted - House (132 - 14) |
| May 28, 2014 | MA | H 4111 | Appropriates Funds for the Expansion of the Boston Convention Center | Bill Passed - House (131 - 19) |
| May 21, 2014 | MA | H 4108 | Amends Charter School Laws | Bill Passed - House (114 - 35) |
| May 1, 2014 | MA | S 2123 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 5) |
| April 2, 2014 | MA | H 4026 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (125 - 24) |
| Nov. 19, 2013 | MA | Amdt 1 | Increases the Minimum Wage for Tipped Employees | Amendment Adopted - Senate (31 - 7) |
| Nov. 19, 2013 | MA | S 1925 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| April 24, 2013 | MA | H 3401 | 2013-2014 Budget | Bill Passed - House (127 - 29) |
| April 8, 2013 | MA | H 3382 | Expands Retail Tax to Include Computer System Design Services | Bill Passed - House (97 - 55) |
| July 31, 2012 | MA | S 2400 | Establishes Accountable Care Organizations | Conference Report Adopted - House (133 - 20) |
| July 19, 2012 | MA | H 3818 | Requires Habitual Violent Offenders to Serve Their Full Sentence | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7) |
| July 18, 2012 | MA | H 3818 | Requires Habitual Violent Offenders to Serve Their Full Sentence | Conference Report Adopted - House (139 - 14) |
| June 27, 2012 | MA | H 4174 | Authorizes Funds for State Transportation Projects | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
| June 27, 2012 | MA | S 2214 | Amends Renewable Energy Contract Requirements | Bill Passed - House (135 - 16) |
| June 5, 2012 | MA | S 2270 | Reduces Health Care Spending | Bill Passed - House (148 - 7) |
| May 31, 2012 | MA | H Amdt 11 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Amendment Adopted - House (105 - 43) |
| May 30, 2012 | MA | H 3986 | Authorizes Child Care Workers to Form Labor Organizations | Bill Passed - House (117 - 32) |
| May 15, 2012 | MA | S Amdt 125 | Requires Establishing a Single Payer Health Care System Benchmark | Amendment Rejected - Senate (15 - 22) |
| April 25, 2012 | MA | H Amdt 804.1 | Electronic Benefit Transfer Cards | Amendment Adopted - House (123 - 33) |
| Oct. 13, 2011 | MA | H 3711 | Authorizes Gambling Casinos | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/18 | S 2123 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Conference Report Adopted - House (124 - 24) |
| 6/18 | S 2132 | Establishes Labor Standards for Domestic Workers | Bill Passed - House (126 - 22) |
| 6/18 | H 4184 | Authorizes Parole Eligibility for Certain Juveniles Sentenced to Life Imprisonment | Bill Passed - House (129 - 16) |
| 6/12 | S 2123 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 4) |
| 6/12 | H 4111 | Appropriates Funds for the Expansion of the Boston Convention Center | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6) |
| 6/11 | Amdt 46 | Establishes a Sales Tax Holiday | Amendment Adopted - House (132 - 14) |
| 5/28 | H 4111 | Appropriates Funds for the Expansion of the Boston Convention Center | Bill Passed - House (131 - 19) |
| 5/21 | H 4108 | Amends Charter School Laws | Bill Passed - House (114 - 35) |
| 5/01 | S 2123 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 5) |
| 4/02 | H 4026 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - House (125 - 24) |
| 11/19 | Amdt 1 | Increases the Minimum Wage for Tipped Employees | Amendment Adopted - Senate (31 - 7) |
| 11/19 | S 1925 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| 4/24 | H 3401 | 2013-2014 Budget | Bill Passed - House (127 - 29) |
| 4/08 | H 3382 | Expands Retail Tax to Include Computer System Design Services | Bill Passed - House (97 - 55) |
| 7/31 | S 2400 | Establishes Accountable Care Organizations | Conference Report Adopted - House (133 - 20) |
| 7/19 | H 3818 | Requires Habitual Violent Offenders to Serve Their Full Sentence | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7) |
| 7/18 | H 3818 | Requires Habitual Violent Offenders to Serve Their Full Sentence | Conference Report Adopted - House (139 - 14) |
| 6/27 | H 4174 | Authorizes Funds for State Transportation Projects | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 9) |
| 6/27 | S 2214 | Amends Renewable Energy Contract Requirements | Bill Passed - House (135 - 16) |
| 6/05 | S 2270 | Reduces Health Care Spending | Bill Passed - House (148 - 7) |
| 5/31 | H Amdt 11 | Requires Photo Identification to Vote | Amendment Adopted - House (105 - 43) |
| 5/30 | H 3986 | Authorizes Child Care Workers to Form Labor Organizations | Bill Passed - House (117 - 32) |
| 5/15 | S Amdt 125 | Requires Establishing a Single Payer Health Care System Benchmark | Amendment Rejected - Senate (15 - 22) |
| 4/25 | H Amdt 804.1 | Electronic Benefit Transfer Cards | Amendment Adopted - House (123 - 33) |
| 10/13 | H 3711 | Authorizes Gambling Casinos | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |