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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 9, 2008 | MA | H 678 | National Popular Vote Plan | Bill Passed - House (116 - 37) |
| July 9, 2008 | MA | Frost Amdt - National Popular Vote Plan Ratification Threshold | Bill Failed - House (34 - 120) | |
| July 9, 2008 | MA | Jones Amdt - Presidential Electors by Congressional District | Bill Failed - House (34 - 120) | |
| June 12, 2008 | MA | H 4554 | Life-Science Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7) |
| June 11, 2008 | MA | H 4554 | Life-Science Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (142 - 15) |
| May 6, 2008 | MA | H 4645 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6) |
| April 10, 2008 | MA | H 4645 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - House (131 - 23) |
| April 10, 2008 | MA | Garry and D'Amico Amendment: Removal of Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Failed - House (49 - 105) | |
| March 20, 2008 | MA | H 4920 to 4307 | Establishing and Regulating Casinos | Amendment Adopted - House (106 - 48) |
| March 12, 2008 | MA | DeLeo Amdt | Legislative Committee Chair Pay Raises | Amendment Adopted - House (126 - 20) |
| March 12, 2008 | MA | DeLeo Amdt | Legislative Committee Chair Pay Raises | Amendment Adopted - House (126 - 20) |
| Feb. 7, 2008 | MA | H 4488 | Education Reorganization | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5) |
| Feb. 7, 2008 | MA | H 4488 | Education Reorganization | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5) |
| Feb. 6, 2008 | MA | H 4488 | Education Reorganization | Bill Passed - House (135 - 19) |
| Feb. 6, 2008 | MA | H 4488 | Education Reorganization | Bill Passed - House (135 - 19) |
| Nov. 15, 2007 | MA | S 2414 | Presidential Primary Date Change | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5) |
| Oct. 11, 2007 | MA | H 4282 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (126 - 18) |
| Oct. 11, 2007 | MA | H 4282 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (126 - 18) |
| Sept. 27, 2007 | MA | Koutoujian Amendment | Expanding Pension Fund Divestment to Any State with a History of Genocide | Amendment Rejected - House (53 - 101) |
| Sept. 27, 2007 | MA | Jones Amendment | Expanding Pension Fund Divestments to Any State Sponsor of Terrorism | Amendment Rejected - House (32 - 124) |
| Sept. 27, 2007 | MA | S 2255 | State Pension Fund Divestment from Sudan | Bill Passed - House (154 - 2) |
| July 31, 2007 | MA | HB 2876 | Sales Tax Holiday | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 4) |
| July 26, 2007 | MA | HB 2876 | Sales Tax Holiday | Bill Passed - House (145 - 8) |
| July 13, 2006 | MA | H 126 | Unsigned Political Posters | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 6) |
| July 13, 2006 | MA | H 126 | Unsigned Political Posters | Veto Override Passed - House (132 - 24) |
| May 24, 2006 | MA | H 4479 | MassHealth Immigrant Eligibility Veto Override | Veto Override Passed - Senate (34 - 5) |
| May 24, 2006 | MA | Amdt 8 to SB 3 | Sales Tax Holiday | Amendment Adopted - Senate (23 - 16) |
| May 4, 2006 | MA | H 4479 | Health Care Access & Affordability Bill Section 113 | Veto Override Passed - Senate (37 - 2) |
| May 4, 2006 | MA | H 4479 | Health Care Access & Affordability Bill Section 113 | Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 9) |
| April 27, 2006 | MA | C Amdt "H" | Local Education Funding Amendments | Amendment Adopted - House (144 - 13) |
| April 25, 2006 | MA | H 4479 | Health Care Access & Affordability Bill Section 112 | Veto Override Passed - House (147 - 10) |
| April 25, 2006 | MA | H 4479 | Health Care Access & Affordability Bill Section 112 | Veto Override Passed - House (137 - 20) |
| April 25, 2006 | MA | H 4479 | Health Care Access & Affordability Bill Section 112 | Veto Override Passed - House (137 - 19) |
| April 4, 2006 | MA | H 4479 | Health Care Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (154 - 2) |
| Jan. 25, 2006 | MA | S 1074 | Disclosure of Religious Funds Bill | Bill Failed - House (3 - 147) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/09 | H 678 | National Popular Vote Plan | Bill Passed - House (116 - 37) |
| 7/09 | Frost Amdt - National Popular Vote Plan Ratification Threshold | Bill Failed - House (34 - 120) | |
| 7/09 | Jones Amdt - Presidential Electors by Congressional District | Bill Failed - House (34 - 120) | |
| 6/12 | H 4554 | Life-Science Bill | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7) |
| 6/11 | H 4554 | Life-Science Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (142 - 15) |
| 5/06 | H 4645 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6) |
| 4/10 | H 4645 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - House (131 - 23) |
| 4/10 | Garry and D'Amico Amendment: Removal of Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Failed - House (49 - 105) | |
| 3/20 | H 4920 to 4307 | Establishing and Regulating Casinos | Amendment Adopted - House (106 - 48) |
| 3/12 | DeLeo Amdt | Legislative Committee Chair Pay Raises | Amendment Adopted - House (126 - 20) |
| 3/12 | DeLeo Amdt | Legislative Committee Chair Pay Raises | Amendment Adopted - House (126 - 20) |
| 2/07 | H 4488 | Education Reorganization | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5) |
| 2/07 | H 4488 | Education Reorganization | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5) |
| 2/06 | H 4488 | Education Reorganization | Bill Passed - House (135 - 19) |
| 2/06 | H 4488 | Education Reorganization | Bill Passed - House (135 - 19) |
| 11/15 | S 2414 | Presidential Primary Date Change | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5) |
| 10/11 | H 4282 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (126 - 18) |
| 10/11 | H 4282 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (126 - 18) |
| 9/27 | Koutoujian Amendment | Expanding Pension Fund Divestment to Any State with a History of Genocide | Amendment Rejected - House (53 - 101) |
| 9/27 | Jones Amendment | Expanding Pension Fund Divestments to Any State Sponsor of Terrorism | Amendment Rejected - House (32 - 124) |
| 9/27 | S 2255 | State Pension Fund Divestment from Sudan | Bill Passed - House (154 - 2) |
| 7/31 | HB 2876 | Sales Tax Holiday | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 4) |
| 7/26 | HB 2876 | Sales Tax Holiday | Bill Passed - House (145 - 8) |
| 7/13 | H 126 | Unsigned Political Posters | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 6) |
| 7/13 | H 126 | Unsigned Political Posters | Veto Override Passed - House (132 - 24) |
| 5/24 | H 4479 | MassHealth Immigrant Eligibility Veto Override | Veto Override Passed - Senate (34 - 5) |
| 5/24 | Amdt 8 to SB 3 | Sales Tax Holiday | Amendment Adopted - Senate (23 - 16) |
| 5/04 | H 4479 | Health Care Access & Affordability Bill Section 113 | Veto Override Passed - Senate (37 - 2) |
| 5/04 | H 4479 | Health Care Access & Affordability Bill Section 113 | Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 9) |
| 4/27 | C Amdt "H" | Local Education Funding Amendments | Amendment Adopted - House (144 - 13) |
| 4/25 | H 4479 | Health Care Access & Affordability Bill Section 112 | Veto Override Passed - House (147 - 10) |
| 4/25 | H 4479 | Health Care Access & Affordability Bill Section 112 | Veto Override Passed - House (137 - 20) |
| 4/25 | H 4479 | Health Care Access & Affordability Bill Section 112 | Veto Override Passed - House (137 - 19) |
| 4/04 | H 4479 | Health Care Bill | Conference Report Adopted - House (154 - 2) |
| 1/25 | S 1074 | Disclosure of Religious Funds Bill | Bill Failed - House (3 - 147) |