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 1, 2014 | MA | S 2123 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 5) |
| 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) |
| 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 | 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) |
| Nov. 19, 2013 | MA | S 1925 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| July 31, 2012 | MA | S 2400 | Establishes Accountable Care Organizations | Conference Report Adopted - House (133 - 20) |
| July 31, 2012 | MA | S 2400 | Establishes Accountable Care Organizations | Conference Report Adopted - House (133 - 20) |
| April 27, 2009 | MA | Sciortino Amdt | Sales Tax Increase | Amendment Adopted - House (108 - 51) |
| 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 | Garry and D'Amico Amendment: Removal of Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Failed - House (49 - 105) | |
| April 10, 2008 | MA | H 4645 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - House (131 - 23) |
| March 20, 2008 | MA | H 4920 to 4307 | Establishing and Regulating Casinos | Amendment Adopted - House (106 - 48) |
| 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) |
| June 29, 2006 | MA | S 2258 | Massage Therapist Licensing | Veto Override Passed - House (134 - 22) |
| June 22, 2006 | MA | S 2258 | Massage Therapist Licensing | Veto Override Passed - Senate (29 - 8) |
| May 24, 2006 | MA | Amdt 8 to SB 3 | Sales Tax Holiday | Amendment Adopted - Senate (23 - 16) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/01 | S 2123 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 5) |
| 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) |
| 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 | 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) |
| 11/19 | S 1925 | Increases the Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| 7/31 | S 2400 | Establishes Accountable Care Organizations | Conference Report Adopted - House (133 - 20) |
| 7/31 | S 2400 | Establishes Accountable Care Organizations | Conference Report Adopted - House (133 - 20) |
| 4/27 | Sciortino Amdt | Sales Tax Increase | Amendment Adopted - House (108 - 51) |
| 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 | Garry and D'Amico Amendment: Removal of Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Failed - House (49 - 105) | |
| 4/10 | H 4645 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - House (131 - 23) |
| 3/20 | H 4920 to 4307 | Establishing and Regulating Casinos | Amendment Adopted - House (106 - 48) |
| 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) |
| 6/29 | S 2258 | Massage Therapist Licensing | Veto Override Passed - House (134 - 22) |
| 6/22 | S 2258 | Massage Therapist Licensing | Veto Override Passed - Senate (29 - 8) |
| 5/24 | Amdt 8 to SB 3 | Sales Tax Holiday | Amendment Adopted - Senate (23 - 16) |