Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Dec. 17, 2009 OH HB 318 Tax Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15)
Dec. 3, 2009 MI SB 638 "Consistent Ineffectiveness" as Grounds for Discharging or Demoting Tenured Teachers Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13)
Nov. 18, 2009 MA S 2210 Sentencing Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12)
Oct. 9, 2009 PA HB 1614 Fiscal Code Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 14)
Sept. 4, 2009 CA AB 793 Clarifying Statute of Limitations for Wage Discrimination Lawsuits Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16)
Aug. 26, 2009 PA HB 1828 Municipal Pension System Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 9)
Aug. 14, 2009 AL HB 13 Authorizes an Occupational Tax for Jefferson County Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9)
July 1, 2009 DE HB 290 2009-2010 Budget Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 4)
June 25, 2009 NJ A 3372 Wages in Board of Public Utilities Construction Projects Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9)
June 25, 2009 NJ A 4111 State Employee Wage Increases Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)
June 23, 2009 OR HB 3300 Promoting Green Jobs Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 7)
June 18, 2009 MA S 2087 Massachusetts Transportation Agency Consolidation Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 11)
June 8, 2009 OR SB 519 Mandatory Workplace Meetings Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 14)
May 31, 2009 NV AB 395 Allowing State Employee Collective Bargaining Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 8)
May 27, 2009 RI S 659 Minimum Wage Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6)
May 26, 2009 CA SB 219 Extending Whistle-Blower Protection to UC Employees Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
May 1, 2009 FL HB 903 Capping Attorney Fees in Workers' Compensation Lawsuits Motion Agreed - Senate (22 - 16)
April 28, 2009 WI SB 20 Discriminatory Pay Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15)
April 28, 2009 CO HB 1170 Allowing Locked-Out Employees to Collect Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
April 23, 2009 CA SB 789 Amending Unionization Requirements for Agricultural Employees Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
April 16, 2009 ID S 1166 Workers' Compensation Dividend Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7)
April 14, 2009 HI HB 952 Amending Unionization Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 4)
April 13, 2009 CO SB 281 Clarifying Pinnacol Assurance as a Subdivision of the State Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15)
April 13, 2009 CO SB 273 Appropriation of Pinnacol Assurance Funds Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14)
April 10, 2009 MD HB 310 Extending Unemployment Benefits to Part-Time Employees Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 9)
April 3, 2009 ID H 173 Restricting Eligibility for State Retiree Health Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8)
March 24, 2009 IN HB 1379 Unemployment Benefit Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20)
March 16, 2009 NJ S 21 Local Government PERS/PFRS Contribution Deferral Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17)
March 13, 2009 WV SB 238 Ban on Sexual Orientation Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10)
March 12, 2009 TN SB 83 "Living" Wage Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
March 12, 2009 WA SB 6035 Retrospective Ratings Program Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 24)
March 6, 2009 UT HJR 8 Mandating Secret Ballots Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8)
Feb. 24, 2009 CO SB 88 Extending State Employee Health Benefits to Domestic Partners Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11)
Feb. 19, 2009 KS SB 160 Increasing Minimum Wage Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 7)
Feb. 16, 2009 IA SF 137 Wage Discrimination Policy and Penalties Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18)
Feb. 10, 2009 WI SB 1 Minimum Wage Increase Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14)
Feb. 6, 2009 WY SF 18 Expanding Workers Compensation Coverage to Include Mental Injury Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13)
Feb. 5, 2009 MI SB 93 Prohibiting Mandatory Workplace Ergonomics Rules Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16)
Feb. 3, 2009 MT SB 253 Allowing Employers to Count Tips as Credit Against Minimum Wage Motion Rejected - Senate (21 - 29)
Jan. 22, 2009 National S 181 Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 36)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/17 HB 318 Tax Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15)
12/03 SB 638 "Consistent Ineffectiveness" as Grounds for Discharging or Demoting Tenured Teachers Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13)
11/18 S 2210 Sentencing Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12)
10/09 HB 1614 Fiscal Code Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 14)
9/04 AB 793 Clarifying Statute of Limitations for Wage Discrimination Lawsuits Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16)
8/26 HB 1828 Municipal Pension System Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 9)
8/14 HB 13 Authorizes an Occupational Tax for Jefferson County Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9)
7/01 HB 290 2009-2010 Budget Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 4)
6/25 A 3372 Wages in Board of Public Utilities Construction Projects Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9)
6/25 A 4111 State Employee Wage Increases Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)
6/23 HB 3300 Promoting Green Jobs Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 7)
6/18 S 2087 Massachusetts Transportation Agency Consolidation Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 11)
6/08 SB 519 Mandatory Workplace Meetings Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 14)
5/31 AB 395 Allowing State Employee Collective Bargaining Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 8)
5/27 S 659 Minimum Wage Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6)
5/26 SB 219 Extending Whistle-Blower Protection to UC Employees Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
5/01 HB 903 Capping Attorney Fees in Workers' Compensation Lawsuits Motion Agreed - Senate (22 - 16)
4/28 SB 20 Discriminatory Pay Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15)
4/28 HB 1170 Allowing Locked-Out Employees to Collect Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
4/23 SB 789 Amending Unionization Requirements for Agricultural Employees Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
4/16 S 1166 Workers' Compensation Dividend Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7)
4/14 HB 952 Amending Unionization Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 4)
4/13 SB 281 Clarifying Pinnacol Assurance as a Subdivision of the State Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15)
4/13 SB 273 Appropriation of Pinnacol Assurance Funds Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14)
4/10 HB 310 Extending Unemployment Benefits to Part-Time Employees Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 9)
4/03 H 173 Restricting Eligibility for State Retiree Health Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8)
3/24 HB 1379 Unemployment Benefit Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20)
3/16 S 21 Local Government PERS/PFRS Contribution Deferral Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17)
3/13 SB 238 Ban on Sexual Orientation Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10)
3/12 SB 83 "Living" Wage Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
3/12 SB 6035 Retrospective Ratings Program Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 24)
3/06 HJR 8 Mandating Secret Ballots Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8)
2/24 SB 88 Extending State Employee Health Benefits to Domestic Partners Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11)
2/19 SB 160 Increasing Minimum Wage Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 7)
2/16 SF 137 Wage Discrimination Policy and Penalties Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18)
2/10 SB 1 Minimum Wage Increase Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14)
2/06 SF 18 Expanding Workers Compensation Coverage to Include Mental Injury Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13)
2/05 SB 93 Prohibiting Mandatory Workplace Ergonomics Rules Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16)
2/03 SB 253 Allowing Employers to Count Tips as Credit Against Minimum Wage Motion Rejected - Senate (21 - 29)
1/22 S 181 Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 36)

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