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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dec. 17, 2011 | National | S Amdt 1465 | Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Extension | Amendment Adopted - Senate (89 - 10) |
Dec. 14, 2011 | National | S J Res 10 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Hatch Bill) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 53) |
Dec. 14, 2011 | National | S J Res 24 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Udall Bill) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (21 - 79) |
Dec. 13, 2011 | IL | SB 400 | Amends State Income Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (48 - 4) |
Dec. 13, 2011 | IL | SB 397 | Tax Code Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 9) |
Dec. 1, 2011 | National | S 1917 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut and Establishes Tax on Income Over $1 Million | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 49) |
Dec. 1, 2011 | National | S 1931 | Reduces Payroll Tax Rate | Motion Rejected - Senate (20 - 78) |
Nov. 29, 2011 | IL | HB 1883 | Property Tax Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 18) |
Nov. 10, 2011 | National | S Amdt 928 | American Jobs and Economic Growth | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 56) |
Nov. 3, 2011 | National | S 1769 | Transportation Infrastructure Appropriations and Tax on Income Over $1 Million | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 49) |
Oct. 27, 2011 | WI | SB 23 | Amends Tax Enforcement System | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15) |
Oct. 11, 2011 | National | S 1660 | American Jobs Act of 2011 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49) |
Sept. 14, 2011 | MO | SB 8 | Tax Credit Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
Aug. 24, 2011 | MI | SB 348 | 1 Percent Tax on Paid Health Insurance Claims | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 7) |
June 30, 2011 | PA | SB 330 | Amending The Taxpayer Relief Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
June 15, 2011 | NY | S 5596 | Revising The Metropolitan Commuter Transportation Mobility Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 22) |
June 14, 2011 | National | S Amdt 436 | Repeals the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (40 - 59) |
June 13, 2011 | OR | HB 2541 | Amends Inheritance Taxes | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
May 31, 2011 | LA | SB 108 | Limits Tax and Bond Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
May 23, 2011 | NY | S 1707 | Authorizes Mixed Martial Arts Events | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 18) |
May 18, 2011 | TN | SJR 221 | Constitutional Amendment to Prohibit State Income Tax | Amendment Adopted - Senate (26 - 4) |
May 17, 2011 | National | S 940 | Amending Oil Company Tax Laws | Motion Rejected - Senate (52 - 48) |
May 12, 2011 | MI | HB 4361 | Income Tax Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 19) |
May 12, 2011 | MI | HB 4362 | Business Tax Reduction | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
May 12, 2011 | MI | HB 4479 | Interstate Compact and Business Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9) |
May 12, 2011 | MI | HB 4481 | Public School Employees' Pension and Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 19) |
May 12, 2011 | MI | HB 4480 | Tax Exemption and Pension Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 19) |
May 12, 2011 | MI | HB 4483 | State Tax on Retirement Distributions for Public Library Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 19) |
May 12, 2011 | MI | HB 4484 | State Tax on Retirement Distributions for Judges and State Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 19) |
May 6, 2011 | UT | SB 229 | Transportation Funding Revisions | Veto Override Passed - Senate (21 - 3) |
May 6, 2011 | CO | HB 1005 | Repeals Taxes on Agricultural Products | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 5) |
May 5, 2011 | VT | H 436 | Tax Law Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 10) |
May 4, 2011 | FL | HJR 381 | Homestead and Property Assessment | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
April 12, 2011 | GA | HB 234 | Reduces Sales Taxes for Tourism Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 10) |
April 5, 2011 | AZ | HB 2619 | Unemployment Security Special Assessment | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8) |
March 9, 2011 | TN | SJR 18 | Constitutional Amendment Prohibiting an Income Tax | Amendment Adopted - Senate (28 - 5) |
Feb. 28, 2011 | UT | SB 270 | Modifications to Sales and Use Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 9) |
Feb. 22, 2011 | AR | SB 275 | Reduction of Excise Tax on Electricity and Natural Gas | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9) |
Feb. 17, 2011 | NJ | S2636 | Reduction of Toll Road Prices | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
Feb. 16, 2011 | AZ | HB 2001 | Tax Reductions for Businesses | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
Feb. 2, 2011 | National | S Amdt 28 | Repealing the IRS 1099 Provision from the Health Care Bill | Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 54) |
Feb. 2, 2011 | National | S Amdt 9 | Repealing the IRS 1099 Provision from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act | Motion Agreed - Senate (81 - 17) |
Jan. 31, 2011 | NY | S 2706 | Limitations on Tax Levies | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 17) |
Jan. 19, 2011 | NY | S 1919 | Amends Rules for Legislature | Amendment Adopted - Senate (41 - 19) |
Jan. 19, 2011 | NY | S 1891 | New York Jobs Tax Credit | Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 9) |
Jan. 11, 2011 | IL | SB 2505 | Amends Property Tax Code | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 29) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
12/17 | S Amdt 1465 | Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Extension | Amendment Adopted - Senate (89 - 10) |
12/14 | S J Res 10 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Hatch Bill) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (47 - 53) |
12/14 | S J Res 24 | Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (Udall Bill) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (21 - 79) |
12/13 | SB 400 | Amends State Income Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (48 - 4) |
12/13 | SB 397 | Tax Code Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 9) |
12/01 | S 1917 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut and Establishes Tax on Income Over $1 Million | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 49) |
12/01 | S 1931 | Reduces Payroll Tax Rate | Motion Rejected - Senate (20 - 78) |
11/29 | HB 1883 | Property Tax Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 18) |
11/10 | S Amdt 928 | American Jobs and Economic Growth | Amendment Rejected - Senate (40 - 56) |
11/03 | S 1769 | Transportation Infrastructure Appropriations and Tax on Income Over $1 Million | Motion Rejected - Senate (51 - 49) |
10/27 | SB 23 | Amends Tax Enforcement System | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15) |
10/11 | S 1660 | American Jobs Act of 2011 | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49) |
9/14 | SB 8 | Tax Credit Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
8/24 | SB 348 | 1 Percent Tax on Paid Health Insurance Claims | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 7) |
6/30 | SB 330 | Amending The Taxpayer Relief Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
6/15 | S 5596 | Revising The Metropolitan Commuter Transportation Mobility Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 22) |
6/14 | S Amdt 436 | Repeals the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (40 - 59) |
6/13 | HB 2541 | Amends Inheritance Taxes | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
5/31 | SB 108 | Limits Tax and Bond Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
5/23 | S 1707 | Authorizes Mixed Martial Arts Events | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 18) |
5/18 | SJR 221 | Constitutional Amendment to Prohibit State Income Tax | Amendment Adopted - Senate (26 - 4) |
5/17 | S 940 | Amending Oil Company Tax Laws | Motion Rejected - Senate (52 - 48) |
5/12 | HB 4361 | Income Tax Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 19) |
5/12 | HB 4362 | Business Tax Reduction | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
5/12 | HB 4479 | Interstate Compact and Business Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 9) |
5/12 | HB 4481 | Public School Employees' Pension and Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 19) |
5/12 | HB 4480 | Tax Exemption and Pension Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 19) |
5/12 | HB 4483 | State Tax on Retirement Distributions for Public Library Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 19) |
5/12 | HB 4484 | State Tax on Retirement Distributions for Judges and State Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 19) |
5/06 | SB 229 | Transportation Funding Revisions | Veto Override Passed - Senate (21 - 3) |
5/06 | HB 1005 | Repeals Taxes on Agricultural Products | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 5) |
5/05 | H 436 | Tax Law Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 10) |
5/04 | HJR 381 | Homestead and Property Assessment | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
4/12 | HB 234 | Reduces Sales Taxes for Tourism Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 10) |
4/05 | HB 2619 | Unemployment Security Special Assessment | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8) |
3/09 | SJR 18 | Constitutional Amendment Prohibiting an Income Tax | Amendment Adopted - Senate (28 - 5) |
2/28 | SB 270 | Modifications to Sales and Use Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 9) |
2/22 | SB 275 | Reduction of Excise Tax on Electricity and Natural Gas | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9) |
2/17 | S2636 | Reduction of Toll Road Prices | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
2/16 | HB 2001 | Tax Reductions for Businesses | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
2/02 | S Amdt 28 | Repealing the IRS 1099 Provision from the Health Care Bill | Amendment Rejected - Senate (44 - 54) |
2/02 | S Amdt 9 | Repealing the IRS 1099 Provision from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act | Motion Agreed - Senate (81 - 17) |
1/31 | S 2706 | Limitations on Tax Levies | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 17) |
1/19 | S 1919 | Amends Rules for Legislature | Amendment Adopted - Senate (41 - 19) |
1/19 | S 1891 | New York Jobs Tax Credit | Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 9) |
1/11 | SB 2505 | Amends Property Tax Code | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 29) |