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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
March 9, 2006 NH HB 1492 Emergency Contraceptives and Pharmacists "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (215 - 106)
March 22, 2006 NH HB 1496 Association with Labor Unions "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (255 - 85)
June 23, 2008 CT HB 5105 Minimum Wage Increase Veto Override Passed - House (102 - 39)
June 23, 2008 CT HB 5105 Minimum Wage Increase Veto Override Passed - Senate (25 - 9)
Jan. 12, 2006 MD SB 790 Health Care for Large Companies Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 17)
Jan. 12, 2006 MD SB 790 Health Care for Large Companies Veto Override Passed - House (88 - 50)
April 25, 2006 MA H 4479 Health Care Access & Affordability Bill Section 112 Veto Override Passed - House (137 - 20)
May 4, 2006 MA H 4479 Health Care Access & Affordability Bill Section 113 Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 9)
July 20, 2009 CT HB 6502 Concerning Standard Wage for Certain Workers Veto Override Passed - House (106 - 35)
June 3, 2010 OH Wachtmann Amdt Authorizes Funding for the Workers' Compensation Council Amendment Tabled - House (53 - 44)
Nov. 9, 1999 National S Amdt 2751 Two Year Minimum Wage Increase Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (50 - 48)
May 18, 1998 National S Amdt 2417 U.S. Citizen Recruitment Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 39)
March 6, 1998 National S Amdt 1708 Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (58 - 37)
May 1, 1996 National S Amdt 3752 Citizen Verification Pilot Program Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (54 - 46)
Feb. 22, 2010 National HR 2847 Employment, Infrastructure, and Transportation Appropriations and Tax Credits ("Senate Jobs Bill") Cloture Invoked - Senate (62 - 30)
June 15, 2007 RI LCO # 1305/22 to H5300A Privatization of State Services Amendment Adopted - House (61 - 13)
March 13, 2008 National S Amdt 4259 Immigration Enforcement and Employer Sanctions Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 45)
June 21, 2006 National S Amdt 4322 Minimum Wage Adjustment Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 46)
March 27, 2008 KS Carlson Amnd. Employment Eligibility Verification Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (86 - 36)
March 26, 2008 KS Brownlee Amnd. Prohibits Union from collecting dues from Undocumented Workers Amendment Adopted - Senate (19 - 18)
March 20, 2008 KS SB 461 Electronic Wage Reports and Reimbursement Payments Motion Agreed - House (63 - 58)
Nov. 9, 1999 National S Amdt 2547 Three Year Minimum Wage Increase Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 44)
March 21, 2001 National S Amdt 134 Campaign Reform Act - Union Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (69 - 31)
July 23, 1998 National S Amdt 3258 Temporary Farm Workers Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (68 - 31)
May 23, 1996 National H Amdt 1085 Fair Labor Standards Act Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (239 - 188)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/09 HB 1492 Emergency Contraceptives and Pharmacists "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (215 - 106)
3/22 HB 1496 Association with Labor Unions "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (255 - 85)
6/23 HB 5105 Minimum Wage Increase Veto Override Passed - House (102 - 39)
6/23 HB 5105 Minimum Wage Increase Veto Override Passed - Senate (25 - 9)
1/12 SB 790 Health Care for Large Companies Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 17)
1/12 SB 790 Health Care for Large Companies Veto Override Passed - House (88 - 50)
4/25 H 4479 Health Care Access & Affordability Bill Section 112 Veto Override Passed - House (137 - 20)
5/04 H 4479 Health Care Access & Affordability Bill Section 113 Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 9)
7/20 HB 6502 Concerning Standard Wage for Certain Workers Veto Override Passed - House (106 - 35)
6/03 Wachtmann Amdt Authorizes Funding for the Workers' Compensation Council Amendment Tabled - House (53 - 44)
11/09 S Amdt 2751 Two Year Minimum Wage Increase Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (50 - 48)
5/18 S Amdt 2417 U.S. Citizen Recruitment Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (59 - 39)
3/06 S Amdt 1708 Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (58 - 37)
5/01 S Amdt 3752 Citizen Verification Pilot Program Amendment Amendment Tabled - Senate (54 - 46)
2/22 HR 2847 Employment, Infrastructure, and Transportation Appropriations and Tax Credits ("Senate Jobs Bill") Cloture Invoked - Senate (62 - 30)
6/15 LCO # 1305/22 to H5300A Privatization of State Services Amendment Adopted - House (61 - 13)
3/13 S Amdt 4259 Immigration Enforcement and Employer Sanctions Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (53 - 45)
6/21 S Amdt 4322 Minimum Wage Adjustment Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (52 - 46)
3/27 Carlson Amnd. Employment Eligibility Verification Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (86 - 36)
3/26 Brownlee Amnd. Prohibits Union from collecting dues from Undocumented Workers Amendment Adopted - Senate (19 - 18)
3/20 SB 461 Electronic Wage Reports and Reimbursement Payments Motion Agreed - House (63 - 58)
11/09 S Amdt 2547 Three Year Minimum Wage Increase Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 44)
3/21 S Amdt 134 Campaign Reform Act - Union Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (69 - 31)
7/23 S Amdt 3258 Temporary Farm Workers Amendment Amendment Adopted - Senate (68 - 31)
5/23 H Amdt 1085 Fair Labor Standards Act Amendment Amendment Adopted - House (239 - 188)

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