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
Dec. 20, 2011 National HR 3630 Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Extension Nonconcurrence Vote Passed - House (229 - 193)
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. 13, 2011 National HR 3630 Reduces Payroll Taxes and Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - House (234 - 193)
Dec. 12, 2011 IL SB 397 Tax Code Amendments Bill Passed - House (81 - 28)
Dec. 12, 2011 IL SB 400 Amends State Income Tax Bill Passed - House (67 - 49)
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 Concurrence Vote Failed - House (8 - 99)
Nov. 29, 2011 IL HB 1883 Property Tax Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 18)
Nov. 29, 2011 NC HB 645 Temporary Fuel Tax Cap Bill Passed - House (94 - 23)
Nov. 14, 2011 PA HB 1503 Angel Investment Tax Credits Bill Passed - House (151 - 44)
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. 27, 2011 National HR 2576 Requires Inclusion of Social Security Benefits in Calculation of Modified Adjusted Gross Income Bill Passed - House (262 - 157)
Oct. 11, 2011 National S 1660 American Jobs Act of 2011 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49)
Oct. 6, 2011 MO SB 8 Tax Credit Amendments Bill Passed - House (98 - 48)
Sept. 14, 2011 MO SB 8 Tax Credit Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8)
Sept. 8, 2011 CA ABX1 40 State Tax Code Restructuring Bill Passed - House (54 - 15)
Aug. 24, 2011 MI SB 348 1 Percent Tax on Paid Health Insurance Claims Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 7)
Aug. 24, 2011 MI SB 348 1 Percent Tax on Paid Health Insurance Claims Bill Passed - House (65 - 42)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/20 HR 3630 Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Extension Nonconcurrence Vote Passed - House (229 - 193)
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)
12/13 HR 3630 Reduces Payroll Taxes and Unemployment Benefits Bill Passed - House (234 - 193)
12/12 SB 397 Tax Code Amendments Bill Passed - House (81 - 28)
12/12 SB 400 Amends State Income Tax Bill Passed - House (67 - 49)
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 Concurrence Vote Failed - House (8 - 99)
11/29 HB 1883 Property Tax Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 18)
11/29 HB 645 Temporary Fuel Tax Cap Bill Passed - House (94 - 23)
11/14 HB 1503 Angel Investment Tax Credits Bill Passed - House (151 - 44)
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)
10/27 HR 2576 Requires Inclusion of Social Security Benefits in Calculation of Modified Adjusted Gross Income Bill Passed - House (262 - 157)
10/11 S 1660 American Jobs Act of 2011 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49)
10/06 SB 8 Tax Credit Amendments Bill Passed - House (98 - 48)
9/14 SB 8 Tax Credit Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8)
9/08 ABX1 40 State Tax Code Restructuring Bill Passed - House (54 - 15)
8/24 SB 348 1 Percent Tax on Paid Health Insurance Claims Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 7)
8/24 SB 348 1 Percent Tax on Paid Health Insurance Claims Bill Passed - House (65 - 42)

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