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