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. 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 MI HB 4701 Amends the State Employee Retirement System Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 15)
Nov. 17, 2011 RI H 6319 Amending the Pension System Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 2)
Nov. 17, 2011 RI H 6319 Amending the Pension System Bill Passed - House (57 - 15)
Nov. 3, 2011 MI HB 4701 Amends the State Employee Retirement System Bill Passed - House (63 - 45)
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. 12, 2011 NH SB 198 Amends Eligibility Requirements for TANF Bill Passed - House (237 - 126)
Sept. 15, 2011 MA S 2018 Massachusetts Pension System Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10)
June 16, 2011 TX HB 5 Interstate Health Care Compact Bill Passed - House (92 - 43)
June 9, 2011 AL HB 414 Increasing Retirement Contributions for Public Employees Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 12)
June 9, 2011 NJ S 805 Senior Tenants' Rent Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14)
June 7, 2011 LA HB 138 Parole Eligibility for Elderly Inmates Bill Passed - House (65 - 25)
June 2, 2011 AL HB 414 Increasing Retirement Contributions for Public Employees Conference Report Adopted - House (51 - 48)
May 31, 2011 IL SB 145 Nursing Home Infection Control Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 24)
May 30, 2011 IL SB 145 Nursing Home Infection Control Bill Passed - House (69 - 45)
April 18, 2011 AZ SB 1609 Public Workers' Pensions Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 9)
April 14, 2011 AZ SB 1609 Public Workers' Pensions Bill Passed - House (36 - 20)
April 12, 2011 HI SB 570 Taxation of Certain Pension Incomes Bill Passed - House (28 - 23)
April 12, 2011 AL HB 414 Increasing Retirement Contributions for Public Employees Bill Passed - House (54 - 41)
April 1, 2011 TX H Amdt 6 Appropriations for the Department of Aging and Disability Services Amendment Adopted - House (67 - 61)
March 15, 2011 NM HB 644 Raises Retirement Age Bill Passed - House (37 - 32)
March 13, 2011 NM HB 644 Raises Retirement Age Bill Failed - House (28 - 38)
Feb. 17, 2011 ND HB 1385 Senior Citizens Attending Institutions of Higher Education Bill Passed - House (65 - 29)
Date No. Title Outcome
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 HB 4701 Amends the State Employee Retirement System Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 15)
11/17 H 6319 Amending the Pension System Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 2)
11/17 H 6319 Amending the Pension System Bill Passed - House (57 - 15)
11/03 HB 4701 Amends the State Employee Retirement System Bill Passed - House (63 - 45)
10/27 HR 2576 Requires Inclusion of Social Security Benefits in Calculation of Modified Adjusted Gross Income Bill Passed - House (262 - 157)
10/12 SB 198 Amends Eligibility Requirements for TANF Bill Passed - House (237 - 126)
9/15 S 2018 Massachusetts Pension System Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10)
6/16 HB 5 Interstate Health Care Compact Bill Passed - House (92 - 43)
6/09 HB 414 Increasing Retirement Contributions for Public Employees Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 12)
6/09 S 805 Senior Tenants' Rent Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14)
6/07 HB 138 Parole Eligibility for Elderly Inmates Bill Passed - House (65 - 25)
6/02 HB 414 Increasing Retirement Contributions for Public Employees Conference Report Adopted - House (51 - 48)
5/31 SB 145 Nursing Home Infection Control Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 24)
5/30 SB 145 Nursing Home Infection Control Bill Passed - House (69 - 45)
4/18 SB 1609 Public Workers' Pensions Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 9)
4/14 SB 1609 Public Workers' Pensions Bill Passed - House (36 - 20)
4/12 SB 570 Taxation of Certain Pension Incomes Bill Passed - House (28 - 23)
4/12 HB 414 Increasing Retirement Contributions for Public Employees Bill Passed - House (54 - 41)
4/01 H Amdt 6 Appropriations for the Department of Aging and Disability Services Amendment Adopted - House (67 - 61)
3/15 HB 644 Raises Retirement Age Bill Passed - House (37 - 32)
3/13 HB 644 Raises Retirement Age Bill Failed - House (28 - 38)
2/17 HB 1385 Senior Citizens Attending Institutions of Higher Education Bill Passed - House (65 - 29)

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