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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
June 28, 2012 | NJ | A 3201 | Increases the Income Tax Rate on Incomes Over $1 million | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
June 6, 2012 | NH | CACR 6 | Requires a Supermajority for Budget Increases | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 9) |
Feb. 15, 2012 | NH | CACR 6 | Requires a Supermajority for Budget Increases | Resolution Passed - Senate (17 - 7) |
March 29, 2012 | ID | H 563 | Reduces Income Tax Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
June 11, 2012 | RI | H 7323 | 2012-2013 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 7) |
Feb. 27, 2012 | SD | HB 1206 | Repeals the South Dakota Sales Tax on Food Refund Program | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
Feb. 28, 2012 | SD | HB 1228 | Tax Credits for Alternative Energy Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
May 16, 2012 | NH | HB 1607 | Establishes a Tax Credit for Businesses that Donate to Certain Scholarship Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 7) |
April 11, 2012 | WA | HB 2565 | Roll-Your-Own Cigarette Tax Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19) |
Oct. 17, 2012 | PA | HB 2626 | Authorizes Employers to Keep Income Taxes Paid by their Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
May 3, 2012 | AZ | HB 2815 | Establishes Tax Credits for Certain Businesses | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 9) |
Feb. 17, 2012 | National | HR 3630 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (60 - 36) |
March 29, 2012 | National | S 2204 | Amends Energy-Related Tax Credits | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 47) |
April 16, 2012 | National | S 2230 | Establishes a Minimum 30 Percent Tax Rate for High-Income Taxpayers | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 45) |
July 12, 2012 | National | S 2237 | Small Business Jobs and Tax Relief Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 44) |
July 19, 2012 | National | S 3364 | Bring Jobs Home Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42) |
July 25, 2012 | National | S 3412 | Middle Class Tax Cut Act | Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 48) |
July 25, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2573 | Tax Hike Prevention Act of 2012 | Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 54) |
May 10, 2012 | MI | SB 1067 | Personal Property Taxes: Continuation of Existing Exemptions for Personal Property | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
May 10, 2012 | MI | SB 1069 | Personal Property Taxes: Credit for New Industrial Personal Property | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
May 10, 2012 | MI | SB 1070 | Establishes a Tax Exemption for Eligible Personal Property | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
May 10, 2012 | MI | SB 1072 | Personal Property Taxes: Credit for Loss of Personal Property | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
Feb. 15, 2012 | UT | SB 112 | Cable TV Tax Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8) |
Feb. 7, 2012 | UT | SB 112 | Cable TV Tax Amendments | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 16) |
May 15, 2012 | MD | SB 1302 | Increases Tax Rates for Certain Individuals | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19) |
Feb. 17, 2012 | VA | SB 131 | Establishes Tax Deductions for Corporations | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 20) |
March 8, 2012 | AZ | SB 1338 | Requires Online Retailers to Pay Sales Taxes | Bill Failed - Senate (8 - 20) |
March 12, 2012 | OK | SB 1571 | Repeals State Income Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
May 29, 2012 | IL | SB 2194 | Increases Cigarette Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 27) |
March 15, 2012 | MD | SB 523 | Increases State Income Tax Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 20) |
Feb. 13, 2012 | NM | SB 9 | Changes Corporate Income Tax Rates and Filing Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 13) |
May 8, 2012 | IA | SF 2344 | Reduces Certain Business Property Taxes | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 23) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
6/28 | A 3201 | Increases the Income Tax Rate on Incomes Over $1 million | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
6/06 | CACR 6 | Requires a Supermajority for Budget Increases | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 9) |
2/15 | CACR 6 | Requires a Supermajority for Budget Increases | Resolution Passed - Senate (17 - 7) |
3/29 | H 563 | Reduces Income Tax Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
6/11 | H 7323 | 2012-2013 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 7) |
2/27 | HB 1206 | Repeals the South Dakota Sales Tax on Food Refund Program | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
2/28 | HB 1228 | Tax Credits for Alternative Energy Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
5/16 | HB 1607 | Establishes a Tax Credit for Businesses that Donate to Certain Scholarship Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 7) |
4/11 | HB 2565 | Roll-Your-Own Cigarette Tax Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19) |
10/17 | HB 2626 | Authorizes Employers to Keep Income Taxes Paid by their Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16) |
5/03 | HB 2815 | Establishes Tax Credits for Certain Businesses | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 9) |
2/17 | HR 3630 | Extends Payroll Tax Cut | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (60 - 36) |
3/29 | S 2204 | Amends Energy-Related Tax Credits | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 47) |
4/16 | S 2230 | Establishes a Minimum 30 Percent Tax Rate for High-Income Taxpayers | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 45) |
7/12 | S 2237 | Small Business Jobs and Tax Relief Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (53 - 44) |
7/19 | S 3364 | Bring Jobs Home Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 42) |
7/25 | S 3412 | Middle Class Tax Cut Act | Bill Passed - Senate (51 - 48) |
7/25 | S Amdt 2573 | Tax Hike Prevention Act of 2012 | Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 54) |
5/10 | SB 1067 | Personal Property Taxes: Continuation of Existing Exemptions for Personal Property | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
5/10 | SB 1069 | Personal Property Taxes: Credit for New Industrial Personal Property | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
5/10 | SB 1070 | Establishes a Tax Exemption for Eligible Personal Property | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
5/10 | SB 1072 | Personal Property Taxes: Credit for Loss of Personal Property | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
2/15 | SB 112 | Cable TV Tax Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8) |
2/07 | SB 112 | Cable TV Tax Amendments | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 16) |
5/15 | SB 1302 | Increases Tax Rates for Certain Individuals | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19) |
2/17 | SB 131 | Establishes Tax Deductions for Corporations | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 20) |
3/08 | SB 1338 | Requires Online Retailers to Pay Sales Taxes | Bill Failed - Senate (8 - 20) |
3/12 | SB 1571 | Repeals State Income Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
5/29 | SB 2194 | Increases Cigarette Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 27) |
3/15 | SB 523 | Increases State Income Tax Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 20) |
2/13 | SB 9 | Changes Corporate Income Tax Rates and Filing Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 13) |
5/08 | SF 2344 | Reduces Certain Business Property Taxes | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 23) |