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
Nov. 29, 2012 NJ A 2162 Increases Minimum Wage Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 16)
Aug. 20, 2012 CA AB 1313 Requires Overtime Wages for Agricultural Workers Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)
June 14, 2012 CA AB 2127 Authorizes Work Release for Certain Offenders Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
Aug. 28, 2012 CA AB 2132 Encourages State Universities to Include Public Service in Tenure Policy Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14)
Aug. 27, 2012 CA AB 2346 Authorizes Farm Workers to Sue Employers for Health or Safety Violations Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12)
Aug. 29, 2012 CA AB 889 Establishes Work Condition Requirements for Domestic Work Employees Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
Feb. 1, 2012 IN HB 1001 Prohibits Employers from Requiring Employees to Join a Labor Organization Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 22)
March 9, 2012 FL HB 1205 Authorizes Random Drug Tests of State Employees Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 14)
March 8, 2012 MO HB 1219 Workplace Discrimination Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 8)
Feb. 27, 2012 SD HB 1234 Eliminates Teacher Tenure Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12)
May 31, 2012 IL HB 1447 Pension Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24)
April 18, 2012 OK HB 2155 Authorizes an Alternative Plan to the Worker's Compensation Program Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 17)
May 3, 2012 KS HB 2333 Amends State Pension System Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 8)
Oct. 17, 2012 PA HB 2626 Authorizes Employers to Keep Income Taxes Paid by their Employees Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16)
Aug. 21, 2012 CA HB 2676 Increases Penalties For Agriculture Health And Safety Violations Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
Dec. 6, 2012 MI HB 4003 Limits Labor Organization Activities: Public Entities Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 4)
March 7, 2012 MI HB 4929 Prohibits Union Dues Deductions from School Employee Paychecks Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 18)
Feb. 14, 2012 MI HB 5085 Prohibits public employers from deducting political contributions from employee paychecks Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12)
May 3, 2012 CT HB 5312 Authorizes Day Care and Personal Care Workers to Join Unions Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14)
May 30, 2012 LA HB 61 Amends State Workers Pensions Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 8)
May 16, 2012 AL HB 658 Amends Immigration Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7)
April 4, 2012 LA HB 974 Amends Teacher Tenure Policy Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 16)
Feb. 27, 2012 MN HF 1870 Authorizes School Districts to Dismiss Teachers Based on Performance Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 26)
Feb. 6, 2012 National HR 658 Federal Aviation Administration Act of 2012 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (75 - 20)
May 3, 2012 KS King Amendment Amends the State Retirement System for New Public Employees Amendment Rejected - Senate (20 - 20)
Date No. Title Outcome
11/29 A 2162 Increases Minimum Wage Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 16)
8/20 AB 1313 Requires Overtime Wages for Agricultural Workers Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15)
6/14 AB 2127 Authorizes Work Release for Certain Offenders Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
8/28 AB 2132 Encourages State Universities to Include Public Service in Tenure Policy Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14)
8/27 AB 2346 Authorizes Farm Workers to Sue Employers for Health or Safety Violations Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12)
8/29 AB 889 Establishes Work Condition Requirements for Domestic Work Employees Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
2/01 HB 1001 Prohibits Employers from Requiring Employees to Join a Labor Organization Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 22)
3/09 HB 1205 Authorizes Random Drug Tests of State Employees Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 14)
3/08 HB 1219 Workplace Discrimination Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 8)
2/27 HB 1234 Eliminates Teacher Tenure Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12)
5/31 HB 1447 Pension Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24)
4/18 HB 2155 Authorizes an Alternative Plan to the Worker's Compensation Program Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 17)
5/03 HB 2333 Amends State Pension System Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 8)
10/17 HB 2626 Authorizes Employers to Keep Income Taxes Paid by their Employees Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 16)
8/21 HB 2676 Increases Penalties For Agriculture Health And Safety Violations Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
12/06 HB 4003 Limits Labor Organization Activities: Public Entities Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 4)
3/07 HB 4929 Prohibits Union Dues Deductions from School Employee Paychecks Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 18)
2/14 HB 5085 Prohibits public employers from deducting political contributions from employee paychecks Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12)
5/03 HB 5312 Authorizes Day Care and Personal Care Workers to Join Unions Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14)
5/30 HB 61 Amends State Workers Pensions Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 8)
5/16 HB 658 Amends Immigration Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7)
4/04 HB 974 Amends Teacher Tenure Policy Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 16)
2/27 HF 1870 Authorizes School Districts to Dismiss Teachers Based on Performance Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 26)
2/06 HR 658 Federal Aviation Administration Act of 2012 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (75 - 20)
5/03 King Amendment Amends the State Retirement System for New Public Employees Amendment Rejected - Senate (20 - 20)

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