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
Nov. 28, 2018 MI SB 1175 Amends Laws Regarding State Minimum Wage and Paid Sick Leave Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11)
Nov. 27, 2018 MI SB 795 Amends the Public School Employees Retirement Act of 1979. Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13)
Aug. 23, 2018 National S Amdt 3967 Senator Rand Paul's Amendment to H.R. 6157 Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 48)
June 25, 2018 NJ A 3861 Amends Unemployment Insurance Law (23 - 14)
April 19, 2018 IL SB 2546 Authorizes Graduate Research Assistant Unions Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 19)
April 12, 2018 NJ A 3686 Increases State Protections for Labor Unions Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9)
April 12, 2018 NJ A 1827 Requires Employers to Provide Paid Sick Leave Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
April 2, 2018 MD HB 1243 Authorizes Workers to Sue for Unpaid Wages Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 12)
March 26, 2018 MD SB 654 Requires Extension of Union Contracts Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14)
March 22, 2018 MD HB 1017 Requires Equal Access to Collective Bargaining New Employee Programs Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14)
Feb. 27, 2018 SD HB 1199 Prohibits Collective Bargaining at Public Universities Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 18)
Feb. 10, 2018 WA SB 6199 Authorizes Privatization of Home-Care Workforce Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 21)
Date No. Title Outcome
11/28 SB 1175 Amends Laws Regarding State Minimum Wage and Paid Sick Leave Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11)
11/27 SB 795 Amends the Public School Employees Retirement Act of 1979. Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13)
8/23 S Amdt 3967 Senator Rand Paul's Amendment to H.R. 6157 Amendment Rejected - Senate (45 - 48)
6/25 A 3861 Amends Unemployment Insurance Law (23 - 14)
4/19 SB 2546 Authorizes Graduate Research Assistant Unions Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 19)
4/12 A 3686 Increases State Protections for Labor Unions Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9)
4/12 A 1827 Requires Employers to Provide Paid Sick Leave Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
4/02 HB 1243 Authorizes Workers to Sue for Unpaid Wages Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 12)
3/26 SB 654 Requires Extension of Union Contracts Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14)
3/22 HB 1017 Requires Equal Access to Collective Bargaining New Employee Programs Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14)
2/27 HB 1199 Prohibits Collective Bargaining at Public Universities Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 18)
2/10 SB 6199 Authorizes Privatization of Home-Care Workforce Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 21)

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