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
July 13, 2006 MA H 126 Unsigned Political Posters Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 6)
May 24, 2006 MA H 4479 MassHealth Immigrant Eligibility Veto Override Veto Override Passed - Senate (34 - 5)
May 4, 2006 MA H 4479 Health Care Access & Affordability Bill Section 113 Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 9)
May 4, 2006 MA H 4479 Health Care Access & Affordability Bill Section 113 Veto Override Passed - Senate (37 - 2)
July 13, 2006 MA H 4176 Sale of Hypodermic Needles and Syringes Veto Override Passed - Senate (25 - 11)
June 22, 2006 MA S 2258 Massage Therapist Licensing Veto Override Passed - Senate (29 - 8)
May 24, 2006 MA Amdt 8 to SB 3 Sales Tax Holiday Amendment Adopted - Senate (23 - 16)
June 18, 2009 MA S 2087 Massachusetts Transportation Agency Consolidation Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 11)
June 12, 2008 MA H 4554 Life-Science Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7)
May 6, 2008 MA H 4645 Cigarette Tax Increase Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6)
June 14, 2007 MA S 2220 Constitutional Amendment Defining Marriage Bill Failed - Senate (5 - 34)
May 18, 2006 MA H 229 Primary Seat Belt Bill Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15)
June 7, 2006 MA H 4176 Sale of Hypodermic Needles and Syringes Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8)
July 31, 2007 MA HB 2876 Sales Tax Holiday Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 4)
March 20, 2008 MA H 4554 Life-Science Bill Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 4)
Feb. 7, 2008 MA H 4488 Education Reorganization Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5)
Nov. 15, 2007 MA S 2414 Presidential Primary Date Change Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5)
July 29, 2008 MA S 2807 Election Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5)
June 9, 2022 MA H 4805 Authorizes State Drivers Licenses for Certain Undocumented Persons Veto Override Passed - Senate (32 - 8)
July 29, 2021 MA H 4002 Appropriates Funds for FY 2022 Veto Override Passed - Senate (34 - 6)
Dec. 29, 2020 MA H 5179 Expands State Abortion Access Veto Override Passed - Senate (32 - 8)
July 16, 2014 MA H 4184 Requires Parole Eligibility for Certain Juveniles Sentenced to Life Imprisonment Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 4)
July 31, 2014 MA H 4278 Amends Firearm Laws Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 3)
July 31, 2010 MA H 5000 Gambling Law Amendments Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 15)
June 12, 2014 MA S 2123 Increases the Minimum Wage Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 4)
July 19, 2012 MA H 3818 Requires Habitual Violent Offenders to Serve Their Full Sentence Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7)
July 30, 2018 MA H 4835 Authorizes Funds for Climate Change Adaptation and Environmental Protection Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 0)
June 7, 2018 MA H 4501 Authorizes Capital for State Life Sciences Capital Fund Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 5)
Aug. 1, 2022 MA H 5163 Authorizes Technology Improvements to State Judiciary Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 1)
July 27, 2010 MA H 4156 National Popular Vote Act Motion Agreed - Senate (28 - 9)
Dec. 1, 2020 MA S 2963 Amends Various Police Accountability and Reform Laws Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 11)
June 27, 2012 MA H 4174 Authorizes Funds for State Transportation Projects Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 9)
June 16, 2022 MA H 4638 Appropriates Funds for Transportation Infrastructure Improvements Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 0)
July 26, 2022 MA H 5090 Expands Protections for Reproductive and Gender-Affirming Care (39 - 1)
July 21, 2022 MA H 5060 Establishes Various New Programs and Laws to Promote Growth in the Clean Energy Industry (38 - 2)
Aug. 1, 2022 MA H 5164 Authorizes Sports Wagering in the Commonwealth (36 - 4)
July 28, 2022 MA H 5106 Establishes New Rules for the Governance and Improvement of Veterans' Homes in the Commonwealth (40 - 0)
May 26, 2022 MA H 4805 Authorizes State Drivers Licenses for Certain Undocumented Persons (32 - 8)
May 5, 2022 MA H 4470 Authorizes Driver's Licenses for Certain Undocumented Persons (32 - 8)
March 31, 2022 MA H 4554 Prohibits Discrimination on the Basis of Hair or Hairstyle (40 - 0)
April 14, 2022 MA H 4524 Expands Commonwealth Involvement in Offshore Wind, Clean Energy Industries (37 - 3)
June 13, 2024 MA H 4744 Classifies Coercive Control as a Form of Domestic Violence Conference Report Adopted - Senate (38 - 0)
Sept. 28, 2023 MA H 4104 Exempts Decedents Estates from State Estate Tax if Under $2 Million Conference Report Adopted - Senate (38 - 1)
Jan. 14, 2010 MA S 2247 Education Law Amendments Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 12)
July 30, 2018 MA H 4834 Establishes Automatic Voter Registration Conference Report Adopted - Senate (36 - 0)
July 7, 2017 MA H 3800 Establishes State Budget for Fiscal Year 2018 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (36 - 2)
July 2, 2020 MA H 4820 Expands Voting Options in Response to COVID-19 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (39 - 0)
July 21, 2022 MA H 5034 Appropriates $3.8 Billion for Economic Development Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0)
June 12, 2014 MA H 4111 Appropriates Funds for the Expansion of the Boston Convention Center Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6)
May 25, 2017 MA H 3601 Appropriates Funds for the 2018 Fiscal Year Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 0)
Date No. Title Outcome
7/13 H 126 Unsigned Political Posters Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 6)
5/24 H 4479 MassHealth Immigrant Eligibility Veto Override Veto Override Passed - Senate (34 - 5)
5/04 H 4479 Health Care Access & Affordability Bill Section 113 Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 9)
5/04 H 4479 Health Care Access & Affordability Bill Section 113 Veto Override Passed - Senate (37 - 2)
7/13 H 4176 Sale of Hypodermic Needles and Syringes Veto Override Passed - Senate (25 - 11)
6/22 S 2258 Massage Therapist Licensing Veto Override Passed - Senate (29 - 8)
5/24 Amdt 8 to SB 3 Sales Tax Holiday Amendment Adopted - Senate (23 - 16)
6/18 S 2087 Massachusetts Transportation Agency Consolidation Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 11)
6/12 H 4554 Life-Science Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7)
5/06 H 4645 Cigarette Tax Increase Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6)
6/14 S 2220 Constitutional Amendment Defining Marriage Bill Failed - Senate (5 - 34)
5/18 H 229 Primary Seat Belt Bill Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15)
6/07 H 4176 Sale of Hypodermic Needles and Syringes Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8)
7/31 HB 2876 Sales Tax Holiday Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 4)
3/20 H 4554 Life-Science Bill Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 4)
2/07 H 4488 Education Reorganization Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5)
11/15 S 2414 Presidential Primary Date Change Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5)
7/29 S 2807 Election Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5)
6/09 H 4805 Authorizes State Drivers Licenses for Certain Undocumented Persons Veto Override Passed - Senate (32 - 8)
7/29 H 4002 Appropriates Funds for FY 2022 Veto Override Passed - Senate (34 - 6)
12/29 H 5179 Expands State Abortion Access Veto Override Passed - Senate (32 - 8)
7/16 H 4184 Requires Parole Eligibility for Certain Juveniles Sentenced to Life Imprisonment Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 4)
7/31 H 4278 Amends Firearm Laws Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 3)
7/31 H 5000 Gambling Law Amendments Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 15)
6/12 S 2123 Increases the Minimum Wage Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 4)
7/19 H 3818 Requires Habitual Violent Offenders to Serve Their Full Sentence Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7)
7/30 H 4835 Authorizes Funds for Climate Change Adaptation and Environmental Protection Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 0)
6/07 H 4501 Authorizes Capital for State Life Sciences Capital Fund Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 5)
8/01 H 5163 Authorizes Technology Improvements to State Judiciary Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 1)
7/27 H 4156 National Popular Vote Act Motion Agreed - Senate (28 - 9)
12/01 S 2963 Amends Various Police Accountability and Reform Laws Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 11)
6/27 H 4174 Authorizes Funds for State Transportation Projects Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 9)
6/16 H 4638 Appropriates Funds for Transportation Infrastructure Improvements Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 0)
7/26 H 5090 Expands Protections for Reproductive and Gender-Affirming Care (39 - 1)
7/21 H 5060 Establishes Various New Programs and Laws to Promote Growth in the Clean Energy Industry (38 - 2)
8/01 H 5164 Authorizes Sports Wagering in the Commonwealth (36 - 4)
7/28 H 5106 Establishes New Rules for the Governance and Improvement of Veterans' Homes in the Commonwealth (40 - 0)
5/26 H 4805 Authorizes State Drivers Licenses for Certain Undocumented Persons (32 - 8)
5/05 H 4470 Authorizes Driver's Licenses for Certain Undocumented Persons (32 - 8)
3/31 H 4554 Prohibits Discrimination on the Basis of Hair or Hairstyle (40 - 0)
4/14 H 4524 Expands Commonwealth Involvement in Offshore Wind, Clean Energy Industries (37 - 3)
6/13 H 4744 Classifies Coercive Control as a Form of Domestic Violence Conference Report Adopted - Senate (38 - 0)
9/28 H 4104 Exempts Decedents Estates from State Estate Tax if Under $2 Million Conference Report Adopted - Senate (38 - 1)
1/14 S 2247 Education Law Amendments Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 12)
7/30 H 4834 Establishes Automatic Voter Registration Conference Report Adopted - Senate (36 - 0)
7/07 H 3800 Establishes State Budget for Fiscal Year 2018 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (36 - 2)
7/02 H 4820 Expands Voting Options in Response to COVID-19 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (39 - 0)
7/21 H 5034 Appropriates $3.8 Billion for Economic Development Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 0)
6/12 H 4111 Appropriates Funds for the Expansion of the Boston Convention Center Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6)
5/25 H 3601 Appropriates Funds for the 2018 Fiscal Year Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 0)

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