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
May 18, 2006 MA H 229 Primary Seat Belt Bill Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15)
May 4, 2006 MA H 4479 Health Care Access & Affordability Bill Section 113 Veto Override Passed - Senate (37 - 2)
May 4, 2006 MA H 4479 Health Care Access & Affordability Bill Section 113 Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 9)
May 24, 2006 MA H 4479 MassHealth Immigrant Eligibility Veto Override Veto Override Passed - Senate (34 - 5)
May 24, 2006 MA Amdt 8 to SB 3 Sales Tax Holiday Amendment Adopted - Senate (23 - 16)
June 22, 2006 MA S 2258 Massage Therapist Licensing Veto Override Passed - Senate (29 - 8)
July 13, 2006 MA H 126 Unsigned Political Posters Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 6)
July 13, 2006 MA H 4176 Sale of Hypodermic Needles and Syringes Veto Override Passed - Senate (25 - 11)
June 7, 2006 MA H 4176 Sale of Hypodermic Needles and Syringes Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8)
June 14, 2007 MA S 2220 Constitutional Amendment Defining Marriage Bill Failed - Senate (5 - 34)
July 31, 2007 MA HB 2876 Sales Tax Holiday Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 4)
Nov. 15, 2007 MA S 2414 Presidential Primary Date Change Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5)
Feb. 7, 2008 MA H 4488 Education Reorganization Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5)
May 6, 2008 MA H 4645 Cigarette Tax Increase Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6)
June 12, 2008 MA H 4554 Life-Science Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7)
March 20, 2008 MA H 4554 Life-Science Bill Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 4)
July 29, 2008 MA S 2807 Election Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5)
June 18, 2009 MA S 2087 Massachusetts Transportation Agency Consolidation Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 11)
Sept. 22, 2009 MA H 4246 Authorizing Governor to Appoint Interim U.S. Senator Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16)
Nov. 17, 2009 MA S 2205 Education Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 11)
Jan. 14, 2010 MA S 2247 Education Law Amendments Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 12)
Nov. 18, 2009 MA S 2210 Sentencing Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12)
July 15, 2010 MA H 4156 National Popular Vote Act Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10)
July 1, 2010 MA H 4619 Gambling Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15)
July 31, 2010 MA H 5000 Gambling Law Amendments Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 15)
July 27, 2010 MA H 4156 National Popular Vote Act Motion Agreed - Senate (28 - 9)
Feb. 10, 2011 MA S 9 Establishing a Redistricting Commission Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 4)
Oct. 13, 2011 MA H 3711 Authorizes Gambling Casinos Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14)
Sept. 15, 2011 MA S 2018 Massachusetts Pension System Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10)
June 27, 2012 MA H 4174 Authorizes Funds for State Transportation Projects Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 9)
May 15, 2012 MA S Amdt 125 Requires Establishing a Single Payer Health Care System Benchmark Amendment Rejected - Senate (15 - 22)
July 19, 2012 MA H 3818 Requires Habitual Violent Offenders to Serve Their Full Sentence Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7)
Nov. 19, 2013 MA S 1925 Increases the Minimum Wage Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 7)
Nov. 19, 2013 MA Amdt 1 Increases the Minimum Wage for Tipped Employees Amendment Adopted - Senate (31 - 7)
July 16, 2014 MA H 4108 Amends Charter School Laws Bill Failed - Senate (9 - 30)
June 12, 2014 MA H 4111 Appropriates Funds for the Expansion of the Boston Convention Center Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6)
May 1, 2014 MA S 2123 Increases the Minimum Wage Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 5)
June 12, 2014 MA S 2123 Increases the Minimum Wage Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 4)
July 31, 2014 MA H 4278 Amends Firearm Laws Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 3)
July 16, 2014 MA H 4184 Requires Parole Eligibility for Certain Juveniles Sentenced to Life Imprisonment Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 4)
July 1, 2014 MA Amdt 17 Limits Use of Non-Competition Agreements Amendment Adopted - Senate (32 - 7)
Sept. 17, 2015 MA S 1981 Requires Foreclosure Title Clearing Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 7)
April 7, 2016 MA S 2220 Increases Spending Cap on Charter School Tuition Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)
May 12, 2016 MA S 735 Prohibits Discrimination Based on Gender Identity Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 4)
April 28, 2016 MA S 2269 Increases Smoking Age to 21 Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 2)
June 9, 2016 MA S 2311 Amends Residential Zoning Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15)
May 25, 2017 MA H 3601 Appropriates Funds for the 2018 Fiscal Year Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 0)
June 22, 2017 MA H 3776 Authorizes Medical Marijuana Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5)
July 7, 2017 MA H 3800 Establishes State Budget for Fiscal Year 2018 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (36 - 2)
July 20, 2017 MA H 3818 Amends Voter-Passed Marijuana Law Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 6)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/18 H 229 Primary Seat Belt Bill Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15)
5/04 H 4479 Health Care Access & Affordability Bill Section 113 Veto Override Passed - Senate (37 - 2)
5/04 H 4479 Health Care Access & Affordability Bill Section 113 Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 9)
5/24 H 4479 MassHealth Immigrant Eligibility Veto Override Veto Override Passed - Senate (34 - 5)
5/24 Amdt 8 to SB 3 Sales Tax Holiday Amendment Adopted - Senate (23 - 16)
6/22 S 2258 Massage Therapist Licensing Veto Override Passed - Senate (29 - 8)
7/13 H 126 Unsigned Political Posters Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 6)
7/13 H 4176 Sale of Hypodermic Needles and Syringes Veto Override Passed - Senate (25 - 11)
6/07 H 4176 Sale of Hypodermic Needles and Syringes Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8)
6/14 S 2220 Constitutional Amendment Defining Marriage Bill Failed - Senate (5 - 34)
7/31 HB 2876 Sales Tax Holiday Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 4)
11/15 S 2414 Presidential Primary Date Change Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5)
2/07 H 4488 Education Reorganization Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5)
5/06 H 4645 Cigarette Tax Increase Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6)
6/12 H 4554 Life-Science Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7)
3/20 H 4554 Life-Science Bill Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 4)
7/29 S 2807 Election Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5)
6/18 S 2087 Massachusetts Transportation Agency Consolidation Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 11)
9/22 H 4246 Authorizing Governor to Appoint Interim U.S. Senator Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16)
11/17 S 2205 Education Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 11)
1/14 S 2247 Education Law Amendments Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 12)
11/18 S 2210 Sentencing Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12)
7/15 H 4156 National Popular Vote Act Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10)
7/01 H 4619 Gambling Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15)
7/31 H 5000 Gambling Law Amendments Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 15)
7/27 H 4156 National Popular Vote Act Motion Agreed - Senate (28 - 9)
2/10 S 9 Establishing a Redistricting Commission Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 4)
10/13 H 3711 Authorizes Gambling Casinos Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14)
9/15 S 2018 Massachusetts Pension System Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10)
6/27 H 4174 Authorizes Funds for State Transportation Projects Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 9)
5/15 S Amdt 125 Requires Establishing a Single Payer Health Care System Benchmark Amendment Rejected - Senate (15 - 22)
7/19 H 3818 Requires Habitual Violent Offenders to Serve Their Full Sentence Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7)
11/19 S 1925 Increases the Minimum Wage Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 7)
11/19 Amdt 1 Increases the Minimum Wage for Tipped Employees Amendment Adopted - Senate (31 - 7)
7/16 H 4108 Amends Charter School Laws Bill Failed - Senate (9 - 30)
6/12 H 4111 Appropriates Funds for the Expansion of the Boston Convention Center Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6)
5/01 S 2123 Increases the Minimum Wage Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 5)
6/12 S 2123 Increases the Minimum Wage Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 4)
7/31 H 4278 Amends Firearm Laws Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 3)
7/16 H 4184 Requires Parole Eligibility for Certain Juveniles Sentenced to Life Imprisonment Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 4)
7/01 Amdt 17 Limits Use of Non-Competition Agreements Amendment Adopted - Senate (32 - 7)
9/17 S 1981 Requires Foreclosure Title Clearing Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 7)
4/07 S 2220 Increases Spending Cap on Charter School Tuition Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)
5/12 S 735 Prohibits Discrimination Based on Gender Identity Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 4)
4/28 S 2269 Increases Smoking Age to 21 Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 2)
6/09 S 2311 Amends Residential Zoning Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15)
5/25 H 3601 Appropriates Funds for the 2018 Fiscal Year Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 0)
6/22 H 3776 Authorizes Medical Marijuana Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5)
7/07 H 3800 Establishes State Budget for Fiscal Year 2018 Conference Report Adopted - Senate (36 - 2)
7/20 H 3818 Amends Voter-Passed Marijuana Law Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 6)

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