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
June 20, 2024 MA S 2830 Prohibits Single-Use Plastic Shopping Bags at Retail Shops Across the State Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 2)
Oct. 26, 2017 MA S 2200 Amends Various Criminal Justice Laws Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10)
Nov. 9, 2017 MA S 2202 Amends Various Healthcare Laws Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 6)
June 28, 2018 MA S 2562 Authorizes Non-Binary Gender on Driver's Licenses Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 1)
April 4, 2018 MA S 2371 Amends Criminal Justice Law Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 0)
Nov. 17, 2009 MA S 2205 Education Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 11)
Nov. 18, 2009 MA S 2210 Sentencing Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12)
Sept. 15, 2011 MA S 2018 Massachusetts Pension System Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10)
Feb. 10, 2011 MA S 9 Establishing a Redistricting Commission Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 4)
June 14, 2007 MA S 2220 Constitutional Amendment Defining Marriage Bill Failed - Senate (5 - 34)
July 16, 2014 MA H 4108 Amends Charter School Laws Bill Failed - Senate (9 - 30)
May 15, 2012 MA S Amdt 125 Requires Establishing a Single Payer Health Care System Benchmark Amendment Rejected - Senate (15 - 22)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/20 S 2830 Prohibits Single-Use Plastic Shopping Bags at Retail Shops Across the State Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 2)
10/26 S 2200 Amends Various Criminal Justice Laws Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10)
11/09 S 2202 Amends Various Healthcare Laws Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 6)
6/28 S 2562 Authorizes Non-Binary Gender on Driver's Licenses Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 1)
4/04 S 2371 Amends Criminal Justice Law Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 0)
11/17 S 2205 Education Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 11)
11/18 S 2210 Sentencing Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12)
9/15 S 2018 Massachusetts Pension System Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10)
2/10 S 9 Establishing a Redistricting Commission Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 4)
6/14 S 2220 Constitutional Amendment Defining Marriage Bill Failed - Senate (5 - 34)
7/16 H 4108 Amends Charter School Laws Bill Failed - Senate (9 - 30)
5/15 S Amdt 125 Requires Establishing a Single Payer Health Care System Benchmark Amendment Rejected - Senate (15 - 22)

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