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
June 12, 2014 MA S 2123 Increases the Minimum Wage Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 4)
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)
Nov. 19, 2013 MA Amdt 1 Increases the Minimum Wage for Tipped Employees Amendment Adopted - Senate (31 - 7)
Nov. 19, 2013 MA S 1925 Increases the Minimum Wage Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 7)
July 19, 2012 MA H 3818 Requires Habitual Violent Offenders to Serve Their Full Sentence Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7)
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)
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)
Feb. 10, 2011 MA S 9 Establishing a Redistricting Commission Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 4)
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)
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)
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)
Nov. 17, 2009 MA S 2205 Education Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 11)
Sept. 22, 2009 MA H 4246 Authorizing Governor to Appoint Interim U.S. Senator Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16)
June 18, 2009 MA S 2087 Massachusetts Transportation Agency Consolidation Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 11)
July 29, 2008 MA S 2807 Election Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5)
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)
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)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/12 S 2123 Increases the Minimum Wage Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 4)
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)
11/19 Amdt 1 Increases the Minimum Wage for Tipped Employees Amendment Adopted - Senate (31 - 7)
11/19 S 1925 Increases the Minimum Wage Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 7)
7/19 H 3818 Requires Habitual Violent Offenders to Serve Their Full Sentence Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7)
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)
10/13 H 3711 Authorizes Gambling Casinos Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14)
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)
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)
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)
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)
11/17 S 2205 Education Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 11)
9/22 H 4246 Authorizing Governor to Appoint Interim U.S. Senator Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16)
6/18 S 2087 Massachusetts Transportation Agency Consolidation Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 11)
7/29 S 2807 Election Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5)
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)
3/20 H 4554 Life-Science Bill Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 4)
2/07 H 4488 Education Reorganization Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5)

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