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
March 20, 2008 MA H 4920 to 4307 Establishing and Regulating Casinos Amendment Adopted - House (106 - 48)
March 12, 2008 MA DeLeo Amdt Legislative Committee Chair Pay Raises Amendment Adopted - House (126 - 20)
July 29, 2008 MA Peterson Amdt to H 5022 Reducing Firearm Licensing Fee Amendment Adopted - House (97 - 59)
June 12, 2008 MA H 4554 Life-Science Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7)
June 11, 2008 MA H 4554 Life-Science Bill Conference Report Adopted - House (142 - 15)
Jan. 23, 2008 MA H 4477 Cell Phone Driving Ban Bill Passed - House (107 - 47)
May 6, 2008 MA H 4645 Cigarette Tax Increase Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6)
July 9, 2008 MA H 678 National Popular Vote Plan Bill Passed - House (116 - 37)
July 9, 2008 MA Jones Amdt - Presidential Electors by Congressional District Bill Failed - House (34 - 120)
July 9, 2008 MA Frost Amdt - National Popular Vote Plan Ratification Threshold Bill Failed - House (34 - 120)
July 29, 2008 MA SB 800 Repealing Out of State Marriage Restrictions Bill Passed - House (119 - 36)
July 29, 2008 MA S 2807 Election Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5)
Feb. 6, 2008 MA H 4488 Education Reorganization Bill Passed - House (135 - 19)
Feb. 7, 2008 MA H 4488 Education Reorganization Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5)
March 20, 2008 MA H 4554 Life-Science Bill Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 4)
April 10, 2008 MA Garry and D'Amico Amendment: Removal of Cigarette Tax Increase Bill Failed - House (49 - 105)
April 10, 2008 MA H 4645 Cigarette Tax Increase Bill Passed - House (131 - 23)
June 4, 2008 MA H 4346 Trans Fat Ban Bill Passed - House (116 - 34)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/20 H 4920 to 4307 Establishing and Regulating Casinos Amendment Adopted - House (106 - 48)
3/12 DeLeo Amdt Legislative Committee Chair Pay Raises Amendment Adopted - House (126 - 20)
7/29 Peterson Amdt to H 5022 Reducing Firearm Licensing Fee Amendment Adopted - House (97 - 59)
6/12 H 4554 Life-Science Bill Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 7)
6/11 H 4554 Life-Science Bill Conference Report Adopted - House (142 - 15)
1/23 H 4477 Cell Phone Driving Ban Bill Passed - House (107 - 47)
5/06 H 4645 Cigarette Tax Increase Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 6)
7/09 H 678 National Popular Vote Plan Bill Passed - House (116 - 37)
7/09 Jones Amdt - Presidential Electors by Congressional District Bill Failed - House (34 - 120)
7/09 Frost Amdt - National Popular Vote Plan Ratification Threshold Bill Failed - House (34 - 120)
7/29 SB 800 Repealing Out of State Marriage Restrictions Bill Passed - House (119 - 36)
7/29 S 2807 Election Day Voter Registration Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5)
2/06 H 4488 Education Reorganization Bill Passed - House (135 - 19)
2/07 H 4488 Education Reorganization Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5)
3/20 H 4554 Life-Science Bill Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 4)
4/10 Garry and D'Amico Amendment: Removal of Cigarette Tax Increase Bill Failed - House (49 - 105)
4/10 H 4645 Cigarette Tax Increase Bill Passed - House (131 - 23)
6/04 H 4346 Trans Fat Ban Bill Passed - House (116 - 34)

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