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:
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.
| Date | State | Bill No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 16, 2009 | NJ | S 2577 | Age-Restricted Housing Exemptions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| March 16, 2009 | NJ | S 2577 | Age-Restricted Housing Exemptions | Bill Passed - House (42 - 28) |
| March 16, 2009 | ID | S 1089 | Eliminating Child Safety Seat Exemptions | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 15) |
| March 13, 2009 | WV | SB 238 | Ban on Sexual Orientation Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| March 13, 2009 | WV | SB 238 | Ban on Sexual Orientation Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| March 13, 2009 | WV | SB 238 | Ban on Sexual Orientation Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| March 12, 2009 | UT | SB 208 | Posting Public Notices Online | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 10) |
| March 12, 2009 | TN | SB 83 | "Living" Wage Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13) |
| March 12, 2009 | KS | HB 2320 | State Spending Limitations and Savings Accounts | Bill Passed - House (89 - 33) |
| March 12, 2009 | WA | SB 6035 | Retrospective Ratings Program Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 24) |
| March 12, 2009 | GA | HB 23 | Age-Specific Ban on Wireless Communication While Driving | Bill Passed - House (138 - 34) |
| March 11, 2009 | UT | SB 208 | Posting Public Notices Online | Bill Passed - House (38 - 32) |
| March 11, 2009 | OK | HJR 1042 | English as Official State Language | Joint Resolution Passed - House (66 - 32) |
| March 11, 2009 | UT | HB 345 | Regulating Former Lawmakers in Lobbying | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13) |
| March 11, 2009 | NH | SB 115 | Expanding Subsidized Health Care Program Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 4) |
| March 11, 2009 | NH | SB 115 | Expanding Subsidized Health Care Program Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 4) |
| March 11, 2009 | UT | HB 179 | Authorizing Land Swap for Development of UTA Rail Station | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| March 11, 2009 | OR | HB 2509 | Sexual Education | Bill Passed - House (41 - 19) |
| March 11, 2009 | OK | HJR 1042 | English as Official State Language | Joint Resolution Passed - House (66 - 32) |
| March 11, 2009 | MI | HB 4455 | Mortgage Payment Modifications | Bill Passed - House (74 - 34) |
| March 10, 2009 | UT | SB 53 | Prohibiting the Awarding of Legal Fees to Plaintiffs in Public Interest Lawsuits | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 6) |
| March 10, 2009 | UT | SB 53 | Prohibiting the Awarding of Legal Fees to Plaintiffs in Public Interest Lawsuits | Bill Passed - House (42 - 30) |
| March 10, 2009 | UT | SB 79 | Elevating Standard of Proof for Specific Medical Malpractice Lawsuits | Bill Passed - House (53 - 18) |
| March 10, 2009 | WA | SB 5688 | Expanding Domestic Partnership Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| March 10, 2009 | UT | SB 53 | Prohibiting the Awarding of Legal Fees to Plaintiffs in Public Interest Lawsuits | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 6) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/16 | S 2577 | Age-Restricted Housing Exemptions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| 3/16 | S 2577 | Age-Restricted Housing Exemptions | Bill Passed - House (42 - 28) |
| 3/16 | S 1089 | Eliminating Child Safety Seat Exemptions | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 15) |
| 3/13 | SB 238 | Ban on Sexual Orientation Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| 3/13 | SB 238 | Ban on Sexual Orientation Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| 3/13 | SB 238 | Ban on Sexual Orientation Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| 3/12 | SB 208 | Posting Public Notices Online | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 10) |
| 3/12 | SB 83 | "Living" Wage Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13) |
| 3/12 | HB 2320 | State Spending Limitations and Savings Accounts | Bill Passed - House (89 - 33) |
| 3/12 | SB 6035 | Retrospective Ratings Program Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 24) |
| 3/12 | HB 23 | Age-Specific Ban on Wireless Communication While Driving | Bill Passed - House (138 - 34) |
| 3/11 | SB 208 | Posting Public Notices Online | Bill Passed - House (38 - 32) |
| 3/11 | HJR 1042 | English as Official State Language | Joint Resolution Passed - House (66 - 32) |
| 3/11 | HB 345 | Regulating Former Lawmakers in Lobbying | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13) |
| 3/11 | SB 115 | Expanding Subsidized Health Care Program Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 4) |
| 3/11 | SB 115 | Expanding Subsidized Health Care Program Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 4) |
| 3/11 | HB 179 | Authorizing Land Swap for Development of UTA Rail Station | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| 3/11 | HB 2509 | Sexual Education | Bill Passed - House (41 - 19) |
| 3/11 | HJR 1042 | English as Official State Language | Joint Resolution Passed - House (66 - 32) |
| 3/11 | HB 4455 | Mortgage Payment Modifications | Bill Passed - House (74 - 34) |
| 3/10 | SB 53 | Prohibiting the Awarding of Legal Fees to Plaintiffs in Public Interest Lawsuits | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 6) |
| 3/10 | SB 53 | Prohibiting the Awarding of Legal Fees to Plaintiffs in Public Interest Lawsuits | Bill Passed - House (42 - 30) |
| 3/10 | SB 79 | Elevating Standard of Proof for Specific Medical Malpractice Lawsuits | Bill Passed - House (53 - 18) |
| 3/10 | SB 5688 | Expanding Domestic Partnership Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| 3/10 | SB 53 | Prohibiting the Awarding of Legal Fees to Plaintiffs in Public Interest Lawsuits | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 6) |