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 4, 2009 | WA | HB 1329 | Child Care Center Unionization | Bill Passed - House (65 - 31) |
| March 4, 2009 | WA | HB 1329 | Child Care Center Unionization | Bill Passed - House (65 - 31) |
| March 4, 2009 | KS | HB 2206 | Partial Birth/Late-term Abortion Reporting Requirements | Bill Passed - House (82 - 40) |
| March 4, 2009 | OK | HB 1603 | Tort Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (61 - 39) |
| March 3, 2009 | OR | SB 5552 | 2007-2009 Biennium Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| March 3, 2009 | UT | HB 187 | Restricting Access to Public Waters on Private Property | Bill Failed - House (34 - 41) |
| March 3, 2009 | OR | SB 581 | 2007-2008, 2008-2009, and 2009-2010 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| March 3, 2009 | WA | HB 1956 | Limiting Local Regulations of Homeless Shelters | Bill Passed - House (56 - 41) |
| March 2, 2009 | CA | HR 5 | Statement of Opposition to Proposition 8 | Resolution Passed - House (45 - 27) |
| March 2, 2009 | CA | SR 7 | Statement of Opposition to Proposition 8 | Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
| Feb. 26, 2009 | NM | SB 12 | Establishing Domestic Partnerships | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 25) |
| Feb. 26, 2009 | NM | SB 12 | Establishing Domestic Partnerships | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 25) |
| Feb. 26, 2009 | National | S 160 | Washington DC Voting Act | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37) |
| Feb. 26, 2009 | OR | HB 2436 | Real Estate Fees to Fund Housing Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9) |
| Feb. 25, 2009 | NM | SB 141 | Allowing Increase of Penalties for Convicted Public Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 12) |
| Feb. 25, 2009 | NM | SB 141 | Allowing Increase of Penalties for Convicted Public Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 12) |
| Feb. 25, 2009 | AR | HB 1464 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - House (67 - 27) |
| Feb. 25, 2009 | AR | HB 1464 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - House (67 - 27) |
| Feb. 25, 2009 | NM | SB 44 | Prohibiting Smoking in Cars with Children | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| Feb. 25, 2009 | VA | SB 961 | Expanding Death Penalty Eligibility to Accomplices | Bill Passed - House (74 - 26) |
| Feb. 25, 2009 | NM | HB 28 | Increasing Penalties for Intimidation of Judges | Bill Passed - House (43 - 21) |
| Feb. 25, 2009 | GA | SB 23 | Admissibility of Seat Belt Evidence in Court | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 12) |
| Feb. 25, 2009 | CO | HB 1001 | Tax Credit for Job Creation | Bill Passed - House (52 - 13) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | VA | HB 1826 | Driver's License Suspension for Unexcused School Absences | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 3) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | IN | HB 1379 | Unemployment Benefit Amendments | Bill Passed - House (55 - 41) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/04 | HB 1329 | Child Care Center Unionization | Bill Passed - House (65 - 31) |
| 3/04 | HB 1329 | Child Care Center Unionization | Bill Passed - House (65 - 31) |
| 3/04 | HB 2206 | Partial Birth/Late-term Abortion Reporting Requirements | Bill Passed - House (82 - 40) |
| 3/04 | HB 1603 | Tort Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (61 - 39) |
| 3/03 | SB 5552 | 2007-2009 Biennium Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| 3/03 | HB 187 | Restricting Access to Public Waters on Private Property | Bill Failed - House (34 - 41) |
| 3/03 | SB 581 | 2007-2008, 2008-2009, and 2009-2010 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| 3/03 | HB 1956 | Limiting Local Regulations of Homeless Shelters | Bill Passed - House (56 - 41) |
| 3/02 | HR 5 | Statement of Opposition to Proposition 8 | Resolution Passed - House (45 - 27) |
| 3/02 | SR 7 | Statement of Opposition to Proposition 8 | Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
| 2/26 | SB 12 | Establishing Domestic Partnerships | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 25) |
| 2/26 | SB 12 | Establishing Domestic Partnerships | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 25) |
| 2/26 | S 160 | Washington DC Voting Act | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37) |
| 2/26 | HB 2436 | Real Estate Fees to Fund Housing Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9) |
| 2/25 | SB 141 | Allowing Increase of Penalties for Convicted Public Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 12) |
| 2/25 | SB 141 | Allowing Increase of Penalties for Convicted Public Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 12) |
| 2/25 | HB 1464 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - House (67 - 27) |
| 2/25 | HB 1464 | Minimum Wage Increase | Bill Passed - House (67 - 27) |
| 2/25 | SB 44 | Prohibiting Smoking in Cars with Children | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| 2/25 | SB 961 | Expanding Death Penalty Eligibility to Accomplices | Bill Passed - House (74 - 26) |
| 2/25 | HB 28 | Increasing Penalties for Intimidation of Judges | Bill Passed - House (43 - 21) |
| 2/25 | SB 23 | Admissibility of Seat Belt Evidence in Court | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 12) |
| 2/25 | HB 1001 | Tax Credit for Job Creation | Bill Passed - House (52 - 13) |
| 2/24 | HB 1826 | Driver's License Suspension for Unexcused School Absences | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 3) |
| 2/24 | HB 1379 | Unemployment Benefit Amendments | Bill Passed - House (55 - 41) |