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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 24, 2009 | IN | HB 1379 | Unemployment Benefit Amendments | Bill Passed - House (55 - 41) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | ID | H 173 | Restricting Eligibility for State Retiree Health Benefits | Bill Passed - House (59 - 11) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | CO | SB 88 | Extending State Employee Health Benefits to Domestic Partners | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | CO | HB 1260 | Designated Beneficiary Agreements Between Unmarried Adults | Bill Passed - House (41 - 24) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | CO | HB 1260 | Designated Beneficiary Agreements Between Unmarried Adults | Bill Passed - House (41 - 24) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | CO | SB 88 | Extending State Employee Health Benefits to Domestic Partners | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
| Feb. 23, 2009 | OR | SB 311 | Changes in Liability Limits | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
| Feb. 20, 2009 | VT | Ainsworth Amdt | Legislative Pay Cut | Amendment Rejected - House (50 - 88) |
| Feb. 19, 2009 | NC | SB 15 | Limiting Per Diem Payments to Legislators | Motion Agreed - Senate (37 - 11) |
| Feb. 19, 2009 | KS | SB 160 | Increasing Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 7) |
| Feb. 19, 2009 | IA | HF 333 | Wage Standards for Public Project Workers | Bill Failed - House (49 - 49) |
| Feb. 19, 2009 | GA | SB 42 | Transfer of Authority Over State's Public Defender System | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 21) |
| Feb. 18, 2009 | OK | HB 1602 | Attorney Fee Limits | Bill Passed - House (54 - 46) |
| Feb. 18, 2009 | SC | S 351 | State Ports Authority Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 14) |
| Feb. 18, 2009 | NH | HB 103 | Laid Off Employees Payment Time-Frame | Bill Passed - House (194 - 164) |
| Feb. 18, 2009 | ND | SB 2278 | Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19) |
| Feb. 18, 2009 | UT | HB 122 | Restricting Access to Government Litigation Records | Bill Passed - House (43 - 27) |
| Feb. 17, 2009 | OK | HB 1410 | State Purchasing Authority Amendments | Bill Passed - House (61 - 37) |
| Feb. 17, 2009 | ND | HB 1572 | Legislative Intent With Regards to the Legal Definition of Life | Bill Passed - House (51 - 41) |
| Feb. 17, 2009 | OR | HB 2436 | Real Estate Fees to Fund Housing Programs | Bill Passed - House (44 - 15) |
| Feb. 16, 2009 | MT | SB 142 | Consideration of Gender for Insurance Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23) |
| Feb. 16, 2009 | IA | SF 137 | Wage Discrimination Policy and Penalties | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| Feb. 16, 2009 | IA | SF 137 | Wage Discrimination Policy and Penalties | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| Feb. 12, 2009 | SD | SB 156 | Expansion of Hate Crime Law | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 21) |
| Feb. 12, 2009 | HI | HB 444 | Legalizing Same-Sex Civil Unions | Bill Passed - House (33 - 17) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/24 | HB 1379 | Unemployment Benefit Amendments | Bill Passed - House (55 - 41) |
| 2/24 | H 173 | Restricting Eligibility for State Retiree Health Benefits | Bill Passed - House (59 - 11) |
| 2/24 | SB 88 | Extending State Employee Health Benefits to Domestic Partners | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
| 2/24 | HB 1260 | Designated Beneficiary Agreements Between Unmarried Adults | Bill Passed - House (41 - 24) |
| 2/24 | HB 1260 | Designated Beneficiary Agreements Between Unmarried Adults | Bill Passed - House (41 - 24) |
| 2/24 | SB 88 | Extending State Employee Health Benefits to Domestic Partners | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
| 2/23 | SB 311 | Changes in Liability Limits | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
| 2/20 | Ainsworth Amdt | Legislative Pay Cut | Amendment Rejected - House (50 - 88) |
| 2/19 | SB 15 | Limiting Per Diem Payments to Legislators | Motion Agreed - Senate (37 - 11) |
| 2/19 | SB 160 | Increasing Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 7) |
| 2/19 | HF 333 | Wage Standards for Public Project Workers | Bill Failed - House (49 - 49) |
| 2/19 | SB 42 | Transfer of Authority Over State's Public Defender System | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 21) |
| 2/18 | HB 1602 | Attorney Fee Limits | Bill Passed - House (54 - 46) |
| 2/18 | S 351 | State Ports Authority Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 14) |
| 2/18 | HB 103 | Laid Off Employees Payment Time-Frame | Bill Passed - House (194 - 164) |
| 2/18 | SB 2278 | Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19) |
| 2/18 | HB 122 | Restricting Access to Government Litigation Records | Bill Passed - House (43 - 27) |
| 2/17 | HB 1410 | State Purchasing Authority Amendments | Bill Passed - House (61 - 37) |
| 2/17 | HB 1572 | Legislative Intent With Regards to the Legal Definition of Life | Bill Passed - House (51 - 41) |
| 2/17 | HB 2436 | Real Estate Fees to Fund Housing Programs | Bill Passed - House (44 - 15) |
| 2/16 | SB 142 | Consideration of Gender for Insurance Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23) |
| 2/16 | SF 137 | Wage Discrimination Policy and Penalties | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| 2/16 | SF 137 | Wage Discrimination Policy and Penalties | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| 2/12 | SB 156 | Expansion of Hate Crime Law | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 21) |
| 2/12 | HB 444 | Legalizing Same-Sex Civil Unions | Bill Passed - House (33 - 17) |