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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 13, 2010 | SC | H 4219 | Censuring Governor Mark Sanford | Resolution Passed - House (102 - 11) |
| Jan. 12, 2010 | IL | SB 315 | Teacher Evaluation Amendments | Bill Passed - House (74 - 37) |
| Jan. 11, 2010 | NJ | A 4378 | Exception to the Ban on Former State Employees Working for the Casino Industry | Bill Passed - House (42 - 31) |
| Jan. 7, 2010 | NJ | A 2762 | Authorizing Reduction of Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Drug Offenses in School Zones | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (46 - 30) |
| Jan. 7, 2010 | NJ | A 2139 | Tax Expenditure Report Requirement for Governor's Budget Message | Bill Passed - House (47 - 28) |
| Jan. 6, 2010 | NH | HB 569 | Expanding Coverage Requirements for Autism Disorders | Bill Passed - House (213 - 147) |
| Jan. 5, 2010 | CA | SBx5 4 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (41 - 27) |
| Jan. 5, 2010 | CA | SBx5 1 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (45 - 17) |
| Dec. 17, 2009 | OH | HB 318 | Tax Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 42) |
| Dec. 17, 2009 | OH | HB 318 | Tax Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 42) |
| Dec. 16, 2009 | OH | HB 60 | Restrictions on Snack and Beverage Sales in Schools | Bill Passed - House (60 - 37) |
| Dec. 2, 2009 | NY | A 40003 | Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (88 - 51) |
| Nov. 19, 2009 | National | HR 3961 | Revising Medicare Physician Fee Schedules and Reinstatement of PAYGO | Bill Passed - House (243 - 183) |
| Nov. 5, 2009 | WI | SB 223 | University of Wisconsin Board of Regents Geographic Composition Requirements | Bill Passed - House (59 - 34) |
| Nov. 5, 2009 | National | HR 3548 | Extending Federal Emergency Unemployment Benefits and Providing Business and Homebuyer Tax Credits | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (403 - 12) |
| Nov. 5, 2009 | WI | AB 458 | Sex Education Curriculum Requirements | Bill Passed - House (48 - 43) |
| Oct. 21, 2009 | OH | HB 318 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (55 - 44) |
| Oct. 9, 2009 | PA | HB 1614 | Fiscal Code Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (106 - 92) |
| Oct. 9, 2009 | PA | HB 1614 | Fiscal Code Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (106 - 92) |
| Oct. 8, 2009 | National | HR 2647 | 2009-2010 Defense Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - House (281 - 146) |
| Oct. 8, 2009 | National | HR 2647 | 2009-2010 Defense Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - House (281 - 146) |
| Oct. 8, 2009 | MA | SB 2028 | Pandemic and Disaster Preparedness Plan | Bill Passed - House (114 - 36) |
| Oct. 7, 2009 | National | H Res 805 | Removing Rep. Charles Rangel as Chairman of House Committee on Ways and Means | Motion Agreed - House (246 - 153) |
| Oct. 6, 2009 | MI | HB 5386 | Physician Services Tax | Bill Passed - House (56 - 52) |
| Sept. 25, 2009 | National | HR 2918 | Continuing Appropriations Resolution and 2009-2010 Legislative Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - House (217 - 190) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/13 | H 4219 | Censuring Governor Mark Sanford | Resolution Passed - House (102 - 11) |
| 1/12 | SB 315 | Teacher Evaluation Amendments | Bill Passed - House (74 - 37) |
| 1/11 | A 4378 | Exception to the Ban on Former State Employees Working for the Casino Industry | Bill Passed - House (42 - 31) |
| 1/07 | A 2762 | Authorizing Reduction of Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Drug Offenses in School Zones | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (46 - 30) |
| 1/07 | A 2139 | Tax Expenditure Report Requirement for Governor's Budget Message | Bill Passed - House (47 - 28) |
| 1/06 | HB 569 | Expanding Coverage Requirements for Autism Disorders | Bill Passed - House (213 - 147) |
| 1/05 | SBx5 4 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (41 - 27) |
| 1/05 | SBx5 1 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (45 - 17) |
| 12/17 | HB 318 | Tax Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 42) |
| 12/17 | HB 318 | Tax Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 42) |
| 12/16 | HB 60 | Restrictions on Snack and Beverage Sales in Schools | Bill Passed - House (60 - 37) |
| 12/02 | A 40003 | Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (88 - 51) |
| 11/19 | HR 3961 | Revising Medicare Physician Fee Schedules and Reinstatement of PAYGO | Bill Passed - House (243 - 183) |
| 11/05 | SB 223 | University of Wisconsin Board of Regents Geographic Composition Requirements | Bill Passed - House (59 - 34) |
| 11/05 | HR 3548 | Extending Federal Emergency Unemployment Benefits and Providing Business and Homebuyer Tax Credits | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (403 - 12) |
| 11/05 | AB 458 | Sex Education Curriculum Requirements | Bill Passed - House (48 - 43) |
| 10/21 | HB 318 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (55 - 44) |
| 10/09 | HB 1614 | Fiscal Code Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (106 - 92) |
| 10/09 | HB 1614 | Fiscal Code Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (106 - 92) |
| 10/08 | HR 2647 | 2009-2010 Defense Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - House (281 - 146) |
| 10/08 | HR 2647 | 2009-2010 Defense Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - House (281 - 146) |
| 10/08 | SB 2028 | Pandemic and Disaster Preparedness Plan | Bill Passed - House (114 - 36) |
| 10/07 | H Res 805 | Removing Rep. Charles Rangel as Chairman of House Committee on Ways and Means | Motion Agreed - House (246 - 153) |
| 10/06 | HB 5386 | Physician Services Tax | Bill Passed - House (56 - 52) |
| 9/25 | HR 2918 | Continuing Appropriations Resolution and 2009-2010 Legislative Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - House (217 - 190) |