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. 18, 2009 | UT | HB 122 | Restricting Access to Government Litigation Records | Bill Passed - House (43 - 27) |
| Feb. 18, 2009 | OK | HB 1602 | Attorney Fee Limits | Bill Passed - House (54 - 46) |
| Feb. 18, 2009 | NH | HB 103 | Laid Off Employees Payment Time-Frame | Bill Passed - House (194 - 164) |
| 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. 12, 2009 | HI | HB 444 | Legalizing Same-Sex Civil Unions | Bill Passed - House (33 - 17) |
| Feb. 11, 2009 | WY | HB 32 | Gray Wolf Management Plan Amendments | Bill Failed - House (7 - 52) |
| Feb. 11, 2009 | OK | HB 1601 | Regulating Attorney Election Contributions | Bill Passed - House (62 - 36) |
| Feb. 10, 2009 | IN | HB 1656 | Shifting Federal Transportation Funding to Counties and Localities | Bill Passed - House (88 - 11) |
| Feb. 9, 2009 | WY | HB 240 | Pay Raise for Certain Elected Officials | Bill Passed - House (37 - 23) |
| Feb. 9, 2009 | CO | HB 1057 | Mandatory Unpaid Parental Work Leave for Education Activities | Bill Passed - House (35 - 30) |
| Feb. 6, 2009 | ND | HB 1508 | State-Sponsored Children's Savings Accounts | Bill Failed - House (28 - 64) |
| Feb. 6, 2009 | WY | HJ 17 | Constitutional Amendment to Define Marriage | Joint Resolution Failed - House (25 - 35) |
| Feb. 5, 2009 | ND | HB 1557 | Even-Numbered Year Budget Adjustment Legislative Sessions | Bill Failed - House (33 - 61) |
| Feb. 5, 2009 | VA | HB 1826 | Driver's License Suspension for Unexcused School Absences | Bill Passed - House (68 - 28) |
| Feb. 4, 2009 | VA | HB 1671 | "Derelict Building" Plan Requirements | Bill Passed - House (80 - 17) |
| Feb. 3, 2009 | MT | HB 157 | Children's Health Insurance Program Appropriations and Amendments | Bill Passed - House (60 - 40) |
| Feb. 2, 2009 | NY | A 1686 | Reducing the Cap on Vacated Apartment Rent Increases | Bill Passed - House (100 - 43) |
| Jan. 29, 2009 | WY | HB 190 | Suspending Driver's Licenses for Nonpayment of Child Support | Bill Passed - House (37 - 23) |
| Jan. 28, 2009 | MT | HB 13 | State Employee Compensation Amendments | Bill Passed - House (62 - 36) |
| Jan. 28, 2009 | AR | HB 1119 | Prohibiting Cell Phone Use While Driving for Specific Age Groups | Bill Passed - House (62 - 27) |
| Jan. 27, 2009 | WI | AB 1 | Wisconsin-Based Products and Services Purchasing Goals | Bill Passed - House (77 - 22) |
| Jan. 27, 2009 | WI | AB 2 | Mandatory State Contracting with Domestic Companies | Bill Passed - House (69 - 30) |
| Jan. 27, 2009 | National | S 181 | Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 | Bill Passed - House (250 - 177) |
| Jan. 27, 2009 | AR | HB 1050 | Freedom of Information Act Exemption Specifications | Bill Passed - House (57 - 31) |
| Jan. 27, 2009 | AR | HB 1050 | Freedom of Information Act Exemption Specifications | Bill Passed - House (57 - 31) |
| Jan. 26, 2009 | WY | HB 98 | Mandatory Minimum Sentence for Sexual Assault of a Minor | Bill Failed - House (20 - 39) |
| Jan. 26, 2009 | MO | HCR 5 | Rejecting Pay Increases for Elected Officials and Judges | Resolution Passed - House (129 - 31) |
| Jan. 22, 2009 | MS | HB 1090 | Increasing Public Utilities Staff Oversight | Bill Passed - House (64 - 53) |
| Jan. 14, 2009 | FL | SB 2-A | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - House (74 - 43) |
| Jan. 14, 2009 | National | HR 2 | Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization and Expansion | Bill Passed - House (289 - 139) |
| Jan. 14, 2009 | IL | HR 5 | Impeachment of Governor Rod R. Blagojevich | Resolution Passed - House (117 - 1) |
| Jan. 13, 2009 | ND | HB 1036 | Workforce Safety and Insurance Premium Rate Regulation | Bill Passed - House (62 - 32) |
| Jan. 13, 2009 | ND | HB 1036 | Workforce Safety and Insurance Premium Rate Regulation | Bill Passed - House (62 - 32) |
| Jan. 9, 2009 | IL | HR 1671 | Impeachment of Governor Rod R. Blagojevich | Resolution Passed - House (114 - 1) |
| Jan. 9, 2009 | National | HR 12 | Employment Discrimination Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (256 - 163) |
| Jan. 9, 2009 | National | HR 11 | Employment Discrimination Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (247 - 171) |
| Dec. 19, 2008 | MI | SB 861 | Tuition Assistance for Students in High Poverty Areas | Bill Passed - House (61 - 34) |
| Dec. 16, 2008 | OH | HB 649 | Funding Veterans' Bonuses Using the Budget Stabilization Fund | Bill Passed - House (54 - 42) |
| Dec. 10, 2008 | OH | HB 648 | Increasing Restrictions on Access to Confidential Personal Information | Bill Passed - House (69 - 26) |
| Dec. 10, 2008 | OH | HB 648 | Increasing Restrictions on Access to Confidential Personal Information | Bill Passed - House (69 - 26) |
| Dec. 4, 2008 | MI | HB 4404 | Prohibiting Life Without Parole Sentencing for Juveniles | Bill Passed - House (59 - 47) |
| Dec. 4, 2008 | MI | HB 4405 | Juvenile Parole Eligibility Reform | Bill Passed - House (63 - 43) |
| Dec. 4, 2008 | MI | HB 4405 | Juvenile Parole Eligibility Reform | Bill Passed - House (63 - 43) |
| Dec. 4, 2008 | MI | HB 4404 | Prohibiting Life Without Parole Sentencing for Juveniles | Bill Passed - House (59 - 47) |
| Nov. 17, 2008 | NJ | A 3459 | Foreclosure Assistance Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (47 - 26) |
| Nov. 17, 2008 | NJ | A 3374 | Public Assistance Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (67 - 10) |
| Oct. 3, 2008 | National | HR 6867 | Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation | Bill Passed - House (368 - 28) |
| Sept. 24, 2008 | National | S 3001 | Defense Authorizations Bill | Bill Passed - House (392 - 39) |