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, 2010 | National | HR 2847 | Employment, Infrastructure, and Transportation Appropriations and Tax Credits ("Senate Jobs Bill") | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (70 - 28) |
| Feb. 18, 2010 | CA | ABx8 8 | Internet Sales Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| Feb. 17, 2010 | NM | HB 12 | Health Insurer Service Reimbursement | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| Feb. 16, 2010 | VA | SB 334 | Authorizing Concealed Handguns in Establishments that Serve Alcohol | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| Feb. 16, 2010 | VA | SB 660 | Internet Sales Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 12) |
| Feb. 16, 2010 | VA | SB 464 | Requiring Insurance Coverage of Autism Disorder | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| Feb. 12, 2010 | NM | SB 40 | Authorizing Concealed Weapons in Restaurants that Serve Alcohol | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 15) |
| Feb. 10, 2010 | SC | H 3272 | Property Tax Law Amendments | Bill Failed - Senate (28 - 13) |
| Feb. 10, 2010 | CO | HB 1194 | Repealing Sales Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| Feb. 10, 2010 | CO | HB 1191 | Repealing Sales Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| Feb. 10, 2010 | CO | HB 1192 | Repealing Sales Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| Feb. 10, 2010 | CO | HB 1190 | Suspending Sales Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16) |
| Feb. 10, 2010 | CO | HB 1189 | Repealing Sales Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 15) |
| Feb. 10, 2010 | CO | HB 1199 | Temporary Limit on Income Tax Reduction for Net Operating Loss | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
| Feb. 10, 2010 | CO | HB 1193 | Internet Sales Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
| Jan. 28, 2010 | National | PN 959 | Ben S. Bernanke, Federal Reserve Chairman | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (70 - 30) |
| Jan. 28, 2010 | TN | SB 1092 | Prohibiting Non-Elected Boards from Requiring Nutrition Information on Menus | Veto Override Passed - Senate (24 - 7) |
| Jan. 12, 2010 | IL | HB 1188 | Increasing Cemetery Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24) |
| Jan. 12, 2010 | IN | SB 23 | Unemployment Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| Jan. 11, 2010 | NJ | S 2905 | Requiring Chain Restaurants to Post Nutrition Information | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| Dec. 10, 2009 | NJ | S 2905 | Requiring Chain Restaurants to Post Nutrition Information | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| Nov. 18, 2009 | WV | SB 4004 | Gasoline Tax Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 2) |
| Oct. 6, 2009 | National | S Amdt 2588 | Prohibiting Federal Funding of Mandatory Arbitration Contracts | Amendment Adopted - Senate (68 - 30) |
| Sept. 22, 2009 | WI | AB 119 | Requiring Kindergarten for First Grade Enrollment | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15) |
| Sept. 12, 2009 | CA | SB 14 | Renewable Energy Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/24 | HR 2847 | Employment, Infrastructure, and Transportation Appropriations and Tax Credits ("Senate Jobs Bill") | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (70 - 28) |
| 2/18 | ABx8 8 | Internet Sales Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 2/17 | HB 12 | Health Insurer Service Reimbursement | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| 2/16 | SB 334 | Authorizing Concealed Handguns in Establishments that Serve Alcohol | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| 2/16 | SB 660 | Internet Sales Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 12) |
| 2/16 | SB 464 | Requiring Insurance Coverage of Autism Disorder | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| 2/12 | SB 40 | Authorizing Concealed Weapons in Restaurants that Serve Alcohol | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 15) |
| 2/10 | H 3272 | Property Tax Law Amendments | Bill Failed - Senate (28 - 13) |
| 2/10 | HB 1194 | Repealing Sales Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| 2/10 | HB 1191 | Repealing Sales Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| 2/10 | HB 1192 | Repealing Sales Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| 2/10 | HB 1190 | Suspending Sales Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16) |
| 2/10 | HB 1189 | Repealing Sales Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 15) |
| 2/10 | HB 1199 | Temporary Limit on Income Tax Reduction for Net Operating Loss | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
| 2/10 | HB 1193 | Internet Sales Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
| 1/28 | PN 959 | Ben S. Bernanke, Federal Reserve Chairman | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (70 - 30) |
| 1/28 | SB 1092 | Prohibiting Non-Elected Boards from Requiring Nutrition Information on Menus | Veto Override Passed - Senate (24 - 7) |
| 1/12 | HB 1188 | Increasing Cemetery Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24) |
| 1/12 | SB 23 | Unemployment Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| 1/11 | S 2905 | Requiring Chain Restaurants to Post Nutrition Information | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| 12/10 | S 2905 | Requiring Chain Restaurants to Post Nutrition Information | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| 11/18 | SB 4004 | Gasoline Tax Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 2) |
| 10/06 | S Amdt 2588 | Prohibiting Federal Funding of Mandatory Arbitration Contracts | Amendment Adopted - Senate (68 - 30) |
| 9/22 | AB 119 | Requiring Kindergarten for First Grade Enrollment | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15) |
| 9/12 | SB 14 | Renewable Energy Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |