Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
April 17, 2009 MN SF 2083 2009-2011 Biennium Higher Education Budget Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 23)
April 17, 2009 NE LB 355 Exempting Cigar Bars from the Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22)
April 16, 2009 TN HB 962 Authorizing Guns in Restaurants that Serve Alcohol Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7)
April 16, 2009 ID S 1166 Workers' Compensation Dividend Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7)
April 16, 2009 CA SB 242 Prohibiting Language Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15)
April 15, 2009 TX SB 1049 Increasing Age Restriction on Tobacco Purchases Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 5)
April 14, 2009 HI HB 1744 Allowing a County Surcharge on the Transient Accommodations Tax Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 6)
April 14, 2009 HI HB 1605 Allowing Counties to Impose Retail Sales Tax Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 4)
April 14, 2009 HI HB 952 Amending Unionization Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 4)
April 13, 2009 MD SB 278 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 9)
April 13, 2009 CO SB 281 Clarifying Pinnacol Assurance as a Subdivision of the State Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15)
April 13, 2009 TN SB 1954 Basic Phone Service Deregulation Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 7)
April 9, 2009 AL SB 373 Deregulation of Landline Phone Service Rates Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 8)
April 6, 2009 MN SF 10 Sharing Services For Schools Districts Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 33)
April 3, 2009 GA HB 2 Citizenship Status Verification of Government Assistance Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 16)
April 2, 2009 MI HB 4454 Written Foreclosure Notice Requirement Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9)
April 2, 2009 MI HB 4453 Holds in Foreclosure Proceedings Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8)
April 2, 2009 MI HB 4455 Mortgage Payment Modifications Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 7)
April 1, 2009 MD SB 844 Public Service Commission Regulation of New Electric Generation Facilities Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19)
March 31, 2009 WV SB 419 Calorie Information Posting Requirement for Restaurants Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16)
March 26, 2009 ID S 1148 Alcohol Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
March 24, 2009 IN HB 1379 Unemployment Benefit Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20)
March 23, 2009 CO HB 1260 Designated Beneficiary Agreements Between Unmarried Adults Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10)
March 20, 2009 MT HB 418 Amendments Regarding Horse Slaughterhouses Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23)
March 17, 2009 NM SB 263 Requiring State Contractors to Disclose Campaign Contributions Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/17 SF 2083 2009-2011 Biennium Higher Education Budget Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 23)
4/17 LB 355 Exempting Cigar Bars from the Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22)
4/16 HB 962 Authorizing Guns in Restaurants that Serve Alcohol Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7)
4/16 S 1166 Workers' Compensation Dividend Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7)
4/16 SB 242 Prohibiting Language Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15)
4/15 SB 1049 Increasing Age Restriction on Tobacco Purchases Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 5)
4/14 HB 1744 Allowing a County Surcharge on the Transient Accommodations Tax Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 6)
4/14 HB 1605 Allowing Counties to Impose Retail Sales Tax Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 4)
4/14 HB 952 Amending Unionization Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 4)
4/13 SB 278 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 9)
4/13 SB 281 Clarifying Pinnacol Assurance as a Subdivision of the State Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15)
4/13 SB 1954 Basic Phone Service Deregulation Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 7)
4/09 SB 373 Deregulation of Landline Phone Service Rates Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 8)
4/06 SF 10 Sharing Services For Schools Districts Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 33)
4/03 HB 2 Citizenship Status Verification of Government Assistance Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 16)
4/02 HB 4454 Written Foreclosure Notice Requirement Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9)
4/02 HB 4453 Holds in Foreclosure Proceedings Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8)
4/02 HB 4455 Mortgage Payment Modifications Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 7)
4/01 SB 844 Public Service Commission Regulation of New Electric Generation Facilities Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19)
3/31 SB 419 Calorie Information Posting Requirement for Restaurants Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16)
3/26 S 1148 Alcohol Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
3/24 HB 1379 Unemployment Benefit Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20)
3/23 HB 1260 Designated Beneficiary Agreements Between Unmarried Adults Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10)
3/20 HB 418 Amendments Regarding Horse Slaughterhouses Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23)
3/17 SB 263 Requiring State Contractors to Disclose Campaign Contributions Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11)

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