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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 7, 2009 | National | H Amdt 510 | Substitute Health Care and Insurance Law Amendments | Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 258) |
| Oct. 29, 2009 | RI | HB 5044 | Prostitution Ban | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (46 - 9) |
| Oct. 29, 2009 | RI | HB 5044 | Prostitution Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 2) |
| Oct. 28, 2009 | NH | HB 648 | Medical Marijuana Legalization | Veto Override Failed - Senate (14 - 10) |
| Oct. 28, 2009 | NH | HB 648 | Medical Marijuana Legalization | Veto Override Passed - House (240 - 115) |
| Oct. 20, 2009 | National | HR 2892 | 2009-2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Authorizations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (79 - 19) |
| Oct. 15, 2009 | National | HR 2892 | 2009-2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Authorizations | Conference Report Adopted - House (307 - 114) |
| Oct. 8, 2009 | MA | SB 2028 | Pandemic and Disaster Preparedness Plan | Bill Passed - House (114 - 36) |
| Oct. 6, 2009 | National | S Amdt 2588 | Prohibiting Federal Funding of Mandatory Arbitration Contracts | Amendment Adopted - Senate (68 - 30) |
| Sept. 30, 2009 | MI | HB 4437 | 2009-2010 Department of Corrections Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 14) |
| Sept. 29, 2009 | MI | HB 4437 | 2009-2010 Department of Corrections Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (85 - 23) |
| Sept. 17, 2009 | MI | SB 253 | 2009-2010 Department of State Police Budget | Bill Passed - House (68 - 39) |
| Sept. 11, 2009 | CA | SBx3 18 | Correctional Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| Sept. 10, 2009 | CA | AB 524 | Privacy Law Expansion | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 20) |
| Sept. 9, 2009 | CA | SB 54 | Recognizing Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| Sept. 8, 2009 | CA | SB 572 | Harvey Milk Day | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| Sept. 8, 2009 | CA | AB 524 | Privacy Law Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
| Sept. 4, 2009 | CA | AB 793 | Clarifying Statute of Limitations for Wage Discrimination Lawsuits | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| Sept. 3, 2009 | CA | SB 572 | Harvey Milk Day | Bill Passed - House (46 - 28) |
| Sept. 3, 2009 | CA | SB 54 | Recognizing Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages | Bill Passed - House (47 - 29) |
| Aug. 31, 2009 | CA | SBx3 18 | Correctional Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (41 - 37) |
| Aug. 20, 2009 | CA | ABx3 14 | Correctional Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19) |
| Aug. 12, 2009 | AZ | HB 2010 | Budget Reconciliation (Criminal Justice) | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 8) |
| Aug. 5, 2009 | NC | SB 461 | Racial Discrimination in Capital Sentences | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 18) |
| Aug. 5, 2009 | NC | SB 461 | Racial Discrimination in Capital Sentences | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 18) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11/07 | H Amdt 510 | Substitute Health Care and Insurance Law Amendments | Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 258) |
| 10/29 | HB 5044 | Prostitution Ban | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (46 - 9) |
| 10/29 | HB 5044 | Prostitution Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 2) |
| 10/28 | HB 648 | Medical Marijuana Legalization | Veto Override Failed - Senate (14 - 10) |
| 10/28 | HB 648 | Medical Marijuana Legalization | Veto Override Passed - House (240 - 115) |
| 10/20 | HR 2892 | 2009-2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Authorizations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (79 - 19) |
| 10/15 | HR 2892 | 2009-2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Authorizations | Conference Report Adopted - House (307 - 114) |
| 10/08 | SB 2028 | Pandemic and Disaster Preparedness Plan | Bill Passed - House (114 - 36) |
| 10/06 | S Amdt 2588 | Prohibiting Federal Funding of Mandatory Arbitration Contracts | Amendment Adopted - Senate (68 - 30) |
| 9/30 | HB 4437 | 2009-2010 Department of Corrections Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 14) |
| 9/29 | HB 4437 | 2009-2010 Department of Corrections Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (85 - 23) |
| 9/17 | SB 253 | 2009-2010 Department of State Police Budget | Bill Passed - House (68 - 39) |
| 9/11 | SBx3 18 | Correctional Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
| 9/10 | AB 524 | Privacy Law Expansion | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 20) |
| 9/09 | SB 54 | Recognizing Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| 9/08 | SB 572 | Harvey Milk Day | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| 9/08 | AB 524 | Privacy Law Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
| 9/04 | AB 793 | Clarifying Statute of Limitations for Wage Discrimination Lawsuits | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
| 9/03 | SB 572 | Harvey Milk Day | Bill Passed - House (46 - 28) |
| 9/03 | SB 54 | Recognizing Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages | Bill Passed - House (47 - 29) |
| 8/31 | SBx3 18 | Correctional Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (41 - 37) |
| 8/20 | ABx3 14 | Correctional Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19) |
| 8/12 | HB 2010 | Budget Reconciliation (Criminal Justice) | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 8) |
| 8/05 | SB 461 | Racial Discrimination in Capital Sentences | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 18) |
| 8/05 | SB 461 | Racial Discrimination in Capital Sentences | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 18) |