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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 10, 2009 | MD | SB 277 | Authorizing Speed Monitoring Systems | Bill Passed - House (94 - 41) |
| April 10, 2009 | MD | SB 277 | Authorizing Speed Monitoring Systems | Bill Passed - House (94 - 41) |
| April 9, 2009 | MT | HB 228 | Amending Concealed Weapons and Self-Defense Statutes | Conference Report Adopted - House (85 - 14) |
| April 9, 2009 | MT | HB 228 | Amending Concealed Weapons and Self-Defense Statutes | Conference Report Adopted - House (85 - 14) |
| April 8, 2009 | NH | HB 415 | Prohibiting Gender Identity Discrimination | Bill Passed - House (188 - 187) |
| April 7, 2009 | VT | S 115 | Same-Sex Marriage | Veto Override Passed - House (100 - 49) |
| April 6, 2009 | TN | HB 962 | Authorizing Guns in Restaurants that Serve Alcohol | Bill Passed - House (70 - 26) |
| April 3, 2009 | VT | S 115 | Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (94 - 52) |
| April 3, 2009 | ND | SB 2278 | Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination | Bill Failed - House (34 - 54) |
| April 3, 2009 | GA | SB 86 | Requiring Proof of Citizenship for Voter Registration | Bill Passed - House (140 - 67) |
| April 2, 2009 | NC | HB 2 | Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - House (72 - 45) |
| April 2, 2009 | National | HR 1256 | FDA Oversight of Tobacco Products | Bill Passed - House (298 - 112) |
| April 1, 2009 | NC | Amdt 2 to HB 2 | Exempting 18+ Establishments from Smoking Ban | Amendment Adopted - House (70 - 46) |
| April 1, 2009 | ND | SB 2070 | Ban on Smoking in Cars with Children Passengers | Bill Failed - House (31 - 58) |
| April 1, 2009 | IL | HB | Text Messaging while Driving Ban | Bill Passed - House (89 - 27) |
| April 1, 2009 | OK | SB 4 | Voter Identification | Bill Passed - House (71 - 27) |
| April 1, 2009 | IL | HB 71 | Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving | Bill Passed - House (89 - 27) |
| March 27, 2009 | WV | HB 2621 | Prohibiting the Use of Cell Phones While Driving | Bill Passed - House (80 - 18) |
| March 26, 2009 | MD | SB 279 | Capital Punishment Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (87 - 52) |
| March 26, 2009 | NH | HB 436 | Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (186 - 179) |
| March 25, 2009 | NH | HB 556 | Abolishing the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - House (193 - 174) |
| March 25, 2009 | KS | HB 2275 | Drug Testing for Cash Assistance Recipients | Bill Passed - House (99 - 26) |
| March 25, 2009 | KS | HB 2275 | Drug Testing for Cash Assistance Recipients | Bill Passed - House (99 - 26) |
| March 25, 2009 | NH | HB 648 | Medical Marijuana Legalization | Bill Passed - House (234 - 138) |
| March 24, 2009 | NH | HB 34 | Banning Text Messaging While Driving | Bill Passed - House (222 - 137) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/10 | SB 277 | Authorizing Speed Monitoring Systems | Bill Passed - House (94 - 41) |
| 4/10 | SB 277 | Authorizing Speed Monitoring Systems | Bill Passed - House (94 - 41) |
| 4/09 | HB 228 | Amending Concealed Weapons and Self-Defense Statutes | Conference Report Adopted - House (85 - 14) |
| 4/09 | HB 228 | Amending Concealed Weapons and Self-Defense Statutes | Conference Report Adopted - House (85 - 14) |
| 4/08 | HB 415 | Prohibiting Gender Identity Discrimination | Bill Passed - House (188 - 187) |
| 4/07 | S 115 | Same-Sex Marriage | Veto Override Passed - House (100 - 49) |
| 4/06 | HB 962 | Authorizing Guns in Restaurants that Serve Alcohol | Bill Passed - House (70 - 26) |
| 4/03 | S 115 | Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (94 - 52) |
| 4/03 | SB 2278 | Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination | Bill Failed - House (34 - 54) |
| 4/03 | SB 86 | Requiring Proof of Citizenship for Voter Registration | Bill Passed - House (140 - 67) |
| 4/02 | HB 2 | Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - House (72 - 45) |
| 4/02 | HR 1256 | FDA Oversight of Tobacco Products | Bill Passed - House (298 - 112) |
| 4/01 | Amdt 2 to HB 2 | Exempting 18+ Establishments from Smoking Ban | Amendment Adopted - House (70 - 46) |
| 4/01 | SB 2070 | Ban on Smoking in Cars with Children Passengers | Bill Failed - House (31 - 58) |
| 4/01 | HB | Text Messaging while Driving Ban | Bill Passed - House (89 - 27) |
| 4/01 | SB 4 | Voter Identification | Bill Passed - House (71 - 27) |
| 4/01 | HB 71 | Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving | Bill Passed - House (89 - 27) |
| 3/27 | HB 2621 | Prohibiting the Use of Cell Phones While Driving | Bill Passed - House (80 - 18) |
| 3/26 | SB 279 | Capital Punishment Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (87 - 52) |
| 3/26 | HB 436 | Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (186 - 179) |
| 3/25 | HB 556 | Abolishing the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - House (193 - 174) |
| 3/25 | HB 2275 | Drug Testing for Cash Assistance Recipients | Bill Passed - House (99 - 26) |
| 3/25 | HB 2275 | Drug Testing for Cash Assistance Recipients | Bill Passed - House (99 - 26) |
| 3/25 | HB 648 | Medical Marijuana Legalization | Bill Passed - House (234 - 138) |
| 3/24 | HB 34 | Banning Text Messaging While Driving | Bill Passed - House (222 - 137) |