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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 22, 2009 | OR | SB 76 | Klamath River Dams | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (19 - 9) |
| June 12, 2009 | OR | HB 3298 | Creating a Water Management Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 12) |
| June 9, 2009 | WI | SB 107 | Electronics Sale and Disposal Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| June 3, 2009 | CA | SB 458 | Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| June 3, 2009 | CA | SB 229 | California Water Commission Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| June 1, 2009 | CA | SB 435 | Smog Check Requirements for Motorcycles | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| May 14, 2009 | CA | SB 4 | Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| May 5, 2009 | VT | H 446 | Renewable Energy Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 10) |
| May 1, 2009 | FL | SB 360 | Growth Management Deregulation | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 7) |
| April 29, 2009 | National | S Con Res 13 | 2010 Concurrent Budget Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 43) |
| April 13, 2009 | MD | SB 278 | Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 9) |
| April 8, 2009 | ME | LD 67 | Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
| April 2, 2009 | MN | Ending Prohibition on New Nuclear Power Plants | Amendment Adopted - Senate (42 - 24) | |
| March 19, 2009 | National | HR 146 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 | Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 20) |
| March 5, 2009 | KS | HB 2014 | Allowing Coal Power Plants | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 9) |
| March 2, 2009 | MD | SB 278 | Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 9) |
| Feb. 21, 2009 | MT | SB 387 | Restrictions on Appeals for Energy Project Permits | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23) |
| Feb. 2, 2009 | MT | SJ 7 | Statement of Opposition to Expansion of EPA Jurisdiction (H.R. 2421) | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| Jan. 26, 2009 | MT | SB 131 | Wildland-Urban Interface | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21) |
| Jan. 15, 2009 | National | S 22 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 21) |
| Jan. 14, 2009 | FL | SB 2-A | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 13) |
| Dec. 18, 2008 | CA | ABx1 5 | Modifying Transportation Project Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
| Sept. 18, 2008 | MI | HB 5524 | Energy Utility Regulations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 11) |
| Sept. 18, 2008 | MI | SB 213 | Renewable Electricity Standards | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 10) |
| Aug. 30, 2008 | CA | SB 375 | Global Warming and Land Use Policy | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/22 | SB 76 | Klamath River Dams | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (19 - 9) |
| 6/12 | HB 3298 | Creating a Water Management Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 12) |
| 6/09 | SB 107 | Electronics Sale and Disposal Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| 6/03 | SB 458 | Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| 6/03 | SB 229 | California Water Commission Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| 6/01 | SB 435 | Smog Check Requirements for Motorcycles | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| 5/14 | SB 4 | Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 5/05 | H 446 | Renewable Energy Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 10) |
| 5/01 | SB 360 | Growth Management Deregulation | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 7) |
| 4/29 | S Con Res 13 | 2010 Concurrent Budget Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 43) |
| 4/13 | SB 278 | Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 9) |
| 4/08 | LD 67 | Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
| 4/02 | Ending Prohibition on New Nuclear Power Plants | Amendment Adopted - Senate (42 - 24) | |
| 3/19 | HR 146 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 | Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 20) |
| 3/05 | HB 2014 | Allowing Coal Power Plants | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 9) |
| 3/02 | SB 278 | Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 9) |
| 2/21 | SB 387 | Restrictions on Appeals for Energy Project Permits | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23) |
| 2/02 | SJ 7 | Statement of Opposition to Expansion of EPA Jurisdiction (H.R. 2421) | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| 1/26 | SB 131 | Wildland-Urban Interface | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21) |
| 1/15 | S 22 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 21) |
| 1/14 | SB 2-A | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 13) |
| 12/18 | ABx1 5 | Modifying Transportation Project Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
| 9/18 | HB 5524 | Energy Utility Regulations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 11) |
| 9/18 | SB 213 | Renewable Electricity Standards | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (26 - 10) |
| 8/30 | SB 375 | Global Warming and Land Use Policy | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |