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 1, 2009 | GA | SB 200 | Reorganization of the Department of Transportation | Bill Passed - House (90 - 84) |
| April 1, 2009 | OH | HB 2 | 2009-2011 Biennium Transportation Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (70 - 29) |
| March 31, 2009 | KS | HB 2354 | 2009-2010 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 5) |
| March 31, 2009 | KS | HB 2354 | 2009-2010 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (71 - 53) |
| March 31, 2009 | NY | A 158-B | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - House (88 - 59) |
| March 31, 2009 | FL | HB 903 | Capping Attorney Fees in Workers' Compensation Lawsuits | Bill Passed - House (84 - 35) |
| March 31, 2009 | NY | A 159-B | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - House (86 - 59) |
| March 31, 2009 | NY | A 157-B | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - House (85 - 61) |
| March 31, 2009 | NY | A 156-B | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - House (91 - 56) |
| March 26, 2009 | FL | Amdt 677495 | Amendments to Attorney Fee Cap in Workers Compensation Lawsuits | Amendment Rejected - House (45 - 69) |
| March 26, 2009 | MD | SB 279 | Capital Punishment Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (87 - 52) |
| March 26, 2009 | MN | HF 1797 | Federal Stimulus Transportation Funding | Bill Passed - House (113 - 19) |
| March 26, 2009 | MD | HB 310 | Extending Unemployment Benefits to Part-Time Employees | Bill Passed - House (94 - 43) |
| March 26, 2009 | MI | HB 4317 | Extending Pharmaceutical Manufacturer Liability | Bill Passed - House (56 - 53) |
| March 26, 2009 | MO | HB 2 | 2009-10 Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (92 - 64) |
| March 26, 2009 | MO | HB 10 | 2009-10 Health Budget | Bill Passed - House (88 - 66) |
| March 26, 2009 | ID | H 262 | Teacher Compensation Adjustments | Bill Passed - House (49 - 20) |
| March 26, 2009 | MO | HB 11 | 2009-2010 Social Services Budget | Bill Passed - House (88 - 66) |
| March 26, 2009 | ID | S 1148 | Alcohol Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| March 25, 2009 | KS | HB 2275 | Drug Testing for Cash Assistance Recipients | Bill Passed - House (99 - 26) |
| March 25, 2009 | PA | SB 490 | Oil and Gas Lease Fund Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| March 25, 2009 | GA | SB 83 | Expanding Homestead Property Tax Exemption | Bill Failed - House (109 - 63) |
| March 24, 2009 | KS | HB 2354 | 2009-2010 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 14) |
| March 24, 2009 | IN | HB 1379 | Unemployment Benefit Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20) |
| March 24, 2009 | WI | SB 37 | Allowing Drivers To Keep Licenses While Paying Fines | Bill Passed - House (53 - 45) |
| March 24, 2009 | NC | SB 287 | State Health Plan Changes and Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 18) |
| March 24, 2009 | KS | HB 2373 | 2009-2011 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - House (70 - 54) |
| March 23, 2009 | VT | Same-Sex Marriage Ballot Question | Amendment Rejected - Senate (11 - 19) | |
| March 23, 2009 | GA | HB 233 | Two-Year Property Tax Assessment Freeze | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (114 - 55) |
| March 23, 2009 | CO | HB 1260 | Designated Beneficiary Agreements Between Unmarried Adults | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| March 21, 2009 | NM | SB 116 | Campaign Contribution Limits | Bill Passed - House (49 - 17) |
| March 20, 2009 | ID | H 214 | Voluntary Death Certificates for Miscarriages | Bill Failed - House (31 - 32) |
| March 19, 2009 | NM | HB 154 | Capital Improvement Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (37 - 28) |
| March 19, 2009 | ID | H 246 | Gasoline Tax Increase | Bill Failed - House (27 - 43) |
| March 19, 2009 | IA | SF 389 | Health Insurance Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| March 19, 2009 | NM | HB 393 | Opening Conference Committees to the Public | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 8) |
| March 18, 2009 | OH | HB 2 | 2009-2011 Biennium Transportation Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 9) |
| March 17, 2009 | NM | SB 263 | Requiring State Contractors to Disclose Campaign Contributions | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11) |
| March 17, 2009 | MT | HB 2 | 2009-2011 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - House (65 - 35) |
| March 17, 2009 | IA | HF 670 | Early Absentee Vote Counting | Bill Passed - House (76 - 22) |
| March 17, 2009 | CO | HB 1299 | National Popular Vote Act | Bill Passed - House (34 - 29) |
| March 17, 2009 | CO | SB 228 | Repealing the General Fund Spending Cap | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| March 16, 2009 | NJ | S 2091 | Formalizing Palimony Agreements | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| March 16, 2009 | NJ | S 2091 | Formalizing Palimony Agreements | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| March 16, 2009 | NJ | S 21 | Local Government PERS/PFRS Contribution Deferral | Bill Passed - House (42 - 36) |
| March 16, 2009 | NJ | S 21 | Local Government PERS/PFRS Contribution Deferral | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| March 16, 2009 | NJ | S 21 | Local Government PERS/PFRS Contribution Deferral | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| March 16, 2009 | NJ | S 21 | Local Government PERS/PFRS Contribution Deferral | Bill Passed - House (42 - 36) |
| March 13, 2009 | NM | HB 346 | Increasing Gross Receipts Tax and Compensating Tax to Fund Education | Bill Passed - House (37 - 31) |
| March 13, 2009 | SD | HB 1300 | 2009-2010 Budget | Bill Passed - House (42 - 28) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/01 | SB 200 | Reorganization of the Department of Transportation | Bill Passed - House (90 - 84) |
| 4/01 | HB 2 | 2009-2011 Biennium Transportation Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (70 - 29) |
| 3/31 | HB 2354 | 2009-2010 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 5) |
| 3/31 | HB 2354 | 2009-2010 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (71 - 53) |
| 3/31 | A 158-B | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - House (88 - 59) |
| 3/31 | HB 903 | Capping Attorney Fees in Workers' Compensation Lawsuits | Bill Passed - House (84 - 35) |
| 3/31 | A 159-B | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - House (86 - 59) |
| 3/31 | A 157-B | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - House (85 - 61) |
| 3/31 | A 156-B | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - House (91 - 56) |
| 3/26 | Amdt 677495 | Amendments to Attorney Fee Cap in Workers Compensation Lawsuits | Amendment Rejected - House (45 - 69) |
| 3/26 | SB 279 | Capital Punishment Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (87 - 52) |
| 3/26 | HF 1797 | Federal Stimulus Transportation Funding | Bill Passed - House (113 - 19) |
| 3/26 | HB 310 | Extending Unemployment Benefits to Part-Time Employees | Bill Passed - House (94 - 43) |
| 3/26 | HB 4317 | Extending Pharmaceutical Manufacturer Liability | Bill Passed - House (56 - 53) |
| 3/26 | HB 2 | 2009-10 Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (92 - 64) |
| 3/26 | HB 10 | 2009-10 Health Budget | Bill Passed - House (88 - 66) |
| 3/26 | H 262 | Teacher Compensation Adjustments | Bill Passed - House (49 - 20) |
| 3/26 | HB 11 | 2009-2010 Social Services Budget | Bill Passed - House (88 - 66) |
| 3/26 | S 1148 | Alcohol Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 3/25 | HB 2275 | Drug Testing for Cash Assistance Recipients | Bill Passed - House (99 - 26) |
| 3/25 | SB 490 | Oil and Gas Lease Fund Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| 3/25 | SB 83 | Expanding Homestead Property Tax Exemption | Bill Failed - House (109 - 63) |
| 3/24 | HB 2354 | 2009-2010 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 14) |
| 3/24 | HB 1379 | Unemployment Benefit Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20) |
| 3/24 | SB 37 | Allowing Drivers To Keep Licenses While Paying Fines | Bill Passed - House (53 - 45) |
| 3/24 | SB 287 | State Health Plan Changes and Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 18) |
| 3/24 | HB 2373 | 2009-2011 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - House (70 - 54) |
| 3/23 | Same-Sex Marriage Ballot Question | Amendment Rejected - Senate (11 - 19) | |
| 3/23 | HB 233 | Two-Year Property Tax Assessment Freeze | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (114 - 55) |
| 3/23 | HB 1260 | Designated Beneficiary Agreements Between Unmarried Adults | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| 3/21 | SB 116 | Campaign Contribution Limits | Bill Passed - House (49 - 17) |
| 3/20 | H 214 | Voluntary Death Certificates for Miscarriages | Bill Failed - House (31 - 32) |
| 3/19 | HB 154 | Capital Improvement Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (37 - 28) |
| 3/19 | H 246 | Gasoline Tax Increase | Bill Failed - House (27 - 43) |
| 3/19 | SF 389 | Health Insurance Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| 3/19 | HB 393 | Opening Conference Committees to the Public | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 8) |
| 3/18 | HB 2 | 2009-2011 Biennium Transportation Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 9) |
| 3/17 | SB 263 | Requiring State Contractors to Disclose Campaign Contributions | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11) |
| 3/17 | HB 2 | 2009-2011 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - House (65 - 35) |
| 3/17 | HF 670 | Early Absentee Vote Counting | Bill Passed - House (76 - 22) |
| 3/17 | HB 1299 | National Popular Vote Act | Bill Passed - House (34 - 29) |
| 3/17 | SB 228 | Repealing the General Fund Spending Cap | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 3/16 | S 2091 | Formalizing Palimony Agreements | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 3/16 | S 2091 | Formalizing Palimony Agreements | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 3/16 | S 21 | Local Government PERS/PFRS Contribution Deferral | Bill Passed - House (42 - 36) |
| 3/16 | S 21 | Local Government PERS/PFRS Contribution Deferral | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| 3/16 | S 21 | Local Government PERS/PFRS Contribution Deferral | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| 3/16 | S 21 | Local Government PERS/PFRS Contribution Deferral | Bill Passed - House (42 - 36) |
| 3/13 | HB 346 | Increasing Gross Receipts Tax and Compensating Tax to Fund Education | Bill Passed - House (37 - 31) |
| 3/13 | HB 1300 | 2009-2010 Budget | Bill Passed - House (42 - 28) |