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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 19, 2009 | TN | HB 390 | Allowing Loaded "Long Guns" in Vehicles | Bill Passed - House (82 - 10) |
| March 17, 2009 | MD | HB 359 | Handgun Permit Eligibility for Domestic Abuse Victims | Bill Failed - House (51 - 86) |
| March 17, 2009 | MD | HB 302 | Allowing Judges to Confiscate Firearms from Domestic Abuse Suspects | Bill Passed - House (92 - 45) |
| March 12, 2009 | TN | HB 254 | Eliminating Thumbprint Requirement for Gun Purchases | Bill Passed - House (82 - 11) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | VA | SB 1035 | Allowing Guns in Alcohol-Serving Establishments | Bill Passed - House (66 - 33) |
| Feb. 18, 2009 | ND | HB 1348 | Allowing Concealed Firearms on Campuses | Bill Passed - House (48 - 46) |
| Feb. 17, 2009 | SD | HB 1278 | Ban on Local Firearm Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (46 - 20) |
| Feb. 11, 2009 | AR | HB 1237 | Allowing Concealed Weapons in Churches | Bill Passed - House (57 - 42) |
| Feb. 10, 2009 | MT | HB 228 | Amending Concealed Weapons and Self-Defense Statutes | Bill Passed - House (60 - 40) |
| Dec. 11, 2008 | MI | SB 505 | Authorizing Judges to Carry Concealed Weapons in Courtrooms | Bill Passed - House (80 - 18) |
| Sept. 17, 2008 | National | HR 6842 | Repealing Portions of the D.C. Firearm Ban | Bill Passed - House (266 - 152) |
| Aug. 13, 2008 | CA | SB 1171 | Expanding Loaded Firearm Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (45 - 32) |
| July 29, 2008 | MA | Peterson Amdt to H 5022 | Reducing Firearm Licensing Fee | Amendment Adopted - House (97 - 59) |
| June 27, 2008 | AZ | HB 2389 | Involving Gun Owners' Rights | Conference Report Adopted - House (33 - 21) |
| June 23, 2008 | NJ | A 339 | Handgun Purchasing Limitations | Bill Passed - House (47 - 28) |
| June 20, 2008 | LA | SB 51 | Guns in Parked Locked Cars | Bill Passed - House (66 - 35) |
| May 29, 2008 | CA | AB 2062 | Regulation Of Ammunition Sales | Bill Passed - House (42 - 32) |
| May 28, 2008 | OH | SB 184 | Lethal Force Against Intruders | Bill Passed - House (73 - 23) |
| May 21, 2008 | AZ | HB 2629 | Legalizing the Defensive Display of a Firearm | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (34 - 26) |
| May 7, 2008 | IL | HB 4139 | Peace Officer Firearms | Bill Passed - House (91 - 18) |
| April 30, 2008 | IL | HB 5191 | Parental Responsibility for Gun Accessibility | Bill Passed - House (74 - 36) |
| April 1, 2008 | PA | A 6178 to HB 1845 | Reporting Missing Firearms | Amendment Rejected - House (75 - 128) |
| March 31, 2008 | MS | HB 1089 | Legalizing Deer Baiting | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 51) |
| March 27, 2008 | AZ | HB 2788 | Relaxing Concealed Weapon Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (51 - 5) |
| March 26, 2008 | FL | HB 503 | Firearms in Vehicles | Bill Passed - House (72 - 42) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/19 | HB 390 | Allowing Loaded "Long Guns" in Vehicles | Bill Passed - House (82 - 10) |
| 3/17 | HB 359 | Handgun Permit Eligibility for Domestic Abuse Victims | Bill Failed - House (51 - 86) |
| 3/17 | HB 302 | Allowing Judges to Confiscate Firearms from Domestic Abuse Suspects | Bill Passed - House (92 - 45) |
| 3/12 | HB 254 | Eliminating Thumbprint Requirement for Gun Purchases | Bill Passed - House (82 - 11) |
| 2/24 | SB 1035 | Allowing Guns in Alcohol-Serving Establishments | Bill Passed - House (66 - 33) |
| 2/18 | HB 1348 | Allowing Concealed Firearms on Campuses | Bill Passed - House (48 - 46) |
| 2/17 | HB 1278 | Ban on Local Firearm Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (46 - 20) |
| 2/11 | HB 1237 | Allowing Concealed Weapons in Churches | Bill Passed - House (57 - 42) |
| 2/10 | HB 228 | Amending Concealed Weapons and Self-Defense Statutes | Bill Passed - House (60 - 40) |
| 12/11 | SB 505 | Authorizing Judges to Carry Concealed Weapons in Courtrooms | Bill Passed - House (80 - 18) |
| 9/17 | HR 6842 | Repealing Portions of the D.C. Firearm Ban | Bill Passed - House (266 - 152) |
| 8/13 | SB 1171 | Expanding Loaded Firearm Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (45 - 32) |
| 7/29 | Peterson Amdt to H 5022 | Reducing Firearm Licensing Fee | Amendment Adopted - House (97 - 59) |
| 6/27 | HB 2389 | Involving Gun Owners' Rights | Conference Report Adopted - House (33 - 21) |
| 6/23 | A 339 | Handgun Purchasing Limitations | Bill Passed - House (47 - 28) |
| 6/20 | SB 51 | Guns in Parked Locked Cars | Bill Passed - House (66 - 35) |
| 5/29 | AB 2062 | Regulation Of Ammunition Sales | Bill Passed - House (42 - 32) |
| 5/28 | SB 184 | Lethal Force Against Intruders | Bill Passed - House (73 - 23) |
| 5/21 | HB 2629 | Legalizing the Defensive Display of a Firearm | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (34 - 26) |
| 5/07 | HB 4139 | Peace Officer Firearms | Bill Passed - House (91 - 18) |
| 4/30 | HB 5191 | Parental Responsibility for Gun Accessibility | Bill Passed - House (74 - 36) |
| 4/01 | A 6178 to HB 1845 | Reporting Missing Firearms | Amendment Rejected - House (75 - 128) |
| 3/31 | HB 1089 | Legalizing Deer Baiting | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 51) |
| 3/27 | HB 2788 | Relaxing Concealed Weapon Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (51 - 5) |
| 3/26 | HB 503 | Firearms in Vehicles | Bill Passed - House (72 - 42) |