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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 19, 2009 | VA | SB 1105 | Prohibiting Smoking in Restaurants | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 13) |
| Feb. 19, 2009 | NM | SB 77 | Allowing Embryonic Stem Cell Research | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 14) |
| Feb. 19, 2009 | ND | HB 1213 | Prohibiting Smoking in Bars and Hotels | Bill Failed - House (33 - 59) |
| Feb. 18, 2009 | IA | HF 311 | Health Insurance Coverage for Prosthetics | Bill Passed - House (64 - 33) |
| Feb. 17, 2009 | ND | HB 1572 | Legislative Intent With Regards to the Legal Definition of Life | Bill Passed - House (51 - 41) |
| Feb. 17, 2009 | KS | SB 25 | Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| Feb. 16, 2009 | MT | SB 142 | Consideration of Gender for Insurance Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23) |
| Feb. 12, 2009 | MS | HB 234 | Sex Education Pilot Program | Bill Passed - House (79 - 40) |
| Feb. 12, 2009 | MS | HB 234 | Sex Education Pilot Program | Bill Passed - House (79 - 40) |
| Feb. 12, 2009 | AR | HB 1204 | Tobacco Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| Feb. 9, 2009 | VA | SB 1105 | Prohibiting Smoking in Restaurants | Bill Passed - House (59 - 39) |
| Feb. 6, 2009 | ND | SB 2330 | Prohibiting the Use of Credit Information By Insurers | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 29) |
| Feb. 6, 2009 | WY | SF 18 | Expanding Workers Compensation Coverage to Include Mental Injury | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13) |
| Feb. 5, 2009 | AR | HB 1204 | Tobacco Tax Increase | Bill Passed - House (75 - 24) |
| Feb. 3, 2009 | UT | HB 90 | Increasing Illegal Abortion Penalty | Bill Passed - House (56 - 16) |
| Feb. 3, 2009 | UT | HB 90 | Increasing Illegal Abortion Penalty | Bill Passed - House (56 - 16) |
| Feb. 3, 2009 | VA | SB 1105 | Prohibiting Smoking in Bars and Restaurants | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| Feb. 3, 2009 | UT | HB 222 | Offering Anesthetics to Women Undergoing Abortions | Bill Passed - House (56 - 15) |
| Feb. 3, 2009 | UT | HB 222 | Offering Anesthetics to Women Undergoing Abortions | Bill Passed - House (56 - 15) |
| Feb. 3, 2009 | SD | SB 83 | Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 18) |
| Feb. 3, 2009 | WY | HB 31 | Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - House (31 - 29) |
| Feb. 3, 2009 | MT | HB 157 | Children's Health Insurance Program Appropriations and Amendments | Bill Passed - House (60 - 40) |
| Feb. 2, 2009 | MT | SJ 7 | Statement of Opposition to Expansion of EPA Jurisdiction (H.R. 2421) | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| Feb. 2, 2009 | ND | SB 2070 | Ban on Smoking in Cars with Children Passengers | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 10) |
| Feb. 2, 2009 | CO | HB 1091 | Carbon Monoxide Detector Requirements | Bill Passed - House (43 - 21) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/19 | SB 1105 | Prohibiting Smoking in Restaurants | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 13) |
| 2/19 | SB 77 | Allowing Embryonic Stem Cell Research | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 14) |
| 2/19 | HB 1213 | Prohibiting Smoking in Bars and Hotels | Bill Failed - House (33 - 59) |
| 2/18 | HF 311 | Health Insurance Coverage for Prosthetics | Bill Passed - House (64 - 33) |
| 2/17 | HB 1572 | Legislative Intent With Regards to the Legal Definition of Life | Bill Passed - House (51 - 41) |
| 2/17 | SB 25 | Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| 2/16 | SB 142 | Consideration of Gender for Insurance Coverage | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23) |
| 2/12 | HB 234 | Sex Education Pilot Program | Bill Passed - House (79 - 40) |
| 2/12 | HB 234 | Sex Education Pilot Program | Bill Passed - House (79 - 40) |
| 2/12 | HB 1204 | Tobacco Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| 2/09 | SB 1105 | Prohibiting Smoking in Restaurants | Bill Passed - House (59 - 39) |
| 2/06 | SB 2330 | Prohibiting the Use of Credit Information By Insurers | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 29) |
| 2/06 | SF 18 | Expanding Workers Compensation Coverage to Include Mental Injury | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13) |
| 2/05 | HB 1204 | Tobacco Tax Increase | Bill Passed - House (75 - 24) |
| 2/03 | HB 90 | Increasing Illegal Abortion Penalty | Bill Passed - House (56 - 16) |
| 2/03 | HB 90 | Increasing Illegal Abortion Penalty | Bill Passed - House (56 - 16) |
| 2/03 | SB 1105 | Prohibiting Smoking in Bars and Restaurants | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| 2/03 | HB 222 | Offering Anesthetics to Women Undergoing Abortions | Bill Passed - House (56 - 15) |
| 2/03 | HB 222 | Offering Anesthetics to Women Undergoing Abortions | Bill Passed - House (56 - 15) |
| 2/03 | SB 83 | Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 18) |
| 2/03 | HB 31 | Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - House (31 - 29) |
| 2/03 | HB 157 | Children's Health Insurance Program Appropriations and Amendments | Bill Passed - House (60 - 40) |
| 2/02 | SJ 7 | Statement of Opposition to Expansion of EPA Jurisdiction (H.R. 2421) | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| 2/02 | SB 2070 | Ban on Smoking in Cars with Children Passengers | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 10) |
| 2/02 | HB 1091 | Carbon Monoxide Detector Requirements | Bill Passed - House (43 - 21) |