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. 25, 2009 | IN | HB 1607 | West Lake Commuter Rail Project | Bill Passed - House (68 - 31) |
| Feb. 25, 2009 | VA | SB 1167 | Increasing the Fees for Personalized License Plates | Bill Failed - House (41 - 57) |
| Feb. 25, 2009 | NM | SB 44 | Prohibiting Smoking in Cars with Children | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| Feb. 25, 2009 | AR | SB 78 | Seat Belt Violation as Primary Offense | Bill Passed - House (60 - 31) |
| Feb. 25, 2009 | GA | SB 23 | Admissibility of Seat Belt Evidence in Court | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 12) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | VA | HB 1826 | Driver's License Suspension for Unexcused School Absences | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 3) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | NV | SB 116 | Seat Belt Violation as a Primary Offense | Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | MT | HB 531 | Red Light Camera Prohibition | Bill Passed - House (65 - 35) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | GA | SB 120 | Repeal of Certain MARTA Financial Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 9) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | IN | HB 1215 | Increasing Traffic Fines to Fund Trauma Centers | Bill Passed - House (53 - 42) |
| Feb. 20, 2009 | NE | LB 85 | Bond Revenue to Fund Streets and Bridges | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 10) |
| Feb. 19, 2009 | CA | ABx3 3 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 12) |
| Feb. 19, 2009 | KS | SB 59 | Enforcing Seat Belt Violations as a Primary Offense | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 17) |
| Feb. 19, 2009 | CA | SBx3 7 | Transportation Financing Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 12) |
| Feb. 18, 2009 | SC | S 351 | State Ports Authority Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 14) |
| Feb. 18, 2009 | NH | HB 383 | Mandating Seat Belt Usage | Bill Passed - House (197 - 155) |
| Feb. 16, 2009 | ND | HB 1197 | Seat Belt Violation as Primary Offense | Bill Failed - House (34 - 58) |
| Feb. 16, 2009 | ND | HB 1431 | Increasing Fines for Certain Traffic Violations | Bill Failed - House (35 - 57) |
| Feb. 13, 2009 | ND | SB 2184 | Repeals Auto Rebate Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 6) |
| Feb. 10, 2009 | IN | HB 1656 | Shifting Federal Transportation Funding to Counties and Localities | Bill Passed - House (88 - 11) |
| Feb. 5, 2009 | MT | SB 237 | Primary Seatbelt Enforcement | Bill Failed - Senate (25 - 25) |
| Feb. 5, 2009 | VA | HB 1826 | Driver's License Suspension for Unexcused School Absences | Bill Passed - House (68 - 28) |
| Feb. 5, 2009 | VA | SB 1161 | Classifying a Seat Belt Violation as a Primary Offense | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
| Feb. 5, 2009 | CO | SB 108 | Increasing Vehicle Fees to Fund Transportation Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
| Feb. 3, 2009 | SD | SB 79 | Primary Seat Belt Enforcement | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/25 | HB 1607 | West Lake Commuter Rail Project | Bill Passed - House (68 - 31) |
| 2/25 | SB 1167 | Increasing the Fees for Personalized License Plates | Bill Failed - House (41 - 57) |
| 2/25 | SB 44 | Prohibiting Smoking in Cars with Children | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| 2/25 | SB 78 | Seat Belt Violation as Primary Offense | Bill Passed - House (60 - 31) |
| 2/25 | SB 23 | Admissibility of Seat Belt Evidence in Court | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 12) |
| 2/24 | HB 1826 | Driver's License Suspension for Unexcused School Absences | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 3) |
| 2/24 | SB 116 | Seat Belt Violation as a Primary Offense | Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9) |
| 2/24 | HB 531 | Red Light Camera Prohibition | Bill Passed - House (65 - 35) |
| 2/24 | SB 120 | Repeal of Certain MARTA Financial Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 9) |
| 2/24 | HB 1215 | Increasing Traffic Fines to Fund Trauma Centers | Bill Passed - House (53 - 42) |
| 2/20 | LB 85 | Bond Revenue to Fund Streets and Bridges | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 10) |
| 2/19 | ABx3 3 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 12) |
| 2/19 | SB 59 | Enforcing Seat Belt Violations as a Primary Offense | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 17) |
| 2/19 | SBx3 7 | Transportation Financing Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 12) |
| 2/18 | S 351 | State Ports Authority Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 14) |
| 2/18 | HB 383 | Mandating Seat Belt Usage | Bill Passed - House (197 - 155) |
| 2/16 | HB 1197 | Seat Belt Violation as Primary Offense | Bill Failed - House (34 - 58) |
| 2/16 | HB 1431 | Increasing Fines for Certain Traffic Violations | Bill Failed - House (35 - 57) |
| 2/13 | SB 2184 | Repeals Auto Rebate Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 6) |
| 2/10 | HB 1656 | Shifting Federal Transportation Funding to Counties and Localities | Bill Passed - House (88 - 11) |
| 2/05 | SB 237 | Primary Seatbelt Enforcement | Bill Failed - Senate (25 - 25) |
| 2/05 | HB 1826 | Driver's License Suspension for Unexcused School Absences | Bill Passed - House (68 - 28) |
| 2/05 | SB 1161 | Classifying a Seat Belt Violation as a Primary Offense | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
| 2/05 | SB 108 | Increasing Vehicle Fees to Fund Transportation Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
| 2/03 | SB 79 | Primary Seat Belt Enforcement | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |