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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 10, 2009 | NC | HB 148 | Local Transportation Reforms | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (73 - 40) |
| July 24, 2009 | CA | ABX4 14 | 2009-2010 Budget Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 25) |
| July 24, 2009 | CA | ABX4 26 | Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Revisions: Shifting Redevelopment Funds | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (41 - 31) |
| July 24, 2009 | CA | ABX4 15 | Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Revisions: Implementing Prop 1A Suspension | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 14) |
| June 26, 2009 | MI | HB 4998 | Cobo Convention Center Ownership Transfer | Conference Report Adopted - House (93 - 14) |
| June 25, 2009 | NJ | S 1175 | Requiring an After School Activity Plan for School Districts with At-Risk Pupils | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (56 - 18) |
| June 18, 2009 | MI | SB 587 | Cobo Convention Center | Bill Passed - House (66 - 42) |
| June 18, 2009 | MI | HB 4998 | Cobo Convention Center Ownership Transfer | Bill Passed - House (66 - 43) |
| June 17, 2009 | NY | A 8903-A | Extending City Board Jurisdiction Over New York City Schools | Bill Passed - House (129 - 18) |
| June 12, 2009 | ME | LD 977 | Repealing School District Consolidation | "Ought Not to Pass" Report Adopted - House (74 - 69) |
| June 9, 2009 | DE | HB 117 | School Board Elections | Bill Passed - House (23 - 17) |
| June 3, 2009 | CA | AB 155 | Local Government Bankruptcy Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (47 - 25) |
| June 1, 2009 | NY | A 8501 | Government Consolidation Bill | Bill Passed - House (118 - 26) |
| June 1, 2009 | TN | HJR 369 | Opposing the Adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child | Bill Passed - House (70 - 20) |
| May 29, 2009 | NV | AB 543 | Property Tax Reappropriation | Veto Override Passed - House (33 - 9) |
| May 21, 2009 | NJ | A 1645 | Requiring Qualified Purchasing Agents | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 26) |
| May 19, 2009 | LA | HB 504 | Jefferson Parish School Board Elections | Bill Passed - House (63 - 26) |
| April 30, 2009 | AL | HB 175 | Permitting Elections in Smaller Municipalities on Allowing Alcohol | Veto Override Passed - House (54 - 19) |
| April 21, 2009 | AL | HB 175 | Permitting Elections in Smaller Municipalities on Allowing Alcohol | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 23) |
| April 15, 2009 | OK | SB 834 | Increased Local School Board Control | Bill Passed - House (60 - 39) |
| April 15, 2009 | ID | S 1148 | Alcohol Law Amendments | Bill Failed - House (28 - 42) |
| April 6, 2009 | OR | SB 311 | Changes in Liability Limits | Bill Passed - House (50 - 8) |
| April 3, 2009 | GA | HB 2 | Citizenship Status Verification of Government Assistance Recipients | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (121 - 47) |
| March 16, 2009 | NJ | S 21 | Local Government PERS/PFRS Contribution Deferral | Bill Passed - House (42 - 36) |
| March 12, 2009 | KS | HB 2320 | State Spending Limitations and Savings Accounts | Bill Passed - House (89 - 33) |
| March 12, 2009 | WA | SB 2252 | Shifting Local Tax Revenue | Bill Passed - House (54 - 42) |
| March 10, 2009 | HI | HB 1744 | Suspending the Distribution of Transient Accommodation Tax Revenue to Counties | Bill Passed - House (33 - 17) |
| March 9, 2009 | KY | HB 102 | State and Local Transportation Authorities | Bill Passed - House (67 - 23) |
| March 4, 2009 | UT | SB 29 | Authorizing Corporate Water Systems to Refuse Fluoridation | Bill Passed - House (60 - 11) |
| March 3, 2009 | WA | HB 1956 | Limiting Local Regulations of Homeless Shelters | Bill Passed - House (56 - 41) |
| Feb. 25, 2009 | IN | HB 1730 | Exempting Energy Efficient Projects From Referendum Requirements | Bill Passed - House (52 - 48) |
| Feb. 17, 2009 | SD | HB 1278 | Ban on Local Firearm Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (46 - 20) |
| Feb. 11, 2009 | WY | HB 32 | Gray Wolf Management Plan Amendments | Bill Failed - House (7 - 52) |
| Feb. 10, 2009 | IN | HB 1656 | Shifting Federal Transportation Funding to Counties and Localities | Bill Passed - House (88 - 11) |
| Feb. 4, 2009 | OR | HB 2157 | Severing the Federal and State Income Tax Connection | Bill Passed - House (36 - 23) |
| Feb. 4, 2009 | SD | HB 1171 | Exemptions from School District Minimum Size Requirements | Bill Passed - House (36 - 34) |
| Feb. 3, 2009 | WY | HB 31 | Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - House (31 - 29) |
| Feb. 2, 2009 | NY | A 1688 | Expanding Local Control Over Rent Laws | Bill Passed - House (94 - 49) |
| Jan. 30, 2009 | WY | Amdt 2002 to HB 31 | Allowing Counties and Municipalities to Opt Out of Smoking Ban | Amendment Adopted - House (41 - 18) |
| Jan. 29, 2009 | IA | SF 44 | Expediting Local-Option Tax Approval in Disaster Areas | Bill Passed - House (55 - 37) |
| Dec. 18, 2008 | CA | ABx1 12 | Extending Tax Withholding Requirements to Payments to Independent Contractors | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 28) |
| July 16, 2008 | National | HR 415 | Adding Parts of the Taunton River to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System | Bill Passed - House (242 - 175) |
| July 8, 2008 | NC | HB 2690 | Durham County Meals Tax | Bill Passed - House (60 - 59) |
| June 25, 2008 | PA | A 7738 | Real ID Biometric Data | Bill Failed - House (92 - 108) |
| June 24, 2008 | NY | A 11258 | Mandatory Cigarette Taxation | Bill Passed - House (141 - 3) |
| June 23, 2008 | CA | SB 606 | 'No Child Left Behind' Implementation | Bill Passed - House (54 - 24) |
| June 11, 2008 | CT | SB 1001 | Real Estate Conveyance Tax Extension | Bill Passed - House (82 - 51) |
| June 10, 2008 | LA | SB 807 | Cable Deregulation Bill | Bill Passed - House (94 - 9) |
| June 9, 2008 | CA | SB 606 | 'No Child Left Behind' Implementation | Bill Failed - House (49 - 26) |
| June 4, 2008 | PA | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - House (163 - 38) |
| May 28, 2008 | CA | AB 1991 | Development on Half Moon Bay | Bill Passed - House (46 - 18) |
| May 22, 2008 | IL | HB 2310 | Truancy, Information Sharing, and Fines | Bill Passed - House (85 - 25) |
| May 16, 2008 | MO | HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 | Undocumented Immigrants | Conference Report Adopted - House (136 - 12) |
| May 15, 2008 | MN | SF 960 | Modification of the Definition of Dependents for Local Government Benefits | Bill Passed - House (83 - 50) |
| May 14, 2008 | AZ | HB 2557 | Fine Arts and Physical Education in School | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 9) |
| May 13, 2008 | AZ | HB 2807 | Local Enforcement of Immigration Laws | Veto Override Failed - House (30 - 25) |
| May 13, 2008 | MN | HF 3807 | Real ID Prohibition | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (103 - 30) |
| May 13, 2008 | MO | SB 711 | Property Tax Regulations | Bill Passed - House (147 - 6) |
| May 13, 2008 | LA | HB 25 | Verification of Citizenship or Immigration Status | Bill Passed - House (83 - 11) |
| April 28, 2008 | MN | Walker Amdt to SF 3001 | Sex Education in Schools | Amendment Adopted - House (79 - 53) |
| April 25, 2008 | RI | H 7204 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (60 - 12) |
| April 24, 2008 | AZ | HB 2711 | State Control of Mismanaged Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (44 - 6) |
| April 15, 2008 | CO | HB 1270 | Prohibiting Restrictions on Energy Efficiency Measures | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 10) |
| April 14, 2008 | MN | HF 1351 | Transportation Policy Reform | Conference Report Adopted - House (88 - 44) |
| April 14, 2008 | IA | SF 2216 | State-Mandated Curriculum for Schools | Bill Passed - House (97 - 3) |
| April 9, 2008 | IA | HF 2663 | Statewide Sales Tax Increase for School Infrastructure Funding | Bill Passed - House (59 - 41) |
| April 8, 2008 | MI | SB 120 | Issuing Food Stamps Twice Monthly | Bill Passed - House (87 - 19) |
| April 8, 2008 | CO | SB 128 | Eliminating Sales and Use Tax Cap | Bill Passed - House (38 - 26) |
| April 4, 2008 | GA | SR 845 | Regional Transportation Sales Tax | Conference Report Adopted - House (134 - 34) |
| April 1, 2008 | AZ | HB 2392 | Opting Out of No Child Left Behind Act | Bill Passed - House (46 - 11) |
| March 27, 2008 | GA | SR 845 | Regional Transportation Sales Tax | Resolution Passed - House (136 - 35) |
| March 21, 2008 | ID | HJR 4 | Local Tax Authority | Joint Resolution Passed - House (51 - 19) |
| March 21, 2008 | ID | H 599 | Eliminating the Personal Property Tax | Bill Passed - House (39 - 31) |
| March 19, 2008 | AZ | HB 2677 | Real ID | Bill Passed - House (51 - 8) |
| March 19, 2008 | ID | S 1441 | Prohibiting Local Gun Ordinances | Bill Passed - House (60 - 9) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/10 | HB 148 | Local Transportation Reforms | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (73 - 40) |
| 7/24 | ABX4 14 | 2009-2010 Budget Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 25) |
| 7/24 | ABX4 26 | Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Revisions: Shifting Redevelopment Funds | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (41 - 31) |
| 7/24 | ABX4 15 | Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Revisions: Implementing Prop 1A Suspension | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 14) |
| 6/26 | HB 4998 | Cobo Convention Center Ownership Transfer | Conference Report Adopted - House (93 - 14) |
| 6/25 | S 1175 | Requiring an After School Activity Plan for School Districts with At-Risk Pupils | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (56 - 18) |
| 6/18 | SB 587 | Cobo Convention Center | Bill Passed - House (66 - 42) |
| 6/18 | HB 4998 | Cobo Convention Center Ownership Transfer | Bill Passed - House (66 - 43) |
| 6/17 | A 8903-A | Extending City Board Jurisdiction Over New York City Schools | Bill Passed - House (129 - 18) |
| 6/12 | LD 977 | Repealing School District Consolidation | "Ought Not to Pass" Report Adopted - House (74 - 69) |
| 6/09 | HB 117 | School Board Elections | Bill Passed - House (23 - 17) |
| 6/03 | AB 155 | Local Government Bankruptcy Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (47 - 25) |
| 6/01 | A 8501 | Government Consolidation Bill | Bill Passed - House (118 - 26) |
| 6/01 | HJR 369 | Opposing the Adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child | Bill Passed - House (70 - 20) |
| 5/29 | AB 543 | Property Tax Reappropriation | Veto Override Passed - House (33 - 9) |
| 5/21 | A 1645 | Requiring Qualified Purchasing Agents | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 26) |
| 5/19 | HB 504 | Jefferson Parish School Board Elections | Bill Passed - House (63 - 26) |
| 4/30 | HB 175 | Permitting Elections in Smaller Municipalities on Allowing Alcohol | Veto Override Passed - House (54 - 19) |
| 4/21 | HB 175 | Permitting Elections in Smaller Municipalities on Allowing Alcohol | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 23) |
| 4/15 | SB 834 | Increased Local School Board Control | Bill Passed - House (60 - 39) |
| 4/15 | S 1148 | Alcohol Law Amendments | Bill Failed - House (28 - 42) |
| 4/06 | SB 311 | Changes in Liability Limits | Bill Passed - House (50 - 8) |
| 4/03 | HB 2 | Citizenship Status Verification of Government Assistance Recipients | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (121 - 47) |
| 3/16 | S 21 | Local Government PERS/PFRS Contribution Deferral | Bill Passed - House (42 - 36) |
| 3/12 | HB 2320 | State Spending Limitations and Savings Accounts | Bill Passed - House (89 - 33) |
| 3/12 | SB 2252 | Shifting Local Tax Revenue | Bill Passed - House (54 - 42) |
| 3/10 | HB 1744 | Suspending the Distribution of Transient Accommodation Tax Revenue to Counties | Bill Passed - House (33 - 17) |
| 3/09 | HB 102 | State and Local Transportation Authorities | Bill Passed - House (67 - 23) |
| 3/04 | SB 29 | Authorizing Corporate Water Systems to Refuse Fluoridation | Bill Passed - House (60 - 11) |
| 3/03 | HB 1956 | Limiting Local Regulations of Homeless Shelters | Bill Passed - House (56 - 41) |
| 2/25 | HB 1730 | Exempting Energy Efficient Projects From Referendum Requirements | Bill Passed - House (52 - 48) |
| 2/17 | HB 1278 | Ban on Local Firearm Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (46 - 20) |
| 2/11 | HB 32 | Gray Wolf Management Plan Amendments | Bill Failed - House (7 - 52) |
| 2/10 | HB 1656 | Shifting Federal Transportation Funding to Counties and Localities | Bill Passed - House (88 - 11) |
| 2/04 | HB 2157 | Severing the Federal and State Income Tax Connection | Bill Passed - House (36 - 23) |
| 2/04 | HB 1171 | Exemptions from School District Minimum Size Requirements | Bill Passed - House (36 - 34) |
| 2/03 | HB 31 | Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - House (31 - 29) |
| 2/02 | A 1688 | Expanding Local Control Over Rent Laws | Bill Passed - House (94 - 49) |
| 1/30 | Amdt 2002 to HB 31 | Allowing Counties and Municipalities to Opt Out of Smoking Ban | Amendment Adopted - House (41 - 18) |
| 1/29 | SF 44 | Expediting Local-Option Tax Approval in Disaster Areas | Bill Passed - House (55 - 37) |
| 12/18 | ABx1 12 | Extending Tax Withholding Requirements to Payments to Independent Contractors | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 28) |
| 7/16 | HR 415 | Adding Parts of the Taunton River to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System | Bill Passed - House (242 - 175) |
| 7/08 | HB 2690 | Durham County Meals Tax | Bill Passed - House (60 - 59) |
| 6/25 | A 7738 | Real ID Biometric Data | Bill Failed - House (92 - 108) |
| 6/24 | A 11258 | Mandatory Cigarette Taxation | Bill Passed - House (141 - 3) |
| 6/23 | SB 606 | 'No Child Left Behind' Implementation | Bill Passed - House (54 - 24) |
| 6/11 | SB 1001 | Real Estate Conveyance Tax Extension | Bill Passed - House (82 - 51) |
| 6/10 | SB 807 | Cable Deregulation Bill | Bill Passed - House (94 - 9) |
| 6/09 | SB 606 | 'No Child Left Behind' Implementation | Bill Failed - House (49 - 26) |
| 6/04 | SB 246 | Smoking Ban | Conference Report Adopted - House (163 - 38) |
| 5/28 | AB 1991 | Development on Half Moon Bay | Bill Passed - House (46 - 18) |
| 5/22 | HB 2310 | Truancy, Information Sharing, and Fines | Bill Passed - House (85 - 25) |
| 5/16 | HB 1549, 1771, 1395, 2366 | Undocumented Immigrants | Conference Report Adopted - House (136 - 12) |
| 5/15 | SF 960 | Modification of the Definition of Dependents for Local Government Benefits | Bill Passed - House (83 - 50) |
| 5/14 | HB 2557 | Fine Arts and Physical Education in School | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 9) |
| 5/13 | HB 2807 | Local Enforcement of Immigration Laws | Veto Override Failed - House (30 - 25) |
| 5/13 | HF 3807 | Real ID Prohibition | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (103 - 30) |
| 5/13 | SB 711 | Property Tax Regulations | Bill Passed - House (147 - 6) |
| 5/13 | HB 25 | Verification of Citizenship or Immigration Status | Bill Passed - House (83 - 11) |
| 4/28 | Walker Amdt to SF 3001 | Sex Education in Schools | Amendment Adopted - House (79 - 53) |
| 4/25 | H 7204 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (60 - 12) |
| 4/24 | HB 2711 | State Control of Mismanaged Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (44 - 6) |
| 4/15 | HB 1270 | Prohibiting Restrictions on Energy Efficiency Measures | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 10) |
| 4/14 | HF 1351 | Transportation Policy Reform | Conference Report Adopted - House (88 - 44) |
| 4/14 | SF 2216 | State-Mandated Curriculum for Schools | Bill Passed - House (97 - 3) |
| 4/09 | HF 2663 | Statewide Sales Tax Increase for School Infrastructure Funding | Bill Passed - House (59 - 41) |
| 4/08 | SB 120 | Issuing Food Stamps Twice Monthly | Bill Passed - House (87 - 19) |
| 4/08 | SB 128 | Eliminating Sales and Use Tax Cap | Bill Passed - House (38 - 26) |
| 4/04 | SR 845 | Regional Transportation Sales Tax | Conference Report Adopted - House (134 - 34) |
| 4/01 | HB 2392 | Opting Out of No Child Left Behind Act | Bill Passed - House (46 - 11) |
| 3/27 | SR 845 | Regional Transportation Sales Tax | Resolution Passed - House (136 - 35) |
| 3/21 | HJR 4 | Local Tax Authority | Joint Resolution Passed - House (51 - 19) |
| 3/21 | H 599 | Eliminating the Personal Property Tax | Bill Passed - House (39 - 31) |
| 3/19 | HB 2677 | Real ID | Bill Passed - House (51 - 8) |
| 3/19 | S 1441 | Prohibiting Local Gun Ordinances | Bill Passed - House (60 - 9) |