Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
March 2, 2009 KY SB 79 Pre-Abortion Ultrasound Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 4)
March 2, 2009 KY SB 79 Pre-Abortion Ultrasound Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 4)
Feb. 26, 2009 SC H 3245 24-Hour Waiting Period for Abortions Bill Passed - House (87 - 24)
Feb. 26, 2009 SC H 3245 24-Hour Waiting Period for Abortions Bill Passed - House (87 - 24)
Feb. 26, 2009 National HR 1105 2009 Budget Bill Bill Passed - House (245 - 178)
Feb. 25, 2009 MT SB 374 Parental Notification for Underage Abortions Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21)
Feb. 24, 2009 SC Amdt 2 Exempting Cases of Rape from Abortion Waiting Period Amendment Tabled - House (69 - 45)
Feb. 24, 2009 SC Amdt 2 Exempting Cases of Rape from Abortion Waiting Period Amendment Tabled - House (69 - 45)
Feb. 24, 2009 SC Amdt 5 Prohibiting Employment Termination Due to Abortion Waiting Period Amendment Rejected - House (54 - 60)
Feb. 24, 2009 SC Amdt 5 Prohibiting Employment Termination Due to Abortion Waiting Period Amendment Rejected - House (54 - 60)
Feb. 23, 2009 HI SB 777 Requiring Comprehensive Sex Education When Using State Funds Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 3)
Feb. 20, 2009 MT SB 46 Amending Constitutional Right to Privacy with Regards to Abortion Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 22)
Feb. 17, 2009 ND HB 1572 Legislative Intent With Regards to the Legal Definition of Life Bill Passed - House (51 - 41)
Feb. 17, 2009 ND HB 1572 Legislative Intent With Regards to the Legal Definition of Life Bill Passed - House (51 - 41)
Feb. 16, 2009 ND HB 1445 Amending Abortion Requirements Bill Passed - House (61 - 31)
Feb. 12, 2009 MS HB 234 Sex Education Pilot Program Bill Passed - House (79 - 40)
Feb. 10, 2009 IN SB 90 Pre-Abortion Notification Requirement Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 11)
Feb. 3, 2009 UT HB 90 Increasing Illegal Abortion Penalty Bill Passed - House (56 - 16)
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 UT HB 90 Increasing Illegal Abortion Penalty Bill Passed - House (56 - 16)
Jan. 29, 2009 UT HB 17 Allowing Doctors to Prescribe Antibiotics to Unnamed Sexual Partners Bill Passed - House (63 - 8)
July 24, 2008 National HR 5501 Funding to Combat AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis Concurrence Vote Passed - House (303 - 115)
July 16, 2008 National HR 5501 Funding to Combat AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis Bill Passed - Senate (80 - 16)
June 18, 2008 AZ SB 1048 Prohibiting Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Conference Report Adopted - House (19 - 7)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/02 SB 79 Pre-Abortion Ultrasound Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 4)
3/02 SB 79 Pre-Abortion Ultrasound Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 4)
2/26 H 3245 24-Hour Waiting Period for Abortions Bill Passed - House (87 - 24)
2/26 H 3245 24-Hour Waiting Period for Abortions Bill Passed - House (87 - 24)
2/26 HR 1105 2009 Budget Bill Bill Passed - House (245 - 178)
2/25 SB 374 Parental Notification for Underage Abortions Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21)
2/24 Amdt 2 Exempting Cases of Rape from Abortion Waiting Period Amendment Tabled - House (69 - 45)
2/24 Amdt 2 Exempting Cases of Rape from Abortion Waiting Period Amendment Tabled - House (69 - 45)
2/24 Amdt 5 Prohibiting Employment Termination Due to Abortion Waiting Period Amendment Rejected - House (54 - 60)
2/24 Amdt 5 Prohibiting Employment Termination Due to Abortion Waiting Period Amendment Rejected - House (54 - 60)
2/23 SB 777 Requiring Comprehensive Sex Education When Using State Funds Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 3)
2/20 SB 46 Amending Constitutional Right to Privacy with Regards to Abortion Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 22)
2/17 HB 1572 Legislative Intent With Regards to the Legal Definition of Life Bill Passed - House (51 - 41)
2/17 HB 1572 Legislative Intent With Regards to the Legal Definition of Life Bill Passed - House (51 - 41)
2/16 HB 1445 Amending Abortion Requirements Bill Passed - House (61 - 31)
2/12 HB 234 Sex Education Pilot Program Bill Passed - House (79 - 40)
2/10 SB 90 Pre-Abortion Notification Requirement Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 11)
2/03 HB 90 Increasing Illegal Abortion Penalty Bill Passed - House (56 - 16)
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 HB 90 Increasing Illegal Abortion Penalty Bill Passed - House (56 - 16)
1/29 HB 17 Allowing Doctors to Prescribe Antibiotics to Unnamed Sexual Partners Bill Passed - House (63 - 8)
7/24 HR 5501 Funding to Combat AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis Concurrence Vote Passed - House (303 - 115)
7/16 HR 5501 Funding to Combat AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis Bill Passed - Senate (80 - 16)
6/18 SB 1048 Prohibiting Partial-Birth/Late-Term Abortion Conference Report Adopted - House (19 - 7)

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