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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 20, 2009 | OR | HB 2067 | Expiration Dates for Tax Credits | Bill Passed - House (36 - 24) |
| April 20, 2009 | NV | AB 495 | Removing Medical Malpractice Award Cap | Bill Passed - House (26 - 15) |
| April 20, 2009 | TX | HB 681 | Warning Signs Regarding Mercury Levels in Fish | Bill Passed - House (95 - 50) |
| April 17, 2009 | MN | SF 2083 | 2009-2011 Biennium Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 23) |
| April 17, 2009 | NE | LB 355 | Exempting Cigar Bars from the Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| April 17, 2009 | NV | SB 372 | Smoking Ban Exceptions | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 5) |
| April 16, 2009 | TN | HB 962 | Authorizing Guns in Restaurants that Serve Alcohol | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| April 16, 2009 | MO | HB 258 | Excluding Tipped Employees from Mandatory Minimum Wage Increases | Bill Passed - House (86 - 74) |
| April 16, 2009 | MO | HB 795 | Minimum Wage and Sales Tax Modifications for Businesses | Bill Passed - House (87 - 70) |
| April 16, 2009 | ID | S 1166 | Workers' Compensation Dividend Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
| April 16, 2009 | CA | SB 242 | Prohibiting Language Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| April 15, 2009 | OR | HB 2794 | Mandatory HPV Vaccination Coverage | Bill Passed - House (48 - 12) |
| April 15, 2009 | TX | SB 1049 | Increasing Age Restriction on Tobacco Purchases | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 5) |
| April 15, 2009 | ID | S 1148 | Alcohol Law Amendments | Bill Failed - House (28 - 42) |
| April 14, 2009 | HI | SB 1111 | Transient Accommodation Tax Increase | Bill Passed - House (37 - 11) |
| April 14, 2009 | HI | HB 952 | Amending Unionization Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 4) |
| April 14, 2009 | HI | HB 1744 | Allowing a County Surcharge on the Transient Accommodations Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 6) |
| April 14, 2009 | HI | HB 1605 | Allowing Counties to Impose Retail Sales Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 4) |
| April 13, 2009 | MD | SB 278 | Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 9) |
| April 13, 2009 | MD | SB 278 | Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan | Bill Passed - House (107 - 30) |
| April 13, 2009 | TN | SB 1954 | Basic Phone Service Deregulation | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 7) |
| April 13, 2009 | CO | SB 281 | Clarifying Pinnacol Assurance as a Subdivision of the State | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| April 11, 2009 | WV | SB 246 | Temporary Unemployment Compensation Tax Increase for Employers | Bill Passed - House (71 - 29) |
| April 9, 2009 | AL | SB 373 | Deregulation of Landline Phone Service Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 8) |
| April 6, 2009 | OK | SB 553 | Health Insurance Coverage Amendments | Bill Passed - House (77 - 22) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/20 | HB 2067 | Expiration Dates for Tax Credits | Bill Passed - House (36 - 24) |
| 4/20 | AB 495 | Removing Medical Malpractice Award Cap | Bill Passed - House (26 - 15) |
| 4/20 | HB 681 | Warning Signs Regarding Mercury Levels in Fish | Bill Passed - House (95 - 50) |
| 4/17 | SF 2083 | 2009-2011 Biennium Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 23) |
| 4/17 | LB 355 | Exempting Cigar Bars from the Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| 4/17 | SB 372 | Smoking Ban Exceptions | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 5) |
| 4/16 | HB 962 | Authorizing Guns in Restaurants that Serve Alcohol | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| 4/16 | HB 258 | Excluding Tipped Employees from Mandatory Minimum Wage Increases | Bill Passed - House (86 - 74) |
| 4/16 | HB 795 | Minimum Wage and Sales Tax Modifications for Businesses | Bill Passed - House (87 - 70) |
| 4/16 | S 1166 | Workers' Compensation Dividend Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
| 4/16 | SB 242 | Prohibiting Language Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| 4/15 | HB 2794 | Mandatory HPV Vaccination Coverage | Bill Passed - House (48 - 12) |
| 4/15 | SB 1049 | Increasing Age Restriction on Tobacco Purchases | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 5) |
| 4/15 | S 1148 | Alcohol Law Amendments | Bill Failed - House (28 - 42) |
| 4/14 | SB 1111 | Transient Accommodation Tax Increase | Bill Passed - House (37 - 11) |
| 4/14 | HB 952 | Amending Unionization Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 4) |
| 4/14 | HB 1744 | Allowing a County Surcharge on the Transient Accommodations Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 6) |
| 4/14 | HB 1605 | Allowing Counties to Impose Retail Sales Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 4) |
| 4/13 | SB 278 | Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 9) |
| 4/13 | SB 278 | Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan | Bill Passed - House (107 - 30) |
| 4/13 | SB 1954 | Basic Phone Service Deregulation | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 7) |
| 4/13 | SB 281 | Clarifying Pinnacol Assurance as a Subdivision of the State | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| 4/11 | SB 246 | Temporary Unemployment Compensation Tax Increase for Employers | Bill Passed - House (71 - 29) |
| 4/09 | SB 373 | Deregulation of Landline Phone Service Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 8) |
| 4/06 | SB 553 | Health Insurance Coverage Amendments | Bill Passed - House (77 - 22) |