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. 6, 2009 | GA | SB 83 | Expanding Homestead Property Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 14) |
| Feb. 5, 2009 | CO | SB 108 | Increasing Vehicle Fees to Fund Transportation Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
| Feb. 4, 2009 | VA | SB 1473 | Department of Forestry Land Use Permits | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 9) |
| Feb. 3, 2009 | NY | A 163-A | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| Feb. 3, 2009 | NY | S 249-A | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| Feb. 2, 2009 | UT | SB 4 | 2008-2009 Education Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
| Jan. 30, 2009 | AZ | SB 1001 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 12) |
| Jan. 29, 2009 | MS | HB 364 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| Jan. 29, 2009 | KS | SB 23 | 2008-2009, 2009-2010, and 2010-2011 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| Jan. 28, 2009 | OR | SB 338 | Authorizing Bonds for Public-Works Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| Jan. 28, 2009 | OR | SB 5562 | Authorizing Bonds for Public-Works Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| Jan. 27, 2009 | IA | SF 44 | Expediting Local-Option Tax Approval in Disaster Areas | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| Jan. 15, 2009 | CT | HB 5095 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| Jan. 14, 2009 | FL | SB 2-A | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 13) |
| Dec. 18, 2008 | CA | ABx1 5 | Modifying Transportation Project Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
| Dec. 18, 2008 | CA | ABx1 4 | Reducing Education Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8) |
| Dec. 18, 2008 | CA | ABx1 8 | Amending Sentencing, Parole, and Property Crime Statutes | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| Dec. 18, 2008 | CA | ABx1 2 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| Dec. 18, 2008 | OH | HB 649 | Funding Veterans' Bonuses Using the Budget Stabilization Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 8) |
| Dec. 15, 2008 | NJ | S 1599 | Mortgage and Housing Assistance Programs | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| Dec. 15, 2008 | NJ | A 3373 | Amending NJ STARS/NJ STARS II Scholarship Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 4) |
| Dec. 10, 2008 | MI | SB 861 | Tuition Assistance for Students in High Poverty Areas | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
| Nov. 24, 2008 | NJ | A 3459 | Foreclosure Assistance Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 9) |
| Nov. 24, 2008 | NJ | A 3294 | Capital Investment and Employment Grants | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 7) |
| Nov. 18, 2008 | NE | Amdt 4 | Establishing an Age Limit on Safe Haven Law | Amendment Rejected - Senate (23 - 26) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/06 | SB 83 | Expanding Homestead Property Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 14) |
| 2/05 | SB 108 | Increasing Vehicle Fees to Fund Transportation Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
| 2/04 | SB 1473 | Department of Forestry Land Use Permits | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 9) |
| 2/03 | A 163-A | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| 2/03 | S 249-A | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 29) |
| 2/02 | SB 4 | 2008-2009 Education Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
| 1/30 | SB 1001 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 12) |
| 1/29 | HB 364 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| 1/29 | SB 23 | 2008-2009, 2009-2010, and 2010-2011 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| 1/28 | SB 338 | Authorizing Bonds for Public-Works Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| 1/28 | SB 5562 | Authorizing Bonds for Public-Works Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| 1/27 | SF 44 | Expediting Local-Option Tax Approval in Disaster Areas | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| 1/15 | HB 5095 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| 1/14 | SB 2-A | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 13) |
| 12/18 | ABx1 5 | Modifying Transportation Project Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
| 12/18 | ABx1 4 | Reducing Education Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8) |
| 12/18 | ABx1 8 | Amending Sentencing, Parole, and Property Crime Statutes | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 12/18 | ABx1 2 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15) |
| 12/18 | HB 649 | Funding Veterans' Bonuses Using the Budget Stabilization Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 8) |
| 12/15 | S 1599 | Mortgage and Housing Assistance Programs | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| 12/15 | A 3373 | Amending NJ STARS/NJ STARS II Scholarship Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 4) |
| 12/10 | SB 861 | Tuition Assistance for Students in High Poverty Areas | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
| 11/24 | A 3459 | Foreclosure Assistance Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 9) |
| 11/24 | A 3294 | Capital Investment and Employment Grants | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 7) |
| 11/18 | Amdt 4 | Establishing an Age Limit on Safe Haven Law | Amendment Rejected - Senate (23 - 26) |