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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 15, 2009 | PA | SB 711 | Legalizing Table Games | Bill Passed - House (103 - 92) |
| Dec. 13, 2009 | National | HR 3288 | 2009-2010 Omnibus Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (57 - 35) |
| Dec. 11, 2009 | National | HR 4173 | Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (223 - 202) |
| Dec. 10, 2009 | National | HR 3288 | 2009-2010 Omnibus Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - House (221 - 202) |
| Dec. 10, 2009 | CA | ABx5 8 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (48 - 25) |
| Dec. 10, 2009 | NJ | S 2905 | Requiring Chain Restaurants to Post Nutrition Information | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| Dec. 8, 2009 | National | S Amdt 2962 | Prohibiting Federally Funded Abortion Services | Amendment Tabled - Senate (54 - 45) |
| Dec. 3, 2009 | National | HR 4154 | Estate Tax Law Amendments and Reinstatement of PAYGO | Bill Passed - House (225 - 200) |
| Dec. 3, 2009 | MI | SB 638 | "Consistent Ineffectiveness" as Grounds for Discharging or Demoting Tenured Teachers | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| Nov. 20, 2009 | WV | SB 4004 | Gasoline Tax Amendments | Bill Passed - House (64 - 23) |
| Nov. 19, 2009 | National | HR 3961 | Revising Medicare Physician Fee Schedules and Reinstatement of PAYGO | Bill Passed - House (243 - 183) |
| Nov. 18, 2009 | WV | SB 4004 | Gasoline Tax Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 2) |
| Nov. 17, 2009 | MA | S 2205 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 11) |
| Nov. 7, 2009 | National | H Amdt 510 | Substitute Health Care and Insurance Law Amendments | Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 258) |
| Nov. 7, 2009 | National | HR 3962 | Health Care and Insurance Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (220 - 215) |
| Nov. 5, 2009 | WI | SB 223 | University of Wisconsin Board of Regents Geographic Composition Requirements | Bill Passed - House (59 - 34) |
| Nov. 5, 2009 | WI | SB 371 | Higher Education Student Data System | Bill Passed - House (73 - 20) |
| Nov. 5, 2009 | WI | SB 371 | Higher Education Student Data System | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 7) |
| Nov. 5, 2009 | National | HR 3548 | Extending Federal Emergency Unemployment Benefits and Providing Business and Homebuyer Tax Credits | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (403 - 12) |
| Nov. 5, 2009 | WI | SB 372 | Teacher Evaluation Amendments | Bill Passed - House (47 - 46) |
| Nov. 5, 2009 | WI | SB 372 | Teacher Evaluation Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
| Nov. 5, 2009 | WI | AB 458 | Sex Education Curriculum Requirements | Bill Passed - House (48 - 43) |
| Nov. 5, 2009 | WI | AB 458 | Sex Education Curriculum Requirements | Bill Passed - House (48 - 43) |
| Nov. 4, 2009 | CA | SBx7 7 | Statewide Water Conservation Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| Nov. 4, 2009 | CA | SBx7 8 | Water Diversion Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 3) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/15 | SB 711 | Legalizing Table Games | Bill Passed - House (103 - 92) |
| 12/13 | HR 3288 | 2009-2010 Omnibus Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (57 - 35) |
| 12/11 | HR 4173 | Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act | Bill Passed - House (223 - 202) |
| 12/10 | HR 3288 | 2009-2010 Omnibus Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - House (221 - 202) |
| 12/10 | ABx5 8 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (48 - 25) |
| 12/10 | S 2905 | Requiring Chain Restaurants to Post Nutrition Information | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| 12/08 | S Amdt 2962 | Prohibiting Federally Funded Abortion Services | Amendment Tabled - Senate (54 - 45) |
| 12/03 | HR 4154 | Estate Tax Law Amendments and Reinstatement of PAYGO | Bill Passed - House (225 - 200) |
| 12/03 | SB 638 | "Consistent Ineffectiveness" as Grounds for Discharging or Demoting Tenured Teachers | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| 11/20 | SB 4004 | Gasoline Tax Amendments | Bill Passed - House (64 - 23) |
| 11/19 | HR 3961 | Revising Medicare Physician Fee Schedules and Reinstatement of PAYGO | Bill Passed - House (243 - 183) |
| 11/18 | SB 4004 | Gasoline Tax Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 2) |
| 11/17 | S 2205 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 11) |
| 11/07 | H Amdt 510 | Substitute Health Care and Insurance Law Amendments | Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 258) |
| 11/07 | HR 3962 | Health Care and Insurance Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (220 - 215) |
| 11/05 | SB 223 | University of Wisconsin Board of Regents Geographic Composition Requirements | Bill Passed - House (59 - 34) |
| 11/05 | SB 371 | Higher Education Student Data System | Bill Passed - House (73 - 20) |
| 11/05 | SB 371 | Higher Education Student Data System | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 7) |
| 11/05 | HR 3548 | Extending Federal Emergency Unemployment Benefits and Providing Business and Homebuyer Tax Credits | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (403 - 12) |
| 11/05 | SB 372 | Teacher Evaluation Amendments | Bill Passed - House (47 - 46) |
| 11/05 | SB 372 | Teacher Evaluation Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
| 11/05 | AB 458 | Sex Education Curriculum Requirements | Bill Passed - House (48 - 43) |
| 11/05 | AB 458 | Sex Education Curriculum Requirements | Bill Passed - House (48 - 43) |
| 11/04 | SBx7 7 | Statewide Water Conservation Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 11/04 | SBx7 8 | Water Diversion Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 3) |