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 6, 2009 | ND | HB 1171 | Home School Deregulation | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20) |
| April 6, 2009 | OK | SB 553 | Health Insurance Coverage Amendments | Bill Passed - House (77 - 22) |
| April 6, 2009 | MN | SF 10 | Sharing Services For Schools Districts | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 33) |
| April 3, 2009 | GA | HB 243 | Ending New Enrollment in Bonus Program for Teachers' National Certification | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| April 3, 2009 | ID | H 173 | Restricting Eligibility for State Retiree Health Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| April 2, 2009 | MN | Ending Prohibition on New Nuclear Power Plants | Amendment Adopted - Senate (42 - 24) | |
| April 2, 2009 | MI | HB 4454 | Written Foreclosure Notice Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| April 2, 2009 | MT | HB 531 | Red Light Camera Prohibition | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 11) |
| April 2, 2009 | NC | HB 2 | Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - House (72 - 45) |
| April 2, 2009 | MD | SB 277 | Authorizing Speed Monitoring Systems | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20) |
| April 2, 2009 | MI | HB 4453 | Holds in Foreclosure Proceedings | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8) |
| April 2, 2009 | DE | HB 107 | Manufactured Housing Rental Regulations | Bill Passed - House (22 - 16) |
| April 1, 2009 | NC | Amdt 2 to HB 2 | Exempting 18+ Establishments from Smoking Ban | Amendment Adopted - House (70 - 46) |
| April 1, 2009 | VT | H 438 | Gas Tax Increase to Fund Transportation Construction Bonds | Bill Passed - House (108 - 35) |
| April 1, 2009 | MD | SB 844 | Public Service Commission Regulation of New Electric Generation Facilities | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19) |
| April 1, 2009 | ND | SB 2070 | Ban on Smoking in Cars with Children Passengers | Bill Failed - House (31 - 58) |
| April 1, 2009 | IL | HB | Text Messaging while Driving Ban | Bill Passed - House (89 - 27) |
| April 1, 2009 | IL | HB 72 | Cell Phone Ban in School Speed Zones and Construction Zones | Bill Passed - House (90 - 24) |
| April 1, 2009 | GA | SB 200 | Reorganization of the Department of Transportation | Bill Passed - House (90 - 84) |
| April 1, 2009 | OH | HB 2 | 2009-2011 Biennium Transportation Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (70 - 29) |
| April 1, 2009 | IL | HB 71 | Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving | Bill Passed - House (89 - 27) |
| March 31, 2009 | TX | SB 298 | Authorizing Sobriety Checkpoints | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11) |
| March 31, 2009 | WV | SB 419 | Calorie Information Posting Requirement for Restaurants | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16) |
| March 30, 2009 | GA | HB 614 | Prescription Tracking Database | Bill Failed - Senate (25 - 29) |
| March 30, 2009 | ID | H 216 | Allowing Pharmacists to Refuse Prescriptions | Bill Passed - House (48 - 21) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/06 | HB 1171 | Home School Deregulation | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20) |
| 4/06 | SB 553 | Health Insurance Coverage Amendments | Bill Passed - House (77 - 22) |
| 4/06 | SF 10 | Sharing Services For Schools Districts | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 33) |
| 4/03 | HB 243 | Ending New Enrollment in Bonus Program for Teachers' National Certification | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| 4/03 | H 173 | Restricting Eligibility for State Retiree Health Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| 4/02 | Ending Prohibition on New Nuclear Power Plants | Amendment Adopted - Senate (42 - 24) | |
| 4/02 | HB 4454 | Written Foreclosure Notice Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| 4/02 | HB 531 | Red Light Camera Prohibition | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 11) |
| 4/02 | HB 2 | Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - House (72 - 45) |
| 4/02 | SB 277 | Authorizing Speed Monitoring Systems | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20) |
| 4/02 | HB 4453 | Holds in Foreclosure Proceedings | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8) |
| 4/02 | HB 107 | Manufactured Housing Rental Regulations | Bill Passed - House (22 - 16) |
| 4/01 | Amdt 2 to HB 2 | Exempting 18+ Establishments from Smoking Ban | Amendment Adopted - House (70 - 46) |
| 4/01 | H 438 | Gas Tax Increase to Fund Transportation Construction Bonds | Bill Passed - House (108 - 35) |
| 4/01 | SB 844 | Public Service Commission Regulation of New Electric Generation Facilities | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19) |
| 4/01 | SB 2070 | Ban on Smoking in Cars with Children Passengers | Bill Failed - House (31 - 58) |
| 4/01 | HB | Text Messaging while Driving Ban | Bill Passed - House (89 - 27) |
| 4/01 | HB 72 | Cell Phone Ban in School Speed Zones and Construction Zones | Bill Passed - House (90 - 24) |
| 4/01 | SB 200 | Reorganization of the Department of Transportation | Bill Passed - House (90 - 84) |
| 4/01 | HB 2 | 2009-2011 Biennium Transportation Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (70 - 29) |
| 4/01 | HB 71 | Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving | Bill Passed - House (89 - 27) |
| 3/31 | SB 298 | Authorizing Sobriety Checkpoints | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11) |
| 3/31 | SB 419 | Calorie Information Posting Requirement for Restaurants | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16) |
| 3/30 | HB 614 | Prescription Tracking Database | Bill Failed - Senate (25 - 29) |
| 3/30 | H 216 | Allowing Pharmacists to Refuse Prescriptions | Bill Passed - House (48 - 21) |