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 22, 2009 | NC | SB 287 | State Health Plan Changes and Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - House (60 - 56) |
| April 22, 2009 | NC | SB 287 | State Health Plan Changes and Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 19) |
| April 22, 2009 | WA | HB 1517 | Expediting the Restoration of Felons' Voting Rights | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 44) |
| April 22, 2009 | WA | HB 2344 | Allowing Tuition Increases | Bill Passed - House (50 - 47) |
| April 22, 2009 | OR | HB 2672 | Increasing Moist Snuff Tobacco Tax and Regulations | Bill Passed - House (40 - 18) |
| April 21, 2009 | WA | SB 5288 | Probation Time Reductions | Bill Passed - House (51 - 45) |
| April 21, 2009 | ID | H 262 | Teacher Compensation Adjustments | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| April 20, 2009 | WA | HB 2261 | Education Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (67 - 31) |
| April 20, 2009 | TX | HB 681 | Warning Signs Regarding Mercury Levels in Fish | Bill Passed - House (95 - 50) |
| April 20, 2009 | NV | AB 495 | Removing Medical Malpractice Award Cap | Bill Passed - House (26 - 15) |
| April 20, 2009 | MN | SF 802 | 2009-2011 Biennium Public Safety and Corrections Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 31) |
| April 17, 2009 | MN | SF 2083 | 2009-2011 Biennium Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 23) |
| April 17, 2009 | MN | SF 2083 | 2009-2011 Biennium Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 23) |
| April 17, 2009 | MN | Limit of 3 Percent on Tuition Increases | Amendment Rejected - Senate (32 - 33) | |
| April 17, 2009 | NV | SB 372 | Smoking Ban Exceptions | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 5) |
| April 17, 2009 | MN | SF 971 | School Anti-Bullying Policy Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 22) |
| April 16, 2009 | MN | Limmer Amdt | Homosexuality in Education | Amendment Rejected - Senate (24 - 37) |
| April 16, 2009 | WA | HB 2261 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
| April 16, 2009 | NC | HB 88 | Parental Choice Between Abstinence-Only or Comprehensive Sex Education | Bill Passed - House (62 - 52) |
| April 16, 2009 | MO | HJR 32 | Bonds to Fund Higher Education | Joint Resolution Passed - House (131 - 28) |
| April 16, 2009 | MO | HB 668 | Firearm Regulation Amendments | Bill Passed - House (105 - 50) |
| April 16, 2009 | MO | SB 306 | State Health Care Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
| April 16, 2009 | CA | SB 242 | Prohibiting Language Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| April 15, 2009 | IN | SB 89 | Health Care Amendments | Bill Passed - House (73 - 20) |
| April 15, 2009 | WA | HB 1517 | Expediting the Restoration of Felons' Voting Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 19) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/22 | SB 287 | State Health Plan Changes and Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - House (60 - 56) |
| 4/22 | SB 287 | State Health Plan Changes and Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (29 - 19) |
| 4/22 | HB 1517 | Expediting the Restoration of Felons' Voting Rights | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 44) |
| 4/22 | HB 2344 | Allowing Tuition Increases | Bill Passed - House (50 - 47) |
| 4/22 | HB 2672 | Increasing Moist Snuff Tobacco Tax and Regulations | Bill Passed - House (40 - 18) |
| 4/21 | SB 5288 | Probation Time Reductions | Bill Passed - House (51 - 45) |
| 4/21 | H 262 | Teacher Compensation Adjustments | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| 4/20 | HB 2261 | Education Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (67 - 31) |
| 4/20 | HB 681 | Warning Signs Regarding Mercury Levels in Fish | Bill Passed - House (95 - 50) |
| 4/20 | AB 495 | Removing Medical Malpractice Award Cap | Bill Passed - House (26 - 15) |
| 4/20 | SF 802 | 2009-2011 Biennium Public Safety and Corrections Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 31) |
| 4/17 | SF 2083 | 2009-2011 Biennium Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 23) |
| 4/17 | SF 2083 | 2009-2011 Biennium Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 23) |
| 4/17 | Limit of 3 Percent on Tuition Increases | Amendment Rejected - Senate (32 - 33) | |
| 4/17 | SB 372 | Smoking Ban Exceptions | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 5) |
| 4/17 | SF 971 | School Anti-Bullying Policy Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 22) |
| 4/16 | Limmer Amdt | Homosexuality in Education | Amendment Rejected - Senate (24 - 37) |
| 4/16 | HB 2261 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
| 4/16 | HB 88 | Parental Choice Between Abstinence-Only or Comprehensive Sex Education | Bill Passed - House (62 - 52) |
| 4/16 | HJR 32 | Bonds to Fund Higher Education | Joint Resolution Passed - House (131 - 28) |
| 4/16 | HB 668 | Firearm Regulation Amendments | Bill Passed - House (105 - 50) |
| 4/16 | SB 306 | State Health Care Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
| 4/16 | SB 242 | Prohibiting Language Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| 4/15 | SB 89 | Health Care Amendments | Bill Passed - House (73 - 20) |
| 4/15 | HB 1517 | Expediting the Restoration of Felons' Voting Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 19) |