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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 23, 2009 | GA | HB 233 | Two-Year Property Tax Assessment Freeze | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (114 - 55) |
| March 19, 2009 | IA | SF 389 | Health Insurance Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| March 19, 2009 | TX | SB 188 | Authorizes Needle Exchange Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 6) |
| March 18, 2009 | IL | HB 442 | Expanding Red-Light Traffic Camera Enforcement | Bill Passed - House (68 - 47) |
| March 17, 2009 | MD | HB 359 | Handgun Permit Eligibility for Domestic Abuse Victims | Bill Failed - House (51 - 86) |
| March 17, 2009 | MD | HB 302 | Allowing Judges to Confiscate Firearms from Domestic Abuse Suspects | Bill Passed - House (92 - 45) |
| March 16, 2009 | NJ | S 2577 | Age-Restricted Housing Exemptions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| March 16, 2009 | NJ | S 2577 | Age-Restricted Housing Exemptions | Bill Passed - House (42 - 28) |
| March 13, 2009 | WV | SB 238 | Ban on Sexual Orientation Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| March 13, 2009 | NM | HB 346 | Increasing Gross Receipts Tax and Compensating Tax to Fund Education | Bill Passed - House (37 - 31) |
| March 13, 2009 | AR | SB 239 | Authorization for Unlicensed Assistants to Perform Simple Medical Procedures | Bill Passed - House (59 - 29) |
| March 12, 2009 | SD | HB 1197 | Tax Changes Relating to Single Family Dwellings Under Construction | Veto Override Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| March 12, 2009 | UT | HB 2 | 2009-2010 Education Budget | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 27) |
| March 12, 2009 | WA | HB 2261 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (71 - 26) |
| March 12, 2009 | GA | HB 243 | Ending New Enrollment in Bonus Program for Teachers' National Certification | Bill Passed - House (92 - 79) |
| March 11, 2009 | SD | HB 1197 | Tax Changes Relating to Single Family Dwellings Under Construction | Veto Override Passed - House (60 - 10) |
| March 11, 2009 | UT | HB 2 | 2009-2010 Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 9) |
| March 11, 2009 | MI | HB 4454 | Written Foreclosure Notice Requirement | Bill Passed - House (75 - 33) |
| March 11, 2009 | UT | SB 48 | Amending Requirements for Obtaining Teaching Licenses | Bill Failed - House (17 - 49) |
| March 11, 2009 | OK | HJR 1042 | English as Official State Language | Joint Resolution Passed - House (66 - 32) |
| March 11, 2009 | OR | HB 2509 | Sexual Education | Bill Passed - House (41 - 19) |
| March 11, 2009 | OR | HB 2509 | Sexual Education | Bill Passed - House (41 - 19) |
| March 11, 2009 | NH | SB 115 | Expanding Subsidized Health Care Program Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 4) |
| March 11, 2009 | UT | HB 179 | Authorizing Land Swap for Development of UTA Rail Station | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| March 11, 2009 | WA | SB 5895 | Housing Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 24) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/23 | HB 233 | Two-Year Property Tax Assessment Freeze | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (114 - 55) |
| 3/19 | SF 389 | Health Insurance Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| 3/19 | SB 188 | Authorizes Needle Exchange Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 6) |
| 3/18 | HB 442 | Expanding Red-Light Traffic Camera Enforcement | Bill Passed - House (68 - 47) |
| 3/17 | HB 359 | Handgun Permit Eligibility for Domestic Abuse Victims | Bill Failed - House (51 - 86) |
| 3/17 | HB 302 | Allowing Judges to Confiscate Firearms from Domestic Abuse Suspects | Bill Passed - House (92 - 45) |
| 3/16 | S 2577 | Age-Restricted Housing Exemptions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| 3/16 | S 2577 | Age-Restricted Housing Exemptions | Bill Passed - House (42 - 28) |
| 3/13 | SB 238 | Ban on Sexual Orientation Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| 3/13 | HB 346 | Increasing Gross Receipts Tax and Compensating Tax to Fund Education | Bill Passed - House (37 - 31) |
| 3/13 | SB 239 | Authorization for Unlicensed Assistants to Perform Simple Medical Procedures | Bill Passed - House (59 - 29) |
| 3/12 | HB 1197 | Tax Changes Relating to Single Family Dwellings Under Construction | Veto Override Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| 3/12 | HB 2 | 2009-2010 Education Budget | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 27) |
| 3/12 | HB 2261 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (71 - 26) |
| 3/12 | HB 243 | Ending New Enrollment in Bonus Program for Teachers' National Certification | Bill Passed - House (92 - 79) |
| 3/11 | HB 1197 | Tax Changes Relating to Single Family Dwellings Under Construction | Veto Override Passed - House (60 - 10) |
| 3/11 | HB 2 | 2009-2010 Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 9) |
| 3/11 | HB 4454 | Written Foreclosure Notice Requirement | Bill Passed - House (75 - 33) |
| 3/11 | SB 48 | Amending Requirements for Obtaining Teaching Licenses | Bill Failed - House (17 - 49) |
| 3/11 | HJR 1042 | English as Official State Language | Joint Resolution Passed - House (66 - 32) |
| 3/11 | HB 2509 | Sexual Education | Bill Passed - House (41 - 19) |
| 3/11 | HB 2509 | Sexual Education | Bill Passed - House (41 - 19) |
| 3/11 | SB 115 | Expanding Subsidized Health Care Program Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 4) |
| 3/11 | HB 179 | Authorizing Land Swap for Development of UTA Rail Station | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| 3/11 | SB 5895 | Housing Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 24) |