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. 12, 2009 | KS | SB 23 | 2008-2009, 2009-2010, and 2010-2011Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 11) |
| Feb. 12, 2009 | AR | HB 1204 | Tobacco Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| Feb. 12, 2009 | GA | HB 233 | Two-Year Property Tax Assessment Freeze | Bill Passed - House (110 - 63) |
| Feb. 10, 2009 | WY | HB 218 | Amending Hathaway Scholarship Requirements | Bill Failed - House (29 - 30) |
| Feb. 10, 2009 | KY | SB 3 | Allowing Early High School Graduation | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| Feb. 10, 2009 | OH | SB 35 | State Enforcement of Federal Immigration Law | (21 - 11) |
| Feb. 10, 2009 | IN | HB 1723 | 2009-2010 Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (52 - 46) |
| Feb. 10, 2009 | MT | HB 228 | Amending Concealed Weapons and Self-Defense Statutes | Bill Passed - House (60 - 40) |
| Feb. 9, 2009 | VA | SB 1105 | Prohibiting Smoking in Restaurants | Bill Passed - House (59 - 39) |
| Feb. 9, 2009 | VA | SJ 354 | Civil Rights for Nonviolent Felons | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (19 - 19) |
| Feb. 9, 2009 | WY | HB 170 | State Lottery for Scholarship Funding | Bill Failed - House (25 - 35) |
| Feb. 9, 2009 | VA | SJ 273 | Legislative Restoration of Voting Rights for Nonviolent Felons | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| Feb. 9, 2009 | ND | SB 2238 | Higher Education Tuition Increase Limits | Bill Failed - Senate (21 - 22) |
| Feb. 9, 2009 | CO | HB 1057 | Mandatory Unpaid Parental Work Leave for Education Activities | Bill Passed - House (35 - 30) |
| Feb. 9, 2009 | IN | SJR 1 | Constitutional Property Tax Cap | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (34 - 16) |
| Feb. 6, 2009 | ND | SB 2330 | Prohibiting the Use of Credit Information By Insurers | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 29) |
| Feb. 6, 2009 | WY | SF 18 | Expanding Workers Compensation Coverage to Include Mental Injury | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13) |
| Feb. 6, 2009 | GA | HB 143 | Property Tax Grant Appropriation Authorization | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 24) |
| Feb. 6, 2009 | GA | SB 83 | Expanding Homestead Property Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 14) |
| Feb. 5, 2009 | VA | HB 1826 | Driver's License Suspension for Unexcused School Absences | Bill Passed - House (68 - 28) |
| Feb. 5, 2009 | UT | SB 16 | Prohibiting "Gang Loitering" | Bill Passed - House (56 - 17) |
| Feb. 5, 2009 | MT | SB 237 | Primary Seatbelt Enforcement | Bill Failed - Senate (25 - 25) |
| Feb. 5, 2009 | VA | SB 1161 | Classifying a Seat Belt Violation as a Primary Offense | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
| Feb. 5, 2009 | KS | SB 23 | 2008-2009, 2009-2010, and 2010-2011 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (74 - 48) |
| Feb. 5, 2009 | OR | SB 338 | Authorizing Bonds for Public-Works Projects | Bill Passed - House (39 - 21) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/12 | SB 23 | 2008-2009, 2009-2010, and 2010-2011Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 11) |
| 2/12 | HB 1204 | Tobacco Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| 2/12 | HB 233 | Two-Year Property Tax Assessment Freeze | Bill Passed - House (110 - 63) |
| 2/10 | HB 218 | Amending Hathaway Scholarship Requirements | Bill Failed - House (29 - 30) |
| 2/10 | SB 3 | Allowing Early High School Graduation | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| 2/10 | SB 35 | State Enforcement of Federal Immigration Law | (21 - 11) |
| 2/10 | HB 1723 | 2009-2010 Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (52 - 46) |
| 2/10 | HB 228 | Amending Concealed Weapons and Self-Defense Statutes | Bill Passed - House (60 - 40) |
| 2/09 | SB 1105 | Prohibiting Smoking in Restaurants | Bill Passed - House (59 - 39) |
| 2/09 | SJ 354 | Civil Rights for Nonviolent Felons | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (19 - 19) |
| 2/09 | HB 170 | State Lottery for Scholarship Funding | Bill Failed - House (25 - 35) |
| 2/09 | SJ 273 | Legislative Restoration of Voting Rights for Nonviolent Felons | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| 2/09 | SB 2238 | Higher Education Tuition Increase Limits | Bill Failed - Senate (21 - 22) |
| 2/09 | HB 1057 | Mandatory Unpaid Parental Work Leave for Education Activities | Bill Passed - House (35 - 30) |
| 2/09 | SJR 1 | Constitutional Property Tax Cap | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (34 - 16) |
| 2/06 | SB 2330 | Prohibiting the Use of Credit Information By Insurers | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 29) |
| 2/06 | SF 18 | Expanding Workers Compensation Coverage to Include Mental Injury | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13) |
| 2/06 | HB 143 | Property Tax Grant Appropriation Authorization | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 24) |
| 2/06 | SB 83 | Expanding Homestead Property Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 14) |
| 2/05 | HB 1826 | Driver's License Suspension for Unexcused School Absences | Bill Passed - House (68 - 28) |
| 2/05 | SB 16 | Prohibiting "Gang Loitering" | Bill Passed - House (56 - 17) |
| 2/05 | SB 237 | Primary Seatbelt Enforcement | Bill Failed - Senate (25 - 25) |
| 2/05 | SB 1161 | Classifying a Seat Belt Violation as a Primary Offense | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
| 2/05 | SB 23 | 2008-2009, 2009-2010, and 2010-2011 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (74 - 48) |
| 2/05 | SB 338 | Authorizing Bonds for Public-Works Projects | Bill Passed - House (39 - 21) |