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 9, 2009 | UT | SB 241 | Instructional Spending Requirements for School Districts | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 17) |
| March 9, 2009 | UT | SB 225 | Extending CHIP and Medicaid Coverage to Children of Documented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 14) |
| March 6, 2009 | UT | HB 100 | Prison Education and Medical Financing Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 7) |
| March 6, 2009 | UT | HB 100 | Prison Education and Medical Financing Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 7) |
| March 4, 2009 | SD | HB 1240 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| March 4, 2009 | OK | SB 748 | Independent Performance Audit of State Department of Education | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 20) |
| March 4, 2009 | UT | SB 61 | Allowing Home-Schooled Students to Participate in Extracurricular Activities | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 16) |
| March 3, 2009 | ND | HB 1182 | Point Reduction for Seat Belt Use | Bill Failed - Senate (18 - 25) |
| March 3, 2009 | OR | SB 5552 | 2007-2009 Biennium Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| March 3, 2009 | OR | SB 581 | 2007-2008, 2008-2009, and 2009-2010 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| March 3, 2009 | UT | SB 29 | Authorizing Corporate Water Systems to Refuse Fluoridation | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 11) |
| Feb. 26, 2009 | OR | HB 2436 | Real Estate Fees to Fund Housing Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9) |
| Feb. 25, 2009 | NM | SB 44 | Prohibiting Smoking in Cars with Children | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| Feb. 25, 2009 | NM | SB 141 | Allowing Increase of Penalties for Convicted Public Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 12) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | VA | HB 1826 | Driver's License Suspension for Unexcused School Absences | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 3) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | MT | SB 326 | Medical Marijuana Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 22) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | VA | HB 1671 | "Derelict Building" Plan Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 3) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | IA | SF 218 | Growth Percentage for State School Foundation Program | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | CO | SB 88 | Extending State Employee Health Benefits to Domestic Partners | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
| Feb. 23, 2009 | HI | SB 777 | Requiring Comprehensive Sex Education When Using State Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 3) |
| Feb. 23, 2009 | HI | SB 777 | Requiring Comprehensive Sex Education When Using State Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 3) |
| Feb. 23, 2009 | NJ | S 119 | Legalizing Medical Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| Feb. 20, 2009 | CO | HB 1091 | Carbon Monoxide Detector Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 5) |
| Feb. 20, 2009 | CO | HB 1091 | Carbon Monoxide Detector Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 5) |
| Feb. 19, 2009 | VA | SB 1105 | Prohibiting Smoking in Restaurants | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 13) |