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 17, 2009 | MN | SF 2083 | 2009-2011 Biennium Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 23) |
| April 16, 2009 | WA | HB 2261 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
| April 16, 2009 | MO | SB 306 | State Health Care Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
| April 15, 2009 | IN | HB 1607 | West Lake Commuter Rail Project | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 7) |
| April 15, 2009 | IN | HB 1604 | Authorizing Local Tax Increases to Fund Sports and Convention Facilities | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| April 14, 2009 | MO | HB 10 | 2009-10 Health Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| April 14, 2009 | MO | HB 11 | 2009-2010 Social Services Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 6) |
| April 14, 2009 | MT | HB 2 | 2009-2011 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| April 14, 2009 | TX | SB 855 | Authorizing County Taxes and Fees to Fund Transportation Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| April 14, 2009 | HI | HB 1747 | Income Tax Rate Increase for Top Income Brackets | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 4) |
| April 14, 2009 | HI | HB 1605 | Allowing Counties to Impose Retail Sales Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 4) |
| April 14, 2009 | HI | HB 1744 | Allowing a County Surcharge on the Transient Accommodations Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 6) |
| April 13, 2009 | MD | SB 785 | Inheritance Tax Exemption for Domestic Partners | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 18) |
| April 13, 2009 | CO | SB 273 | Appropriation of Pinnacol Assurance Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| April 13, 2009 | CO | SB 281 | Clarifying Pinnacol Assurance as a Subdivision of the State | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| April 10, 2009 | MD | HB 310 | Extending Unemployment Benefits to Part-Time Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 9) |
| April 8, 2009 | OR | SB 311 | Changes in Liability Limits | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
| April 7, 2009 | MN | SF 1328 | 2009-2011 Biennium Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 29) |
| April 7, 2009 | ID | S 1186 | Highway Project Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 6) |
| April 3, 2009 | NY | A 157-B | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 30) |
| April 3, 2009 | NY | A 159-B | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 30) |
| April 3, 2009 | NE | LB 260 | Wrongful Conviction Compensation | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 9) |
| April 3, 2009 | NY | A 158-B | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 30) |
| 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) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/17 | SF 2083 | 2009-2011 Biennium Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 23) |
| 4/16 | HB 2261 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
| 4/16 | SB 306 | State Health Care Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
| 4/15 | HB 1607 | West Lake Commuter Rail Project | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 7) |
| 4/15 | HB 1604 | Authorizing Local Tax Increases to Fund Sports and Convention Facilities | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| 4/14 | HB 10 | 2009-10 Health Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| 4/14 | HB 11 | 2009-2010 Social Services Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 6) |
| 4/14 | HB 2 | 2009-2011 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| 4/14 | SB 855 | Authorizing County Taxes and Fees to Fund Transportation Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9) |
| 4/14 | HB 1747 | Income Tax Rate Increase for Top Income Brackets | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 4) |
| 4/14 | HB 1605 | Allowing Counties to Impose Retail Sales Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 4) |
| 4/14 | HB 1744 | Allowing a County Surcharge on the Transient Accommodations Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 6) |
| 4/13 | SB 785 | Inheritance Tax Exemption for Domestic Partners | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 18) |
| 4/13 | SB 273 | Appropriation of Pinnacol Assurance Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| 4/13 | SB 281 | Clarifying Pinnacol Assurance as a Subdivision of the State | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| 4/10 | HB 310 | Extending Unemployment Benefits to Part-Time Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 9) |
| 4/08 | SB 311 | Changes in Liability Limits | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
| 4/07 | SF 1328 | 2009-2011 Biennium Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 29) |
| 4/07 | S 1186 | Highway Project Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 6) |
| 4/03 | A 157-B | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 30) |
| 4/03 | A 159-B | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 30) |
| 4/03 | LB 260 | Wrongful Conviction Compensation | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 9) |
| 4/03 | A 158-B | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 30) |
| 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) |