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 | VT | H 446 | Renewable Energy Amendments | Bill Passed - House (88 - 44) |
| April 22, 2009 | VT | H 446 | Renewable Energy Amendments | Bill Passed - House (88 - 44) |
| April 20, 2009 | CA | AJR 3 | Statement of Opposition to Offshore Drilling | Joint Resolution Passed - House (43 - 25) |
| April 20, 2009 | CA | AJR 3 | Statement of Opposition to Offshore Drilling | Joint Resolution Passed - House (43 - 25) |
| April 13, 2009 | MD | SB 278 | Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 9) |
| April 13, 2009 | MD | SB 278 | Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 9) |
| April 13, 2009 | MD | SB 278 | Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan | Bill Passed - House (107 - 30) |
| April 13, 2009 | MD | SB 278 | Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan | Bill Passed - House (107 - 30) |
| April 8, 2009 | ME | LD 67 | Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
| April 7, 2009 | ID | H 138 | Allowing Lawsuits for Nonnative Species Attacks | Bill Passed - House (46 - 24) |
| April 7, 2009 | ID | H 138 | Allowing Lawsuits for Nonnative Species Attacks | Bill Passed - House (46 - 24) |
| April 7, 2009 | ID | H 276 | 2009-2010 Department of Environmental Quality Budget | Bill Passed - House (53 - 16) |
| April 2, 2009 | MN | Ending Prohibition on New Nuclear Power Plants | Amendment Adopted - Senate (42 - 24) | |
| April 2, 2009 | MN | Ending Prohibition on New Nuclear Power Plants | Amendment Adopted - Senate (42 - 24) | |
| April 1, 2009 | MD | SB 844 | Public Service Commission Regulation of New Electric Generation Facilities | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19) |
| March 27, 2009 | VT | H 436 | Nuclear Plant Decommissioning Fund Amendments | Bill Passed - House (93 - 46) |
| March 25, 2009 | National | HR 146 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (285 - 140) |
| March 25, 2009 | National | HR 146 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (285 - 140) |
| March 25, 2009 | PA | SB 490 | Oil and Gas Lease Fund Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| March 20, 2009 | MT | HB 418 | Amendments Regarding Horse Slaughterhouses | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23) |
| March 20, 2009 | KS | HB 2295 | Dairy Labeling Requirements | Bill Passed - House (75 - 44) |
| March 19, 2009 | National | HR 146 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 | Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 20) |
| March 19, 2009 | National | HR 146 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 | Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 20) |
| March 11, 2009 | National | S 22 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 | Bill Failed - House (282 - 144) |
| March 11, 2009 | National | S 22 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 | Bill Failed - House (282 - 144) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/22 | H 446 | Renewable Energy Amendments | Bill Passed - House (88 - 44) |
| 4/22 | H 446 | Renewable Energy Amendments | Bill Passed - House (88 - 44) |
| 4/20 | AJR 3 | Statement of Opposition to Offshore Drilling | Joint Resolution Passed - House (43 - 25) |
| 4/20 | AJR 3 | Statement of Opposition to Offshore Drilling | Joint Resolution Passed - House (43 - 25) |
| 4/13 | SB 278 | Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 9) |
| 4/13 | SB 278 | Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 9) |
| 4/13 | SB 278 | Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan | Bill Passed - House (107 - 30) |
| 4/13 | SB 278 | Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan | Bill Passed - House (107 - 30) |
| 4/08 | LD 67 | Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
| 4/07 | H 138 | Allowing Lawsuits for Nonnative Species Attacks | Bill Passed - House (46 - 24) |
| 4/07 | H 138 | Allowing Lawsuits for Nonnative Species Attacks | Bill Passed - House (46 - 24) |
| 4/07 | H 276 | 2009-2010 Department of Environmental Quality Budget | Bill Passed - House (53 - 16) |
| 4/02 | Ending Prohibition on New Nuclear Power Plants | Amendment Adopted - Senate (42 - 24) | |
| 4/02 | Ending Prohibition on New Nuclear Power Plants | Amendment Adopted - Senate (42 - 24) | |
| 4/01 | SB 844 | Public Service Commission Regulation of New Electric Generation Facilities | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19) |
| 3/27 | H 436 | Nuclear Plant Decommissioning Fund Amendments | Bill Passed - House (93 - 46) |
| 3/25 | HR 146 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (285 - 140) |
| 3/25 | HR 146 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (285 - 140) |
| 3/25 | SB 490 | Oil and Gas Lease Fund Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| 3/20 | HB 418 | Amendments Regarding Horse Slaughterhouses | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23) |
| 3/20 | HB 2295 | Dairy Labeling Requirements | Bill Passed - House (75 - 44) |
| 3/19 | HR 146 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 | Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 20) |
| 3/19 | HR 146 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 | Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 20) |
| 3/11 | S 22 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 | Bill Failed - House (282 - 144) |
| 3/11 | S 22 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 | Bill Failed - House (282 - 144) |