Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
April 13, 2009 MD SB 785 Inheritance Tax Exemption for Domestic Partners Bill Passed - House (94 - 38)
April 13, 2009 CO SB 281 Clarifying Pinnacol Assurance as a Subdivision of the State Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15)
April 13, 2009 CO SB 273 Appropriation of Pinnacol Assurance Funds Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14)
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 11, 2009 WV SB 246 Temporary Unemployment Compensation Tax Increase for Employers Bill Passed - House (71 - 29)
April 11, 2009 WV SB 246 Temporary Unemployment Compensation Tax Increase for Employers Bill Passed - House (71 - 29)
April 10, 2009 ND HB 1171 Home School Deregulation Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 38)
April 10, 2009 MD HB 310 Extending Unemployment Benefits to Part-Time Employees Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 9)
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 8, 2009 OK HB 1601 Regulating Attorney Election Contributions Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 22)
April 8, 2009 NH HB 415 Prohibiting Gender Identity Discrimination Bill Passed - House (188 - 187)
April 7, 2009 ID H 138 Allowing Lawsuits for Nonnative Species Attacks Bill Passed - House (46 - 24)
April 7, 2009 VT S 115 Same-Sex Marriage Veto Override Passed - House (100 - 49)
April 7, 2009 VT S 115 Same-Sex Marriage Veto Override Passed - Senate (23 - 5)
April 6, 2009 CO SB 170 Expanding In-State Tuition Eligibility Motion Rejected - Senate (16 - 18)
April 6, 2009 OR SB 311 Changes in Liability Limits Bill Passed - House (50 - 8)
April 6, 2009 ND HB 1171 Home School Deregulation Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20)
April 3, 2009 GA HB 2 Citizenship Status Verification of Government Assistance Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 16)
April 3, 2009 GA HB 2 Citizenship Status Verification of Government Assistance Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - House (121 - 47)
April 3, 2009 ND SB 2278 Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination Bill Failed - House (34 - 54)
April 3, 2009 VT S 115 Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passed - House (94 - 52)
April 3, 2009 ND HB 1572 Legislative Intent With Regards to the Legal Definition of Life Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 29)
April 3, 2009 NE LB 260 Wrongful Conviction Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 9)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/13 SB 785 Inheritance Tax Exemption for Domestic Partners Bill Passed - House (94 - 38)
4/13 SB 281 Clarifying Pinnacol Assurance as a Subdivision of the State Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15)
4/13 SB 273 Appropriation of Pinnacol Assurance Funds Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14)
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)
4/11 SB 246 Temporary Unemployment Compensation Tax Increase for Employers Bill Passed - House (71 - 29)
4/11 SB 246 Temporary Unemployment Compensation Tax Increase for Employers Bill Passed - House (71 - 29)
4/10 HB 1171 Home School Deregulation Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 38)
4/10 HB 310 Extending Unemployment Benefits to Part-Time Employees Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 9)
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)
4/08 HB 1601 Regulating Attorney Election Contributions Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 22)
4/08 HB 415 Prohibiting Gender Identity Discrimination Bill Passed - House (188 - 187)
4/07 H 138 Allowing Lawsuits for Nonnative Species Attacks Bill Passed - House (46 - 24)
4/07 S 115 Same-Sex Marriage Veto Override Passed - House (100 - 49)
4/07 S 115 Same-Sex Marriage Veto Override Passed - Senate (23 - 5)
4/06 SB 170 Expanding In-State Tuition Eligibility Motion Rejected - Senate (16 - 18)
4/06 SB 311 Changes in Liability Limits Bill Passed - House (50 - 8)
4/06 HB 1171 Home School Deregulation Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20)
4/03 HB 2 Citizenship Status Verification of Government Assistance Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 16)
4/03 HB 2 Citizenship Status Verification of Government Assistance Recipients Concurrence Vote Passed - House (121 - 47)
4/03 SB 2278 Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination Bill Failed - House (34 - 54)
4/03 S 115 Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passed - House (94 - 52)
4/03 HB 1572 Legislative Intent With Regards to the Legal Definition of Life Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 29)
4/03 LB 260 Wrongful Conviction Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 9)

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