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 23, 2009 | VT | S 115 | Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 4) |
| March 23, 2009 | CO | HB 1260 | Designated Beneficiary Agreements Between Unmarried Adults | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| March 23, 2009 | CO | HB 1260 | Designated Beneficiary Agreements Between Unmarried Adults | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| March 20, 2009 | ID | H 214 | Voluntary Death Certificates for Miscarriages | Bill Failed - House (31 - 32) |
| March 20, 2009 | ID | H 214 | Voluntary Death Certificates for Miscarriages | Bill Failed - House (31 - 32) |
| March 19, 2009 | IA | SF 389 | Health Insurance Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| March 19, 2009 | NM | HB 393 | Opening Conference Committees to the Public | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 8) |
| March 18, 2009 | IA | HF 243 | Gender Requirements for Certain Local Government Positions | Bill Passed - House (71 - 27) |
| March 16, 2009 | NJ | S 21 | Local Government PERS/PFRS Contribution Deferral | Bill Passed - House (42 - 36) |
| March 16, 2009 | NJ | S 2091 | Formalizing Palimony Agreements | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| March 16, 2009 | NJ | S 21 | Local Government PERS/PFRS Contribution Deferral | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| March 16, 2009 | NJ | S 21 | Local Government PERS/PFRS Contribution Deferral | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| March 16, 2009 | NJ | A 3569 | Stop-Work Orders and Workers' Compensation Requirements | Bill Passed - House (46 - 24) |
| March 16, 2009 | NJ | S 21 | Local Government PERS/PFRS Contribution Deferral | Bill Passed - House (42 - 36) |
| March 16, 2009 | NJ | S 2577 | Age-Restricted Housing Exemptions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| March 16, 2009 | NJ | S 2577 | Age-Restricted Housing Exemptions | Bill Passed - House (42 - 28) |
| March 16, 2009 | ID | S 1089 | Eliminating Child Safety Seat Exemptions | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 15) |
| March 13, 2009 | WV | SB 238 | Ban on Sexual Orientation Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| March 13, 2009 | WV | SB 238 | Ban on Sexual Orientation Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| March 13, 2009 | WV | SB 238 | Ban on Sexual Orientation Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| March 12, 2009 | UT | SB 208 | Posting Public Notices Online | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 10) |
| March 12, 2009 | KS | HB 2320 | State Spending Limitations and Savings Accounts | Bill Passed - House (89 - 33) |
| March 12, 2009 | WA | SB 6035 | Retrospective Ratings Program Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 24) |
| March 12, 2009 | TN | SB 83 | "Living" Wage Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13) |
| March 12, 2009 | GA | HB 23 | Age-Specific Ban on Wireless Communication While Driving | Bill Passed - House (138 - 34) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/23 | S 115 | Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 4) |
| 3/23 | HB 1260 | Designated Beneficiary Agreements Between Unmarried Adults | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| 3/23 | HB 1260 | Designated Beneficiary Agreements Between Unmarried Adults | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| 3/20 | H 214 | Voluntary Death Certificates for Miscarriages | Bill Failed - House (31 - 32) |
| 3/20 | H 214 | Voluntary Death Certificates for Miscarriages | Bill Failed - House (31 - 32) |
| 3/19 | SF 389 | Health Insurance Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| 3/19 | HB 393 | Opening Conference Committees to the Public | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 8) |
| 3/18 | HF 243 | Gender Requirements for Certain Local Government Positions | Bill Passed - House (71 - 27) |
| 3/16 | S 21 | Local Government PERS/PFRS Contribution Deferral | Bill Passed - House (42 - 36) |
| 3/16 | S 2091 | Formalizing Palimony Agreements | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 3/16 | S 21 | Local Government PERS/PFRS Contribution Deferral | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| 3/16 | S 21 | Local Government PERS/PFRS Contribution Deferral | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| 3/16 | A 3569 | Stop-Work Orders and Workers' Compensation Requirements | Bill Passed - House (46 - 24) |
| 3/16 | S 21 | Local Government PERS/PFRS Contribution Deferral | Bill Passed - House (42 - 36) |
| 3/16 | S 2577 | Age-Restricted Housing Exemptions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| 3/16 | S 2577 | Age-Restricted Housing Exemptions | Bill Passed - House (42 - 28) |
| 3/16 | S 1089 | Eliminating Child Safety Seat Exemptions | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 15) |
| 3/13 | SB 238 | Ban on Sexual Orientation Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| 3/13 | SB 238 | Ban on Sexual Orientation Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| 3/13 | SB 238 | Ban on Sexual Orientation Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| 3/12 | SB 208 | Posting Public Notices Online | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 10) |
| 3/12 | HB 2320 | State Spending Limitations and Savings Accounts | Bill Passed - House (89 - 33) |
| 3/12 | SB 6035 | Retrospective Ratings Program Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 24) |
| 3/12 | SB 83 | "Living" Wage Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13) |
| 3/12 | HB 23 | Age-Specific Ban on Wireless Communication While Driving | Bill Passed - House (138 - 34) |