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 6, 2009 | UT | HJR 8 | Mandating Secret Ballots | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| March 5, 2009 | NM | HB 616 | State Employee Return-to-Work Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (49 - 13) |
| March 5, 2009 | UT | HB 179 | Authorizing Land Swap for Development of UTA Rail Station | Bill Passed - House (52 - 21) |
| March 5, 2009 | MD | SB 279 | Capital Punishment Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 13) |
| March 5, 2009 | NM | HB 616 | State Employee Return-to-Work Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (49 - 13) |
| March 5, 2009 | OR | SB 5552 | 2007-2009 Biennium Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (37 - 22) |
| March 5, 2009 | ID | S 1119 | Allowing Public Utility Assistance Programs | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 18) |
| March 5, 2009 | OR | SB 581 | 2007-2008, 2008-2009, and 2009-2010 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (37 - 22) |
| March 5, 2009 | GA | SB 200 | Reorganization of State Transportation Authorities | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 25) |
| March 5, 2009 | GA | SB 200 | Reorganization of State Transportation Authorities | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 25) |
| March 4, 2009 | NH | HCR 6 | Resolution Regarding States' Rights | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (216 - 150) |
| March 4, 2009 | OK | HB 1603 | Tort Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (61 - 39) |
| March 4, 2009 | KS | HB 2206 | Partial Birth/Late-term Abortion Reporting Requirements | Bill Passed - House (82 - 40) |
| March 4, 2009 | WA | HB 1329 | Child Care Center Unionization | Bill Passed - House (65 - 31) |
| March 4, 2009 | WA | HB 1329 | Child Care Center Unionization | Bill Passed - House (65 - 31) |
| March 4, 2009 | UT | SB 61 | Allowing Home-Schooled Students to Participate in Extracurricular Activities | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 16) |
| March 4, 2009 | UT | HJR 8 | Mandating Secret Ballots | Bill Passed - House (53 - 22) |
| March 4, 2009 | MI | HB 4132 | School Attendance Amendments | Bill Passed - House (71 - 37) |
| March 3, 2009 | UT | HB 187 | Restricting Access to Public Waters on Private Property | Bill Failed - House (34 - 41) |
| 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 | WA | HB 1956 | Limiting Local Regulations of Homeless Shelters | Bill Passed - House (56 - 41) |
| March 2, 2009 | CA | SR 7 | Statement of Opposition to Proposition 8 | Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
| March 2, 2009 | CA | HR 5 | Statement of Opposition to Proposition 8 | Resolution Passed - House (45 - 27) |
| Feb. 26, 2009 | National | S 160 | Washington DC Voting Act | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/06 | HJR 8 | Mandating Secret Ballots | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| 3/05 | HB 616 | State Employee Return-to-Work Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (49 - 13) |
| 3/05 | HB 179 | Authorizing Land Swap for Development of UTA Rail Station | Bill Passed - House (52 - 21) |
| 3/05 | SB 279 | Capital Punishment Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 13) |
| 3/05 | HB 616 | State Employee Return-to-Work Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (49 - 13) |
| 3/05 | SB 5552 | 2007-2009 Biennium Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (37 - 22) |
| 3/05 | S 1119 | Allowing Public Utility Assistance Programs | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 18) |
| 3/05 | SB 581 | 2007-2008, 2008-2009, and 2009-2010 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (37 - 22) |
| 3/05 | SB 200 | Reorganization of State Transportation Authorities | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 25) |
| 3/05 | SB 200 | Reorganization of State Transportation Authorities | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 25) |
| 3/04 | HCR 6 | Resolution Regarding States' Rights | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (216 - 150) |
| 3/04 | HB 1603 | Tort Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (61 - 39) |
| 3/04 | HB 2206 | Partial Birth/Late-term Abortion Reporting Requirements | Bill Passed - House (82 - 40) |
| 3/04 | HB 1329 | Child Care Center Unionization | Bill Passed - House (65 - 31) |
| 3/04 | HB 1329 | Child Care Center Unionization | Bill Passed - House (65 - 31) |
| 3/04 | SB 61 | Allowing Home-Schooled Students to Participate in Extracurricular Activities | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 16) |
| 3/04 | HJR 8 | Mandating Secret Ballots | Bill Passed - House (53 - 22) |
| 3/04 | HB 4132 | School Attendance Amendments | Bill Passed - House (71 - 37) |
| 3/03 | HB 187 | Restricting Access to Public Waters on Private Property | Bill Failed - House (34 - 41) |
| 3/03 | SB 5552 | 2007-2009 Biennium Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| 3/03 | SB 581 | 2007-2008, 2008-2009, and 2009-2010 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| 3/03 | HB 1956 | Limiting Local Regulations of Homeless Shelters | Bill Passed - House (56 - 41) |
| 3/02 | SR 7 | Statement of Opposition to Proposition 8 | Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
| 3/02 | HR 5 | Statement of Opposition to Proposition 8 | Resolution Passed - House (45 - 27) |
| 2/26 | S 160 | Washington DC Voting Act | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37) |