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
Feb. 19, 2009 GA SB 42 Transfer of Authority Over State's Public Defender System Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 21)
Feb. 18, 2009 UT HB 122 Restricting Access to Government Litigation Records Bill Passed - House (43 - 27)
Feb. 18, 2009 NH HB 103 Laid Off Employees Payment Time-Frame Bill Passed - House (194 - 164)
Feb. 18, 2009 ND SB 2278 Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19)
Feb. 18, 2009 SC S 351 State Ports Authority Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 14)
Feb. 18, 2009 OK HB 1602 Attorney Fee Limits Bill Passed - House (54 - 46)
Feb. 17, 2009 ND HB 1572 Legislative Intent With Regards to the Legal Definition of Life Bill Passed - House (51 - 41)
Feb. 17, 2009 OK HB 1410 State Purchasing Authority Amendments Bill Passed - House (61 - 37)
Feb. 17, 2009 OR HB 2436 Real Estate Fees to Fund Housing Programs Bill Passed - House (44 - 15)
Feb. 16, 2009 IA SF 137 Wage Discrimination Policy and Penalties Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18)
Feb. 16, 2009 IA SF 137 Wage Discrimination Policy and Penalties Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18)
Feb. 16, 2009 MT SB 142 Consideration of Gender for Insurance Coverage Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23)
Feb. 12, 2009 SD SB 156 Expansion of Hate Crime Law Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 21)
Feb. 12, 2009 HI HB 444 Legalizing Same-Sex Civil Unions Bill Passed - House (33 - 17)
Feb. 11, 2009 WY HB 32 Gray Wolf Management Plan Amendments Bill Failed - House (7 - 52)
Feb. 11, 2009 OK HB 1601 Regulating Attorney Election Contributions Bill Passed - House (62 - 36)
Feb. 10, 2009 WI SB 1 Minimum Wage Increase Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14)
Feb. 10, 2009 OH SB 35 State Enforcement of Federal Immigration Law (21 - 11)
Feb. 10, 2009 IN HB 1656 Shifting Federal Transportation Funding to Counties and Localities Bill Passed - House (88 - 11)
Feb. 9, 2009 WY HB 240 Pay Raise for Certain Elected Officials Bill Passed - House (37 - 23)
Feb. 9, 2009 SD SJR 3 Extending Senate Terms and Legislative Term-Limits Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
Feb. 9, 2009 CO HB 1057 Mandatory Unpaid Parental Work Leave for Education Activities Bill Passed - House (35 - 30)
Feb. 6, 2009 MT SB 187 Limitations on Redistricting Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23)
Feb. 6, 2009 WY SF 18 Expanding Workers Compensation Coverage to Include Mental Injury Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13)
Feb. 6, 2009 ND HB 1508 State-Sponsored Children's Savings Accounts Bill Failed - House (28 - 64)
Date No. Title Outcome
2/19 SB 42 Transfer of Authority Over State's Public Defender System Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 21)
2/18 HB 122 Restricting Access to Government Litigation Records Bill Passed - House (43 - 27)
2/18 HB 103 Laid Off Employees Payment Time-Frame Bill Passed - House (194 - 164)
2/18 SB 2278 Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19)
2/18 S 351 State Ports Authority Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 14)
2/18 HB 1602 Attorney Fee Limits Bill Passed - House (54 - 46)
2/17 HB 1572 Legislative Intent With Regards to the Legal Definition of Life Bill Passed - House (51 - 41)
2/17 HB 1410 State Purchasing Authority Amendments Bill Passed - House (61 - 37)
2/17 HB 2436 Real Estate Fees to Fund Housing Programs Bill Passed - House (44 - 15)
2/16 SF 137 Wage Discrimination Policy and Penalties Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18)
2/16 SF 137 Wage Discrimination Policy and Penalties Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18)
2/16 SB 142 Consideration of Gender for Insurance Coverage Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23)
2/12 SB 156 Expansion of Hate Crime Law Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 21)
2/12 HB 444 Legalizing Same-Sex Civil Unions Bill Passed - House (33 - 17)
2/11 HB 32 Gray Wolf Management Plan Amendments Bill Failed - House (7 - 52)
2/11 HB 1601 Regulating Attorney Election Contributions Bill Passed - House (62 - 36)
2/10 SB 1 Minimum Wage Increase Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14)
2/10 SB 35 State Enforcement of Federal Immigration Law (21 - 11)
2/10 HB 1656 Shifting Federal Transportation Funding to Counties and Localities Bill Passed - House (88 - 11)
2/09 HB 240 Pay Raise for Certain Elected Officials Bill Passed - House (37 - 23)
2/09 SJR 3 Extending Senate Terms and Legislative Term-Limits Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
2/09 HB 1057 Mandatory Unpaid Parental Work Leave for Education Activities Bill Passed - House (35 - 30)
2/06 SB 187 Limitations on Redistricting Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23)
2/06 SF 18 Expanding Workers Compensation Coverage to Include Mental Injury Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13)
2/06 HB 1508 State-Sponsored Children's Savings Accounts Bill Failed - House (28 - 64)

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