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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 2, 2009 | ND | HB 1539 | Sales Tax Exemption for Purchase of "Big-Three" Cars | Bill Failed - House (29 - 64) |
| Feb. 2, 2009 | NY | A 1686 | Reducing the Cap on Vacated Apartment Rent Increases | Bill Passed - House (100 - 43) |
| Feb. 2, 2009 | NY | A 860 | Increasing Income and Rent Threshold to Qualify for Rent Deregulation | Bill Passed - House (86 - 58) |
| Feb. 2, 2009 | NY | A 2005 | Expanding Rent Control Coverage | Bill Passed - House (91 - 52) |
| Jan. 30, 2009 | WY | Amdt 2001 to HB 31 | Exempting 21+ Establishments from Smoking Ban | Amendment Adopted - House (34 - 25) |
| Jan. 30, 2009 | WY | Amdt 2002 to HB 31 | Allowing Counties and Municipalities to Opt Out of Smoking Ban | Amendment Adopted - House (41 - 18) |
| Jan. 29, 2009 | MS | HB 364 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| Jan. 27, 2009 | WI | AB 2 | Mandatory State Contracting with Domestic Companies | Bill Passed - House (69 - 30) |
| Jan. 27, 2009 | WI | AB 2 | Mandatory State Contracting with Domestic Companies | Bill Passed - House (69 - 30) |
| Jan. 27, 2009 | WI | AB 1 | Wisconsin-Based Products and Services Purchasing Goals | Bill Passed - House (77 - 22) |
| Jan. 27, 2009 | WI | AB 1 | Wisconsin-Based Products and Services Purchasing Goals | Bill Passed - House (77 - 22) |
| Jan. 26, 2009 | MT | SB 131 | Wildland-Urban Interface | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21) |
| Jan. 22, 2009 | National | H J Res 3 | Releasing Funds for Economic Stabilization Act | Joint Resolution Passed - House (270 - 155) |
| Jan. 21, 2009 | National | HR 384 | Oversight of the Troubled Asset Relief Program | Bill Passed - House (260 - 166) |
| Jan. 19, 2009 | WY | HB 67 | Taxing Moist Snuff Tobacco Based on Weight | Bill Passed - House (37 - 23) |
| Jan. 15, 2009 | National | S J Res 5 | Releasing Funds for Economic Stabilization Act | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (42 - 52) |
| Jan. 15, 2009 | CT | HB 5095 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| Jan. 14, 2009 | MS | HB 364 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - House (81 - 39) |
| Jan. 14, 2009 | CT | HB 5095 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (111 - 35) |
| Jan. 13, 2009 | ND | HB 1036 | Workforce Safety and Insurance Premium Rate Regulation | Bill Passed - House (62 - 32) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/02 | HB 1539 | Sales Tax Exemption for Purchase of "Big-Three" Cars | Bill Failed - House (29 - 64) |
| 2/02 | A 1686 | Reducing the Cap on Vacated Apartment Rent Increases | Bill Passed - House (100 - 43) |
| 2/02 | A 860 | Increasing Income and Rent Threshold to Qualify for Rent Deregulation | Bill Passed - House (86 - 58) |
| 2/02 | A 2005 | Expanding Rent Control Coverage | Bill Passed - House (91 - 52) |
| 1/30 | Amdt 2001 to HB 31 | Exempting 21+ Establishments from Smoking Ban | Amendment Adopted - House (34 - 25) |
| 1/30 | Amdt 2002 to HB 31 | Allowing Counties and Municipalities to Opt Out of Smoking Ban | Amendment Adopted - House (41 - 18) |
| 1/29 | HB 364 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 7) |
| 1/27 | AB 2 | Mandatory State Contracting with Domestic Companies | Bill Passed - House (69 - 30) |
| 1/27 | AB 2 | Mandatory State Contracting with Domestic Companies | Bill Passed - House (69 - 30) |
| 1/27 | AB 1 | Wisconsin-Based Products and Services Purchasing Goals | Bill Passed - House (77 - 22) |
| 1/27 | AB 1 | Wisconsin-Based Products and Services Purchasing Goals | Bill Passed - House (77 - 22) |
| 1/26 | SB 131 | Wildland-Urban Interface | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21) |
| 1/22 | H J Res 3 | Releasing Funds for Economic Stabilization Act | Joint Resolution Passed - House (270 - 155) |
| 1/21 | HR 384 | Oversight of the Troubled Asset Relief Program | Bill Passed - House (260 - 166) |
| 1/19 | HB 67 | Taxing Moist Snuff Tobacco Based on Weight | Bill Passed - House (37 - 23) |
| 1/15 | S J Res 5 | Releasing Funds for Economic Stabilization Act | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (42 - 52) |
| 1/15 | HB 5095 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| 1/14 | HB 364 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - House (81 - 39) |
| 1/14 | HB 5095 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (111 - 35) |
| 1/13 | HB 1036 | Workforce Safety and Insurance Premium Rate Regulation | Bill Passed - House (62 - 32) |