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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
March 26, 2009 ID S 1148 Alcohol Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
March 24, 2009 IN HB 1379 Unemployment Benefit Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20)
March 23, 2009 CO HB 1260 Designated Beneficiary Agreements Between Unmarried Adults Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10)
March 20, 2009 MT HB 418 Amendments Regarding Horse Slaughterhouses Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23)
March 17, 2009 NM SB 263 Requiring State Contractors to Disclose Campaign Contributions Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11)
March 16, 2009 NJ S 2577 Age-Restricted Housing Exemptions Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 15)
March 12, 2009 TN SB 83 "Living" Wage Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
March 12, 2009 MI SB 69 Alternative Business Tax Eligibility Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
March 12, 2009 WA SB 6035 Retrospective Ratings Program Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 24)
March 11, 2009 WA SB 5895 Housing Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 24)
March 11, 2009 NH SB 115 Expanding Subsidized Health Care Program Eligibility Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 4)
March 10, 2009 NV IP 1 Lodging Tax Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 5)
March 6, 2009 UT HJR 8 Mandating Secret Ballots Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8)
March 5, 2009 KS HB 2014 Allowing Coal Power Plants Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 9)
March 5, 2009 ID S 1119 Allowing Public Utility Assistance Programs Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 18)
March 4, 2009 SD HB 1240 Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
March 4, 2009 OK SB 318 Repeal of the Grocery Sales Tax Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 8)
March 3, 2009 OH SB 9 Transferable Tax Credit for Film Production Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10)
March 3, 2009 UT SB 29 Authorizing Corporate Water Systems to Refuse Fluoridation Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 11)
March 2, 2009 MD SB 278 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 9)
Feb. 25, 2009 VA SB 1035 Allowing Guns in Alcohol-Serving Establishments Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 16)
Feb. 21, 2009 MT SB 387 Restrictions on Appeals for Energy Project Permits Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23)
Feb. 19, 2009 VA SB 1105 Prohibiting Smoking in Restaurants Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 13)
Feb. 19, 2009 KS SB 160 Increasing Minimum Wage Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 7)
Feb. 18, 2009 SC S 351 State Ports Authority Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 14)
Feb. 18, 2009 WY HB 67 Taxing Moist Snuff Tobacco Based on Weight Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10)
Feb. 17, 2009 KS SB 25 Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13)
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. 13, 2009 KY HB 144 Alcohol and Tobacco Sales Tax Increase Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
Feb. 12, 2009 AR HB 1204 Tobacco Tax Increase Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7)
Feb. 11, 2009 GA SB 31 Energy Rate Increases to Finance Nuclear Power Plant Construction Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 16)
Feb. 10, 2009 WI SB 1 Minimum Wage Increase Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14)
Feb. 9, 2009 SD SJR 1 Authorization of Legal Gaming due to Gaming in Bordering States Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
Feb. 6, 2009 ND SB 2330 Prohibiting the Use of Credit Information By Insurers Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 29)
Feb. 6, 2009 WY SF 18 Expanding Workers Compensation Coverage to Include Mental Injury Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13)
Feb. 5, 2009 MI SB 93 Prohibiting Mandatory Workplace Ergonomics Rules Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16)
Feb. 4, 2009 National S Amdt 279 Removing the Buy American Clause Amendment Rejected - Senate (31 - 65)
Feb. 4, 2009 National S Amdt 279 Removing the Buy American Clause Amendment Rejected - Senate (31 - 65)
Feb. 3, 2009 MT SB 253 Allowing Employers to Count Tips as Credit Against Minimum Wage Motion Rejected - Senate (21 - 29)
Feb. 3, 2009 VA SB 1105 Prohibiting Smoking in Bars and Restaurants Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13)
Feb. 3, 2009 SD SB 83 Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 18)
Jan. 29, 2009 MS HB 364 Cigarette Tax Increase Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 7)
Jan. 26, 2009 MT SB 131 Wildland-Urban Interface Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21)
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)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/26 S 1148 Alcohol Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
3/24 HB 1379 Unemployment Benefit Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20)
3/23 HB 1260 Designated Beneficiary Agreements Between Unmarried Adults Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10)
3/20 HB 418 Amendments Regarding Horse Slaughterhouses Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23)
3/17 SB 263 Requiring State Contractors to Disclose Campaign Contributions Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11)
3/16 S 2577 Age-Restricted Housing Exemptions Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 15)
3/12 SB 83 "Living" Wage Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
3/12 SB 69 Alternative Business Tax Eligibility Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
3/12 SB 6035 Retrospective Ratings Program Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 24)
3/11 SB 5895 Housing Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 24)
3/11 SB 115 Expanding Subsidized Health Care Program Eligibility Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 4)
3/10 IP 1 Lodging Tax Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 5)
3/06 HJR 8 Mandating Secret Ballots Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8)
3/05 HB 2014 Allowing Coal Power Plants Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 9)
3/05 S 1119 Allowing Public Utility Assistance Programs Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 18)
3/04 HB 1240 Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
3/04 SB 318 Repeal of the Grocery Sales Tax Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 8)
3/03 SB 9 Transferable Tax Credit for Film Production Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10)
3/03 SB 29 Authorizing Corporate Water Systems to Refuse Fluoridation Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 11)
3/02 SB 278 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 9)
2/25 SB 1035 Allowing Guns in Alcohol-Serving Establishments Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 16)
2/21 SB 387 Restrictions on Appeals for Energy Project Permits Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23)
2/19 SB 1105 Prohibiting Smoking in Restaurants Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 13)
2/19 SB 160 Increasing Minimum Wage Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 7)
2/18 S 351 State Ports Authority Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 14)
2/18 HB 67 Taxing Moist Snuff Tobacco Based on Weight Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10)
2/17 SB 25 Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13)
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)
2/13 HB 144 Alcohol and Tobacco Sales Tax Increase Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
2/12 HB 1204 Tobacco Tax Increase Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7)
2/11 SB 31 Energy Rate Increases to Finance Nuclear Power Plant Construction Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 16)
2/10 SB 1 Minimum Wage Increase Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14)
2/09 SJR 1 Authorization of Legal Gaming due to Gaming in Bordering States Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
2/06 SB 2330 Prohibiting the Use of Credit Information By Insurers Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 29)
2/06 SF 18 Expanding Workers Compensation Coverage to Include Mental Injury Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13)
2/05 SB 93 Prohibiting Mandatory Workplace Ergonomics Rules Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16)
2/04 S Amdt 279 Removing the Buy American Clause Amendment Rejected - Senate (31 - 65)
2/04 S Amdt 279 Removing the Buy American Clause Amendment Rejected - Senate (31 - 65)
2/03 SB 253 Allowing Employers to Count Tips as Credit Against Minimum Wage Motion Rejected - Senate (21 - 29)
2/03 SB 1105 Prohibiting Smoking in Bars and Restaurants Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13)
2/03 SB 83 Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 18)
1/29 HB 364 Cigarette Tax Increase Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 7)
1/26 SB 131 Wildland-Urban Interface Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21)
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)

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