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 | Same-Sex Marriage Ballot Question | Amendment Rejected - Senate (11 - 19) | |
| March 23, 2009 | VT | S 115 | Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 4) |
| March 19, 2009 | NM | HB 393 | Opening Conference Committees to the Public | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 8) |
| March 13, 2009 | WV | SB 238 | Ban on Sexual Orientation Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| March 11, 2009 | TX | SB 362 | Requiring Proof of Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
| March 10, 2009 | WA | SB 5688 | Expanding Domestic Partnership Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| March 10, 2009 | OK | SB 4 | Voter Identification | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 21) |
| March 4, 2009 | SD | HB 1240 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| March 4, 2009 | GA | SB 235 | Ban on Required Human Microchip Implantation | |
| March 3, 2009 | ND | HB 1182 | Point Reduction for Seat Belt Use | Bill Failed - Senate (18 - 25) |
| Feb. 27, 2009 | NE | LB 5 | Trapping In Rights-of-Way | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| Feb. 26, 2009 | NM | SB 12 | Establishing Domestic Partnerships | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 25) |
| Feb. 25, 2009 | NM | SB 44 | Prohibiting Smoking in Cars with Children | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| Feb. 25, 2009 | GA | SB 23 | Admissibility of Seat Belt Evidence in Court | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 12) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | NV | SB 116 | Seat Belt Violation as a Primary Offense | Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | VA | HB 1826 | Driver's License Suspension for Unexcused School Absences | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 3) |
| Feb. 19, 2009 | VA | SB 1105 | Prohibiting Smoking in Restaurants | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 13) |
| Feb. 19, 2009 | KS | SB 59 | Enforcing Seat Belt Violations as a Primary Offense | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 17) |
| Feb. 18, 2009 | ND | SB 2278 | Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19) |
| 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. 12, 2009 | SD | SB 156 | Expansion of Hate Crime Law | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 21) |
| Feb. 5, 2009 | VA | SB 1161 | Classifying a Seat Belt Violation as a Primary Offense | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
| Feb. 5, 2009 | MT | SB 237 | Primary Seatbelt Enforcement | Bill Failed - Senate (25 - 25) |
| Feb. 4, 2009 | MS | SB 2548 | Identification Requirements to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| 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) |
| Feb. 3, 2009 | SD | SB 79 | Primary Seat Belt Enforcement | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| Feb. 2, 2009 | ND | SB 2070 | Ban on Smoking in Cars with Children Passengers | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 10) |
| Jan. 30, 2009 | ND | SB 2087 | Secrecy in Public University Hiring | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 15) |
| Jan. 28, 2009 | WY | SF 65 | Ban on Texting While Driving | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 17) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/23 | Same-Sex Marriage Ballot Question | Amendment Rejected - Senate (11 - 19) | |
| 3/23 | S 115 | Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 4) |
| 3/19 | HB 393 | Opening Conference Committees to the Public | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 8) |
| 3/13 | SB 238 | Ban on Sexual Orientation Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
| 3/11 | SB 362 | Requiring Proof of Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
| 3/10 | SB 5688 | Expanding Domestic Partnership Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| 3/10 | SB 4 | Voter Identification | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 21) |
| 3/04 | HB 1240 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 3/04 | SB 235 | Ban on Required Human Microchip Implantation | |
| 3/03 | HB 1182 | Point Reduction for Seat Belt Use | Bill Failed - Senate (18 - 25) |
| 2/27 | LB 5 | Trapping In Rights-of-Way | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| 2/26 | SB 12 | Establishing Domestic Partnerships | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 25) |
| 2/25 | SB 44 | Prohibiting Smoking in Cars with Children | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| 2/25 | SB 23 | Admissibility of Seat Belt Evidence in Court | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 12) |
| 2/24 | SB 116 | Seat Belt Violation as a Primary Offense | Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9) |
| 2/24 | HB 1826 | Driver's License Suspension for Unexcused School Absences | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 3) |
| 2/19 | SB 1105 | Prohibiting Smoking in Restaurants | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 13) |
| 2/19 | SB 59 | Enforcing Seat Belt Violations as a Primary Offense | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 17) |
| 2/18 | SB 2278 | Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19) |
| 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) |
| 2/12 | SB 156 | Expansion of Hate Crime Law | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 21) |
| 2/05 | SB 1161 | Classifying a Seat Belt Violation as a Primary Offense | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
| 2/05 | SB 237 | Primary Seatbelt Enforcement | Bill Failed - Senate (25 - 25) |
| 2/04 | SB 2548 | Identification Requirements to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| 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) |
| 2/03 | SB 79 | Primary Seat Belt Enforcement | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 2/02 | SB 2070 | Ban on Smoking in Cars with Children Passengers | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 10) |
| 1/30 | SB 2087 | Secrecy in Public University Hiring | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 15) |
| 1/28 | SF 65 | Ban on Texting While Driving | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 17) |