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. 24, 2009 MT HB 531 Red Light Camera Prohibition Bill Passed - House (65 - 35)
Feb. 24, 2009 MT SB 326 Medical Marijuana Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 22)
Feb. 24, 2009 NV SB 116 Seat Belt Violation as a Primary Offense Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9)
Feb. 24, 2009 IN HB 1215 Increasing Traffic Fines to Fund Trauma Centers Bill Passed - House (53 - 42)
Feb. 23, 2009 MT HB 394 Prohibits the Use of Individual Prescription Information for Marketing Motion Rejected - House (50 - 50)
Feb. 23, 2009 SD HB 1240 Smoking Ban Bill Passed - House (43 - 27)
Feb. 23, 2009 NJ S 119 Legalizing Medical Marijuana Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16)
Feb. 19, 2009 VA SB 1105 Prohibiting Smoking in Restaurants Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 13)
Feb. 19, 2009 VA SB 1105 Prohibiting Smoking in Restaurants Conference Report Adopted - House (60 - 39)
Feb. 19, 2009 KS SB 59 Enforcing Seat Belt Violations as a Primary Offense Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 17)
Feb. 19, 2009 ND HB 1213 Prohibiting Smoking in Bars and Hotels Bill Failed - House (33 - 59)
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 ND SB 2278 Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19)
Feb. 18, 2009 NH HB 383 Mandating Seat Belt Usage Bill Passed - House (197 - 155)
Feb. 18, 2009 NH HB 383 Mandating Seat Belt Usage Bill Passed - House (197 - 155)
Feb. 18, 2009 ND HB 1348 Allowing Concealed Firearms on Campuses Bill Passed - House (48 - 46)
Feb. 17, 2009 SD HB 1278 Ban on Local Firearm Restrictions Bill Passed - House (46 - 20)
Feb. 17, 2009 MT SB 236 Abolition of Death Penalty Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23)
Feb. 17, 2009 IN HB 1213 Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Passed - House (70 - 26)
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 ND HB 1197 Seat Belt Violation as Primary Offense Bill Failed - House (34 - 58)
Feb. 16, 2009 ND HB 1197 Seat Belt Violation as Primary Offense Bill Failed - House (34 - 58)
Feb. 12, 2009 SD SB 156 Expansion of Hate Crime Law Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 21)
Date No. Title Outcome
2/24 HB 531 Red Light Camera Prohibition Bill Passed - House (65 - 35)
2/24 SB 326 Medical Marijuana Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 22)
2/24 SB 116 Seat Belt Violation as a Primary Offense Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9)
2/24 HB 1215 Increasing Traffic Fines to Fund Trauma Centers Bill Passed - House (53 - 42)
2/23 HB 394 Prohibits the Use of Individual Prescription Information for Marketing Motion Rejected - House (50 - 50)
2/23 HB 1240 Smoking Ban Bill Passed - House (43 - 27)
2/23 S 119 Legalizing Medical Marijuana Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 16)
2/19 SB 1105 Prohibiting Smoking in Restaurants Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 13)
2/19 SB 1105 Prohibiting Smoking in Restaurants Conference Report Adopted - House (60 - 39)
2/19 SB 59 Enforcing Seat Belt Violations as a Primary Offense Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 17)
2/19 HB 1213 Prohibiting Smoking in Bars and Hotels Bill Failed - House (33 - 59)
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 SB 2278 Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19)
2/18 HB 383 Mandating Seat Belt Usage Bill Passed - House (197 - 155)
2/18 HB 383 Mandating Seat Belt Usage Bill Passed - House (197 - 155)
2/18 HB 1348 Allowing Concealed Firearms on Campuses Bill Passed - House (48 - 46)
2/17 HB 1278 Ban on Local Firearm Restrictions Bill Passed - House (46 - 20)
2/17 SB 236 Abolition of Death Penalty Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23)
2/17 HB 1213 Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Passed - House (70 - 26)
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 HB 1197 Seat Belt Violation as Primary Offense Bill Failed - House (34 - 58)
2/16 HB 1197 Seat Belt Violation as Primary Offense Bill Failed - House (34 - 58)
2/12 SB 156 Expansion of Hate Crime Law Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 21)

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