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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 14, 2009 | NC | SB 461 | Racial Discrimination in Capital Sentences | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 10) |
| May 14, 2009 | NC | SB 461 | Racial Discrimination in Capital Sentences | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 10) |
| May 14, 2009 | CA | SB 572 | Harvey Milk Day | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| May 14, 2009 | CA | SB 4 | Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| May 13, 2009 | ME | LD 290 | Out-of-State Health Insurance | "Ought Not to Pass" Report Adopted - House (82 - 63) |
| May 13, 2009 | WI | SB 181 | Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - House (61 - 38) |
| May 13, 2009 | CT | HB 6578 | Death Penalty Replacement | Bill Passed - House (90 - 56) |
| May 13, 2009 | WI | SB 181 | Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| May 12, 2009 | National | S Amdt 1067 | Allowing Loaded Guns in National Parks | Amendment Adopted - Senate (67 - 29) |
| May 12, 2009 | LA | HB 60 | Birth Certificates for Adoption | Bill Passed - House (78 - 17) |
| May 12, 2009 | NY | A 7732 | Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (89 - 52) |
| May 11, 2009 | NC | HB 2 | Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| May 11, 2009 | TX | HB 1736 | Increasing Wrongful Conviction Compensation | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4) |
| May 11, 2009 | TX | HB 1736 | Increasing Wrongful Conviction Compensation | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4) |
| May 6, 2009 | CO | HB 1274 | Repeals Death Penalty | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (17 - 18) |
| May 6, 2009 | ME | LD 1020 | Same Sex Marriage Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| May 6, 2009 | CO | SB 241 | DNA Sampling Upon Felony Arrest | Conference Report Adopted - House (52 - 12) |
| May 6, 2009 | CO | SB 241 | DNA Sampling Upon Felony Arrest | Conference Report Adopted - House (52 - 12) |
| May 5, 2009 | ME | LD 1020 | Same Sex Marriage Bill | Bill Passed - House (89 - 57) |
| May 5, 2009 | OR | SB 786 | Workplace Religious Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| May 4, 2009 | VT | Transportation Amendment to S 67 | Selective Service Registration by Drivers License | Amendment Rejected - House (60 - 68) |
| May 4, 2009 | TN | HB 959 | Close Handgun Permit Records | Bill Passed - House (83 - 12) |
| May 4, 2009 | TN | HB 959 | Close Handgun Permit Records | Bill Passed - House (83 - 12) |
| May 4, 2009 | MN | SF 97 | Legalizing Medical Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 29) |
| April 30, 2009 | CO | SB 296 | Seat Belt Violation as Primary Offense | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/14 | SB 461 | Racial Discrimination in Capital Sentences | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 10) |
| 5/14 | SB 461 | Racial Discrimination in Capital Sentences | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 10) |
| 5/14 | SB 572 | Harvey Milk Day | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| 5/14 | SB 4 | Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 5/13 | LD 290 | Out-of-State Health Insurance | "Ought Not to Pass" Report Adopted - House (82 - 63) |
| 5/13 | SB 181 | Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - House (61 - 38) |
| 5/13 | HB 6578 | Death Penalty Replacement | Bill Passed - House (90 - 56) |
| 5/13 | SB 181 | Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| 5/12 | S Amdt 1067 | Allowing Loaded Guns in National Parks | Amendment Adopted - Senate (67 - 29) |
| 5/12 | HB 60 | Birth Certificates for Adoption | Bill Passed - House (78 - 17) |
| 5/12 | A 7732 | Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (89 - 52) |
| 5/11 | HB 2 | Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| 5/11 | HB 1736 | Increasing Wrongful Conviction Compensation | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4) |
| 5/11 | HB 1736 | Increasing Wrongful Conviction Compensation | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4) |
| 5/06 | HB 1274 | Repeals Death Penalty | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (17 - 18) |
| 5/06 | LD 1020 | Same Sex Marriage Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 5/06 | SB 241 | DNA Sampling Upon Felony Arrest | Conference Report Adopted - House (52 - 12) |
| 5/06 | SB 241 | DNA Sampling Upon Felony Arrest | Conference Report Adopted - House (52 - 12) |
| 5/05 | LD 1020 | Same Sex Marriage Bill | Bill Passed - House (89 - 57) |
| 5/05 | SB 786 | Workplace Religious Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| 5/04 | Transportation Amendment to S 67 | Selective Service Registration by Drivers License | Amendment Rejected - House (60 - 68) |
| 5/04 | HB 959 | Close Handgun Permit Records | Bill Passed - House (83 - 12) |
| 5/04 | HB 959 | Close Handgun Permit Records | Bill Passed - House (83 - 12) |
| 5/04 | SF 97 | Legalizing Medical Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 29) |
| 4/30 | SB 296 | Seat Belt Violation as Primary Offense | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |