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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 2, 2009 | NY | A 40003 | Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (88 - 51) |
| Nov. 7, 2009 | National | H Amdt 510 | Substitute Health Care and Insurance Law Amendments | Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 258) |
| Oct. 29, 2009 | RI | HB 5044 | Prostitution Ban | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (46 - 9) |
| Oct. 28, 2009 | NH | HB 648 | Medical Marijuana Legalization | Veto Override Passed - House (240 - 115) |
| Oct. 15, 2009 | National | HR 2892 | 2009-2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Authorizations | Conference Report Adopted - House (307 - 114) |
| Oct. 8, 2009 | MA | SB 2028 | Pandemic and Disaster Preparedness Plan | Bill Passed - House (114 - 36) |
| Sept. 29, 2009 | MI | HB 4437 | 2009-2010 Department of Corrections Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (85 - 23) |
| Sept. 17, 2009 | MI | SB 253 | 2009-2010 Department of State Police Budget | Bill Passed - House (68 - 39) |
| Sept. 10, 2009 | CA | AB 524 | Privacy Law Expansion | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 20) |
| Sept. 3, 2009 | CA | SB 572 | Harvey Milk Day | Bill Passed - House (46 - 28) |
| Sept. 3, 2009 | CA | SB 54 | Recognizing Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages | Bill Passed - House (47 - 29) |
| Aug. 31, 2009 | CA | SBx3 18 | Correctional Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (41 - 37) |
| Aug. 5, 2009 | NC | SB 138 | Banning Salvia Divinorum | Bill Passed - House (96 - 15) |
| July 31, 2009 | AZ | HB 2010 | Budget Reconciliation (Criminal Justice) | Bill Passed - House (31 - 15) |
| July 24, 2009 | CA | ABX4 19 | Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Revisions: In-Home Supportive Services Fraud | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (42 - 33) |
| July 15, 2009 | NC | HB 1185 | Habitual DWI Reinstatement after Ten Years | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (87 - 29) |
| July 15, 2009 | NC | HB 1185 | Habitual DWI Reinstatement after Ten Years | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (87 - 29) |
| July 15, 2009 | NC | HB 1185 | Habitual DWI Reinstatement after Ten Years | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (87 - 29) |
| July 15, 2009 | NC | SB 461 | Racial Discrimination in Capital Sentences | Bill Passed - House (61 - 54) |
| July 15, 2009 | NC | SB 461 | Racial Discrimination in Capital Sentences | Bill Passed - House (61 - 54) |
| July 14, 2009 | PA | HB 264 | Expungement of Criminal Records and Juvenile Records | Bill Passed - House (104 - 91) |
| June 26, 2009 | OR | HB 3508 | Implementing Measure 57 | Bill Passed - House (40 - 19) |
| June 25, 2009 | NJ | A 3101 | Creating Homelessness Trust Funds | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 27) |
| June 25, 2009 | NJ | S 1880 | Establishing Criminal Sentencing Commission | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (53 - 26) |
| June 24, 2009 | DE | SB 121 | Adding Sexual Orientation to Delaware Anti-Discriminatory Laws | Bill Passed - House (26 - 14) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/02 | A 40003 | Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (88 - 51) |
| 11/07 | H Amdt 510 | Substitute Health Care and Insurance Law Amendments | Amendment Rejected - House (176 - 258) |
| 10/29 | HB 5044 | Prostitution Ban | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (46 - 9) |
| 10/28 | HB 648 | Medical Marijuana Legalization | Veto Override Passed - House (240 - 115) |
| 10/15 | HR 2892 | 2009-2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Authorizations | Conference Report Adopted - House (307 - 114) |
| 10/08 | SB 2028 | Pandemic and Disaster Preparedness Plan | Bill Passed - House (114 - 36) |
| 9/29 | HB 4437 | 2009-2010 Department of Corrections Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (85 - 23) |
| 9/17 | SB 253 | 2009-2010 Department of State Police Budget | Bill Passed - House (68 - 39) |
| 9/10 | AB 524 | Privacy Law Expansion | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 20) |
| 9/03 | SB 572 | Harvey Milk Day | Bill Passed - House (46 - 28) |
| 9/03 | SB 54 | Recognizing Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages | Bill Passed - House (47 - 29) |
| 8/31 | SBx3 18 | Correctional Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (41 - 37) |
| 8/05 | SB 138 | Banning Salvia Divinorum | Bill Passed - House (96 - 15) |
| 7/31 | HB 2010 | Budget Reconciliation (Criminal Justice) | Bill Passed - House (31 - 15) |
| 7/24 | ABX4 19 | Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Revisions: In-Home Supportive Services Fraud | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (42 - 33) |
| 7/15 | HB 1185 | Habitual DWI Reinstatement after Ten Years | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (87 - 29) |
| 7/15 | HB 1185 | Habitual DWI Reinstatement after Ten Years | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (87 - 29) |
| 7/15 | HB 1185 | Habitual DWI Reinstatement after Ten Years | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (87 - 29) |
| 7/15 | SB 461 | Racial Discrimination in Capital Sentences | Bill Passed - House (61 - 54) |
| 7/15 | SB 461 | Racial Discrimination in Capital Sentences | Bill Passed - House (61 - 54) |
| 7/14 | HB 264 | Expungement of Criminal Records and Juvenile Records | Bill Passed - House (104 - 91) |
| 6/26 | HB 3508 | Implementing Measure 57 | Bill Passed - House (40 - 19) |
| 6/25 | A 3101 | Creating Homelessness Trust Funds | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 27) |
| 6/25 | S 1880 | Establishing Criminal Sentencing Commission | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (53 - 26) |
| 6/24 | SB 121 | Adding Sexual Orientation to Delaware Anti-Discriminatory Laws | Bill Passed - House (26 - 14) |