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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 24, 2009 | NV | IP 1 | Lodging Tax | Bill Passed - House (35 - 7) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | VA | HB 1826 | Driver's License Suspension for Unexcused School Absences | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 3) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | IA | SF 218 | Growth Percentage for State School Foundation Program | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| Feb. 23, 2009 | HI | SB 777 | Requiring Comprehensive Sex Education When Using State Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 3) |
| Feb. 19, 2009 | ND | HB 1400 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (78 - 16) |
| Feb. 18, 2009 | ND | HB 1348 | Allowing Concealed Firearms on Campuses | Bill Passed - House (48 - 46) |
| Feb. 18, 2009 | SD | HB 1171 | Exemptions from School District Minimum Size Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12) |
| Feb. 17, 2009 | SD | SB 106 | School Funding Formula Revision | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| Feb. 13, 2009 | UT | SB 48 | Amending Requirements for Obtaining Teaching Licenses | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10) |
| Feb. 12, 2009 | MS | HB 234 | Sex Education Pilot Program | Bill Passed - House (79 - 40) |
| Feb. 12, 2009 | KS | SB 23 | 2008-2009, 2009-2010, and 2010-2011Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - House (70 - 51) |
| Feb. 12, 2009 | KS | SB 23 | 2008-2009, 2009-2010, and 2010-2011Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 11) |
| Feb. 10, 2009 | WY | HB 218 | Amending Hathaway Scholarship Requirements | Bill Failed - House (29 - 30) |
| Feb. 10, 2009 | KY | SB 3 | Allowing Early High School Graduation | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| Feb. 10, 2009 | IN | HB 1723 | 2009-2010 Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (52 - 46) |
| Feb. 9, 2009 | ND | SB 2238 | Higher Education Tuition Increase Limits | Bill Failed - Senate (21 - 22) |
| Feb. 9, 2009 | WY | HB 170 | State Lottery for Scholarship Funding | Bill Failed - House (25 - 35) |
| Feb. 9, 2009 | CO | HB 1057 | Mandatory Unpaid Parental Work Leave for Education Activities | Bill Passed - House (35 - 30) |
| Feb. 5, 2009 | VA | HB 1826 | Driver's License Suspension for Unexcused School Absences | Bill Passed - House (68 - 28) |
| Feb. 5, 2009 | KS | SB 23 | 2008-2009, 2009-2010, and 2010-2011 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (74 - 48) |
| Feb. 5, 2009 | OR | SB 338 | Authorizing Bonds for Public-Works Projects | Bill Passed - House (39 - 21) |
| Feb. 4, 2009 | SD | HB 1171 | Exemptions from School District Minimum Size Requirements | Bill Passed - House (36 - 34) |
| Feb. 2, 2009 | UT | SB 4 | 2008-2009 Education Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
| Feb. 2, 2009 | MT | SB 81 | Board of Public Education Elections | Bill Failed - Senate (21 - 29) |
| Feb. 2, 2009 | MT | SB 80 | Board of Regents Elections | Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 30) |
| Feb. 2, 2009 | UT | SB 4 | 2008-2009 Education Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (57 - 17) |
| Jan. 30, 2009 | ND | SB 2087 | Secrecy in Public University Hiring | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 15) |
| Jan. 29, 2009 | KS | SB 23 | 2008-2009, 2009-2010, and 2010-2011 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| Jan. 28, 2009 | OR | SB 338 | Authorizing Bonds for Public-Works Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| Jan. 26, 2009 | MS | SB 2664 | Dual Charter School System | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 11) |
| Jan. 14, 2009 | FL | SB 2-A | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - House (74 - 43) |
| Jan. 14, 2009 | FL | SB 2-A | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 13) |
| Jan. 7, 2009 | MS | HB 290 | 2008-2009 Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (87 - 34) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/24 | IP 1 | Lodging Tax | Bill Passed - House (35 - 7) |
| 2/24 | HB 1826 | Driver's License Suspension for Unexcused School Absences | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 3) |
| 2/24 | SF 218 | Growth Percentage for State School Foundation Program | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| 2/23 | SB 777 | Requiring Comprehensive Sex Education When Using State Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 3) |
| 2/19 | HB 1400 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (78 - 16) |
| 2/18 | HB 1348 | Allowing Concealed Firearms on Campuses | Bill Passed - House (48 - 46) |
| 2/18 | HB 1171 | Exemptions from School District Minimum Size Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12) |
| 2/17 | SB 106 | School Funding Formula Revision | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| 2/13 | SB 48 | Amending Requirements for Obtaining Teaching Licenses | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10) |
| 2/12 | HB 234 | Sex Education Pilot Program | Bill Passed - House (79 - 40) |
| 2/12 | SB 23 | 2008-2009, 2009-2010, and 2010-2011Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - House (70 - 51) |
| 2/12 | SB 23 | 2008-2009, 2009-2010, and 2010-2011Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 11) |
| 2/10 | HB 218 | Amending Hathaway Scholarship Requirements | Bill Failed - House (29 - 30) |
| 2/10 | SB 3 | Allowing Early High School Graduation | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| 2/10 | HB 1723 | 2009-2010 Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (52 - 46) |
| 2/09 | SB 2238 | Higher Education Tuition Increase Limits | Bill Failed - Senate (21 - 22) |
| 2/09 | HB 170 | State Lottery for Scholarship Funding | Bill Failed - House (25 - 35) |
| 2/09 | HB 1057 | Mandatory Unpaid Parental Work Leave for Education Activities | Bill Passed - House (35 - 30) |
| 2/05 | HB 1826 | Driver's License Suspension for Unexcused School Absences | Bill Passed - House (68 - 28) |
| 2/05 | SB 23 | 2008-2009, 2009-2010, and 2010-2011 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (74 - 48) |
| 2/05 | SB 338 | Authorizing Bonds for Public-Works Projects | Bill Passed - House (39 - 21) |
| 2/04 | HB 1171 | Exemptions from School District Minimum Size Requirements | Bill Passed - House (36 - 34) |
| 2/02 | SB 4 | 2008-2009 Education Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
| 2/02 | SB 81 | Board of Public Education Elections | Bill Failed - Senate (21 - 29) |
| 2/02 | SB 80 | Board of Regents Elections | Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 30) |
| 2/02 | SB 4 | 2008-2009 Education Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (57 - 17) |
| 1/30 | SB 2087 | Secrecy in Public University Hiring | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 15) |
| 1/29 | SB 23 | 2008-2009, 2009-2010, and 2010-2011 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| 1/28 | SB 338 | Authorizing Bonds for Public-Works Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| 1/26 | SB 2664 | Dual Charter School System | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 11) |
| 1/14 | SB 2-A | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - House (74 - 43) |
| 1/14 | SB 2-A | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 13) |
| 1/07 | HB 290 | 2008-2009 Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (87 - 34) |