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 7, 2009 | VT | H 446 | Renewable Energy Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (91 - 49) |
| May 5, 2009 | VT | H 446 | Renewable Energy Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 10) |
| May 1, 2009 | FL | SB 360 | Growth Management Deregulation | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (78 - 37) |
| May 1, 2009 | FL | SB 360 | Growth Management Deregulation | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 7) |
| April 30, 2009 | MN | Ending Prohibition on New Nuclear Power Plant Construction | Amendment Rejected - House (60 - 72) | |
| April 29, 2009 | National | S Con Res 13 | 2010 Concurrent Budget Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - House (233 - 193) |
| April 29, 2009 | National | S Con Res 13 | 2010 Concurrent Budget Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 43) |
| April 27, 2009 | FL | HB 1219 | Permitting Offshore Drilling | Bill Passed - House (70 - 43) |
| April 25, 2009 | WA | HB 1614 | Oil Importation Fee for Storm Water Pollution Cleanup | Bill Passed - House (51 - 45) |
| April 22, 2009 | VT | H 446 | Renewable Energy Amendments | Bill Passed - House (88 - 44) |
| April 20, 2009 | CA | AJR 3 | Statement of Opposition to Offshore Drilling | Joint Resolution Passed - House (43 - 25) |
| April 13, 2009 | MD | SB 278 | Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 9) |
| April 13, 2009 | MD | SB 278 | Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan | Bill Passed - House (107 - 30) |
| April 8, 2009 | ME | LD 67 | Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
| April 7, 2009 | ID | H 276 | 2009-2010 Department of Environmental Quality Budget | Bill Passed - House (53 - 16) |
| April 2, 2009 | MN | Ending Prohibition on New Nuclear Power Plants | Amendment Adopted - Senate (42 - 24) | |
| March 25, 2009 | National | HR 146 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (285 - 140) |
| March 19, 2009 | National | HR 146 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 | Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 20) |
| March 11, 2009 | National | S 22 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 | Bill Failed - House (282 - 144) |
| March 9, 2009 | UT | HB 379 | Environmental Lawsuit Delay Bond | Bill Passed - House (52 - 22) |
| March 5, 2009 | KS | HB 2014 | Allowing Coal Power Plants | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 9) |
| March 2, 2009 | MD | SB 278 | Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 9) |
| Feb. 27, 2009 | KS | HB 2014 | Allowing Coal Power Plants | Bill Passed - House (79 - 44) |
| Feb. 25, 2009 | IN | HB 1730 | Exempting Energy Efficient Projects From Referendum Requirements | Bill Passed - House (52 - 48) |
| Feb. 21, 2009 | MT | SB 387 | Restrictions on Appeals for Energy Project Permits | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23) |
| Feb. 2, 2009 | MT | SJ 7 | Statement of Opposition to Expansion of EPA Jurisdiction (H.R. 2421) | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| Jan. 26, 2009 | MT | SB 131 | Wildland-Urban Interface | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21) |
| Jan. 15, 2009 | National | S 22 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 21) |
| 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) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/07 | H 446 | Renewable Energy Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (91 - 49) |
| 5/05 | H 446 | Renewable Energy Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 10) |
| 5/01 | SB 360 | Growth Management Deregulation | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (78 - 37) |
| 5/01 | SB 360 | Growth Management Deregulation | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 7) |
| 4/30 | Ending Prohibition on New Nuclear Power Plant Construction | Amendment Rejected - House (60 - 72) | |
| 4/29 | S Con Res 13 | 2010 Concurrent Budget Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - House (233 - 193) |
| 4/29 | S Con Res 13 | 2010 Concurrent Budget Resolution | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (53 - 43) |
| 4/27 | HB 1219 | Permitting Offshore Drilling | Bill Passed - House (70 - 43) |
| 4/25 | HB 1614 | Oil Importation Fee for Storm Water Pollution Cleanup | Bill Passed - House (51 - 45) |
| 4/22 | H 446 | Renewable Energy Amendments | Bill Passed - House (88 - 44) |
| 4/20 | AJR 3 | Statement of Opposition to Offshore Drilling | Joint Resolution Passed - House (43 - 25) |
| 4/13 | SB 278 | Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 9) |
| 4/13 | SB 278 | Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan | Bill Passed - House (107 - 30) |
| 4/08 | LD 67 | Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
| 4/07 | H 276 | 2009-2010 Department of Environmental Quality Budget | Bill Passed - House (53 - 16) |
| 4/02 | Ending Prohibition on New Nuclear Power Plants | Amendment Adopted - Senate (42 - 24) | |
| 3/25 | HR 146 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (285 - 140) |
| 3/19 | HR 146 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 | Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 20) |
| 3/11 | S 22 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 | Bill Failed - House (282 - 144) |
| 3/09 | HB 379 | Environmental Lawsuit Delay Bond | Bill Passed - House (52 - 22) |
| 3/05 | HB 2014 | Allowing Coal Power Plants | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 9) |
| 3/02 | SB 278 | Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 9) |
| 2/27 | HB 2014 | Allowing Coal Power Plants | Bill Passed - House (79 - 44) |
| 2/25 | HB 1730 | Exempting Energy Efficient Projects From Referendum Requirements | Bill Passed - House (52 - 48) |
| 2/21 | SB 387 | Restrictions on Appeals for Energy Project Permits | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23) |
| 2/02 | SJ 7 | Statement of Opposition to Expansion of EPA Jurisdiction (H.R. 2421) | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| 1/26 | SB 131 | Wildland-Urban Interface | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 21) |
| 1/15 | S 22 | Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 | Bill Passed - Senate (73 - 21) |
| 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) |