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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 12, 2009 | MI | SB 201 | Vehicle Sales Tax Modification | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 7) |
| March 11, 2009 | UT | HB 2 | 2009-2010 Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 9) |
| March 11, 2009 | UT | HB 345 | Regulating Former Lawmakers in Lobbying | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13) |
| March 11, 2009 | UT | HB 345 | Regulating Former Lawmakers in Lobbying | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 13) |
| March 11, 2009 | TX | SB 362 | Requiring Proof of Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
| March 10, 2009 | NV | IP 1 | Lodging Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 5) |
| March 10, 2009 | OK | SB 834 | Increased Local School Board Control | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 21) |
| March 10, 2009 | OK | SB 4 | Voter Identification | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 21) |
| March 10, 2009 | UT | SB 53 | Prohibiting the Awarding of Legal Fees to Plaintiffs in Public Interest Lawsuits | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 6) |
| March 10, 2009 | UT | SB 53 | Prohibiting the Awarding of Legal Fees to Plaintiffs in Public Interest Lawsuits | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 6) |
| March 9, 2009 | UT | SB 241 | Instructional Spending Requirements for School Districts | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 17) |
| March 9, 2009 | UT | SB 241 | Instructional Spending Requirements for School Districts | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 17) |
| March 6, 2009 | UT | HB 100 | Prison Education and Medical Financing Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 7) |
| March 5, 2009 | MD | SB 279 | Capital Punishment Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 13) |
| March 5, 2009 | GA | SB 200 | Reorganization of State Transportation Authorities | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 25) |
| March 5, 2009 | GA | SB 200 | Reorganization of State Transportation Authorities | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 25) |
| March 5, 2009 | GA | SB 200 | Reorganization of State Transportation Authorities | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 25) |
| March 4, 2009 | OK | SB 318 | Repeal of the Grocery Sales Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 8) |
| March 4, 2009 | OK | SB 748 | Independent Performance Audit of State Department of Education | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 20) |
| March 3, 2009 | OR | SB 581 | 2007-2008, 2008-2009, and 2009-2010 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| March 3, 2009 | UT | SB 29 | Authorizing Corporate Water Systems to Refuse Fluoridation | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 11) |
| March 3, 2009 | OH | SB 9 | Transferable Tax Credit for Film Production | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10) |
| March 3, 2009 | OK | SB 315 | Top Marginal Income Tax Rate Reduction Postponement | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 20) |
| March 3, 2009 | AL | SB 279 | Funding for Road Construction | Bill Failed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| March 3, 2009 | OR | SB 5552 | 2007-2009 Biennium Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |