Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
April 1, 2009 NC Amdt 2 to HB 2 Exempting 18+ Establishments from Smoking Ban Amendment Adopted - House (70 - 46)
April 1, 2009 ND SB 2070 Ban on Smoking in Cars with Children Passengers Bill Failed - House (31 - 58)
March 31, 2009 WV SB 419 Calorie Information Posting Requirement for Restaurants Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16)
March 30, 2009 GA HB 614 Prescription Tracking Database Bill Failed - Senate (25 - 29)
March 30, 2009 GA HB 614 Prescription Tracking Database Bill Failed - Senate (25 - 29)
March 30, 2009 ID H 216 Allowing Pharmacists to Refuse Prescriptions Bill Passed - House (48 - 21)
March 26, 2009 MO HB 10 2009-10 Health Budget Bill Passed - House (88 - 66)
March 26, 2009 MI HB 4317 Extending Pharmaceutical Manufacturer Liability Bill Passed - House (56 - 53)
March 25, 2009 National HR 146 Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (285 - 140)
March 25, 2009 KS HB 2275 Drug Testing for Cash Assistance Recipients Bill Passed - House (99 - 26)
March 25, 2009 NH HB 648 Medical Marijuana Legalization Bill Passed - House (234 - 138)
March 25, 2009 NH HB 648 Medical Marijuana Legalization Bill Passed - House (234 - 138)
March 24, 2009 NH HB 531 Parental Notification for Underage Abortion "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (216 - 160)
March 24, 2009 NC SB 287 State Health Plan Changes and Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 18)
March 20, 2009 NM SB 77 Allowing Embryonic Stem Cell Research Bill Failed - House (30 - 38)
March 20, 2009 ID H 214 Voluntary Death Certificates for Miscarriages Bill Failed - House (31 - 32)
March 19, 2009 National HR 146 Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 20)
March 19, 2009 TX SB 188 Authorizes Needle Exchange Programs Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 6)
March 19, 2009 IA SF 389 Health Insurance Expansion Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18)
March 19, 2009 TX SB 188 Authorizes Needle Exchange Programs Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 6)
March 13, 2009 AR SB 239 Authorization for Unlicensed Assistants to Perform Simple Medical Procedures Bill Passed - House (59 - 29)
March 12, 2009 GA SB 169 In Vitro Embryo Creation Limitations Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 22)
March 11, 2009 OR HB 2509 Sexual Education Bill Passed - House (41 - 19)
March 11, 2009 OR HB 2509 Sexual Education Bill Passed - House (41 - 19)
March 11, 2009 NH SB 115 Expanding Subsidized Health Care Program Eligibility Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 4)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/01 Amdt 2 to HB 2 Exempting 18+ Establishments from Smoking Ban Amendment Adopted - House (70 - 46)
4/01 SB 2070 Ban on Smoking in Cars with Children Passengers Bill Failed - House (31 - 58)
3/31 SB 419 Calorie Information Posting Requirement for Restaurants Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16)
3/30 HB 614 Prescription Tracking Database Bill Failed - Senate (25 - 29)
3/30 HB 614 Prescription Tracking Database Bill Failed - Senate (25 - 29)
3/30 H 216 Allowing Pharmacists to Refuse Prescriptions Bill Passed - House (48 - 21)
3/26 HB 10 2009-10 Health Budget Bill Passed - House (88 - 66)
3/26 HB 4317 Extending Pharmaceutical Manufacturer Liability Bill Passed - House (56 - 53)
3/25 HR 146 Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 Concurrence Vote Passed - House (285 - 140)
3/25 HB 2275 Drug Testing for Cash Assistance Recipients Bill Passed - House (99 - 26)
3/25 HB 648 Medical Marijuana Legalization Bill Passed - House (234 - 138)
3/25 HB 648 Medical Marijuana Legalization Bill Passed - House (234 - 138)
3/24 HB 531 Parental Notification for Underage Abortion "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (216 - 160)
3/24 SB 287 State Health Plan Changes and Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 18)
3/20 SB 77 Allowing Embryonic Stem Cell Research Bill Failed - House (30 - 38)
3/20 H 214 Voluntary Death Certificates for Miscarriages Bill Failed - House (31 - 32)
3/19 HR 146 Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 Bill Passed - Senate (77 - 20)
3/19 SB 188 Authorizes Needle Exchange Programs Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 6)
3/19 SF 389 Health Insurance Expansion Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18)
3/19 SB 188 Authorizes Needle Exchange Programs Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 6)
3/13 SB 239 Authorization for Unlicensed Assistants to Perform Simple Medical Procedures Bill Passed - House (59 - 29)
3/12 SB 169 In Vitro Embryo Creation Limitations Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 22)
3/11 HB 2509 Sexual Education Bill Passed - House (41 - 19)
3/11 HB 2509 Sexual Education Bill Passed - House (41 - 19)
3/11 SB 115 Expanding Subsidized Health Care Program Eligibility Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 4)

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