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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 20, 2009 | TX | HB 681 | Warning Signs Regarding Mercury Levels in Fish | Bill Passed - House (95 - 50) |
| April 20, 2009 | CA | AJR 3 | Statement of Opposition to Offshore Drilling | Joint Resolution Passed - House (43 - 25) |
| April 17, 2009 | MN | SF 2083 | 2009-2011 Biennium Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 23) |
| April 17, 2009 | NV | SB 372 | Smoking Ban Exceptions | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 5) |
| April 16, 2009 | NC | HB 88 | Parental Choice Between Abstinence-Only or Comprehensive Sex Education | Bill Passed - House (62 - 52) |
| April 16, 2009 | MO | SB 306 | State Health Care Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
| April 15, 2009 | IN | SB 89 | Health Care Amendments | Bill Passed - House (73 - 20) |
| April 15, 2009 | TX | SB 1049 | Increasing Age Restriction on Tobacco Purchases | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 5) |
| April 15, 2009 | OR | HB 2794 | Mandatory HPV Vaccination Coverage | Bill Passed - House (48 - 12) |
| April 15, 2009 | OR | HB 2794 | Mandatory HPV Vaccination Coverage | Bill Passed - House (48 - 12) |
| April 14, 2009 | MO | HB 10 | 2009-10 Health Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| April 14, 2009 | HI | SB 777 | Requiring Comprehensive Sex Education When Using State Funds | Bill Passed - House (44 - 3) |
| April 14, 2009 | HI | SB 777 | Requiring Comprehensive Sex Education When Using State Funds | Bill Passed - House (44 - 3) |
| 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 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 6, 2009 | OK | SB 553 | Health Insurance Coverage Amendments | Bill Passed - House (77 - 22) |
| April 3, 2009 | ND | HB 1572 | Legislative Intent With Regards to the Legal Definition of Life | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 29) |
| April 3, 2009 | ID | H 173 | Restricting Eligibility for State Retiree Health Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| April 2, 2009 | MN | Ending Prohibition on New Nuclear Power Plants | Amendment Adopted - Senate (42 - 24) | |
| April 2, 2009 | AK | HB 35 | Parental Consent for Underage Abortions | Bill Passed - House (22 - 14) |
| April 2, 2009 | NC | HB 2 | Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - House (72 - 45) |
| April 2, 2009 | National | HR 1256 | FDA Oversight of Tobacco Products | Bill Passed - House (298 - 112) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/20 | HB 681 | Warning Signs Regarding Mercury Levels in Fish | Bill Passed - House (95 - 50) |
| 4/20 | AJR 3 | Statement of Opposition to Offshore Drilling | Joint Resolution Passed - House (43 - 25) |
| 4/17 | SF 2083 | 2009-2011 Biennium Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 23) |
| 4/17 | SB 372 | Smoking Ban Exceptions | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 5) |
| 4/16 | HB 88 | Parental Choice Between Abstinence-Only or Comprehensive Sex Education | Bill Passed - House (62 - 52) |
| 4/16 | SB 306 | State Health Care Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
| 4/15 | SB 89 | Health Care Amendments | Bill Passed - House (73 - 20) |
| 4/15 | SB 1049 | Increasing Age Restriction on Tobacco Purchases | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 5) |
| 4/15 | HB 2794 | Mandatory HPV Vaccination Coverage | Bill Passed - House (48 - 12) |
| 4/15 | HB 2794 | Mandatory HPV Vaccination Coverage | Bill Passed - House (48 - 12) |
| 4/14 | HB 10 | 2009-10 Health Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| 4/14 | SB 777 | Requiring Comprehensive Sex Education When Using State Funds | Bill Passed - House (44 - 3) |
| 4/14 | SB 777 | Requiring Comprehensive Sex Education When Using State Funds | Bill Passed - House (44 - 3) |
| 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) |
| 4/08 | 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) |
| 4/06 | SB 553 | Health Insurance Coverage Amendments | Bill Passed - House (77 - 22) |
| 4/03 | HB 1572 | Legislative Intent With Regards to the Legal Definition of Life | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 29) |
| 4/03 | H 173 | Restricting Eligibility for State Retiree Health Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| 4/02 | Ending Prohibition on New Nuclear Power Plants | Amendment Adopted - Senate (42 - 24) | |
| 4/02 | HB 35 | Parental Consent for Underage Abortions | Bill Passed - House (22 - 14) |
| 4/02 | HB 2 | Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - House (72 - 45) |
| 4/02 | HR 1256 | FDA Oversight of Tobacco Products | Bill Passed - House (298 - 112) |