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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
March 5, 2009 OR SB 5552 2007-2009 Biennium Budget Amendments Bill Passed - House (37 - 22)
March 4, 2009 KS HB 2206 Partial Birth/Late-term Abortion Reporting Requirements Bill Passed - House (82 - 40)
March 4, 2009 OK HB 1603 Tort Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (61 - 39)
March 3, 2009 OR SB 5552 2007-2009 Biennium Budget Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8)
March 3, 2009 OR SB 581 2007-2008, 2008-2009, and 2009-2010 Budget Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8)
March 3, 2009 UT HB 187 Restricting Access to Public Waters on Private Property Bill Failed - House (34 - 41)
Feb. 26, 2009 NM SB 12 Establishing Domestic Partnerships Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 25)
Feb. 25, 2009 VA SB 961 Expanding Death Penalty Eligibility to Accomplices Bill Passed - House (74 - 26)
Feb. 25, 2009 GA SB 23 Admissibility of Seat Belt Evidence in Court Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 12)
Feb. 25, 2009 NM HB 28 Increasing Penalties for Intimidation of Judges Bill Passed - House (43 - 21)
Feb. 24, 2009 VA HB 1671 "Derelict Building" Plan Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 3)
Feb. 24, 2009 CO HB 1260 Designated Beneficiary Agreements Between Unmarried Adults Bill Passed - House (41 - 24)
Feb. 23, 2009 OR SB 311 Changes in Liability Limits Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5)
Feb. 19, 2009 GA SB 42 Transfer of Authority Over State's Public Defender System Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 21)
Feb. 18, 2009 UT HB 122 Restricting Access to Government Litigation Records Bill Passed - House (43 - 27)
Feb. 18, 2009 OK HB 1602 Attorney Fee Limits Bill Passed - House (54 - 46)
Feb. 17, 2009 ND HB 1572 Legislative Intent With Regards to the Legal Definition of Life Bill Passed - House (51 - 41)
Feb. 11, 2009 OK HB 1601 Regulating Attorney Election Contributions Bill Passed - House (62 - 36)
Feb. 4, 2009 VA HB 1671 "Derelict Building" Plan Requirements Bill Passed - House (80 - 17)
Jan. 27, 2009 VA SB 961 Expanding Death Penalty Eligibility to Accomplices Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/05 SB 5552 2007-2009 Biennium Budget Amendments Bill Passed - House (37 - 22)
3/04 HB 2206 Partial Birth/Late-term Abortion Reporting Requirements Bill Passed - House (82 - 40)
3/04 HB 1603 Tort Law Amendments Bill Passed - House (61 - 39)
3/03 SB 5552 2007-2009 Biennium Budget Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8)
3/03 SB 581 2007-2008, 2008-2009, and 2009-2010 Budget Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8)
3/03 HB 187 Restricting Access to Public Waters on Private Property Bill Failed - House (34 - 41)
2/26 SB 12 Establishing Domestic Partnerships Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 25)
2/25 SB 961 Expanding Death Penalty Eligibility to Accomplices Bill Passed - House (74 - 26)
2/25 SB 23 Admissibility of Seat Belt Evidence in Court Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 12)
2/25 HB 28 Increasing Penalties for Intimidation of Judges Bill Passed - House (43 - 21)
2/24 HB 1671 "Derelict Building" Plan Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 3)
2/24 HB 1260 Designated Beneficiary Agreements Between Unmarried Adults Bill Passed - House (41 - 24)
2/23 SB 311 Changes in Liability Limits Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5)
2/19 SB 42 Transfer of Authority Over State's Public Defender System Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 21)
2/18 HB 122 Restricting Access to Government Litigation Records Bill Passed - House (43 - 27)
2/18 HB 1602 Attorney Fee Limits Bill Passed - House (54 - 46)
2/17 HB 1572 Legislative Intent With Regards to the Legal Definition of Life Bill Passed - House (51 - 41)
2/11 HB 1601 Regulating Attorney Election Contributions Bill Passed - House (62 - 36)
2/04 HB 1671 "Derelict Building" Plan Requirements Bill Passed - House (80 - 17)
1/27 SB 961 Expanding Death Penalty Eligibility to Accomplices Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16)

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