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 22, 2009 | WA | HB 1517 | Expediting the Restoration of Felons' Voting Rights | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 44) |
| April 22, 2009 | WA | HB 1517 | Expediting the Restoration of Felons' Voting Rights | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 44) |
| April 22, 2009 | OK | HB 1332 | Increased Regulation of Pet Breeders | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 16) |
| April 22, 2009 | CT | SB 899 | Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| April 22, 2009 | CT | SB 899 | Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| April 22, 2009 | CT | SB 899 | Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (100 - 44) |
| April 22, 2009 | CT | SB 899 | Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (100 - 44) |
| April 21, 2009 | WA | SB 5288 | Probation Time Reductions | Bill Passed - House (51 - 45) |
| April 21, 2009 | NV | SB 283 | Establishing Domestic Partnerships | Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9) |
| April 21, 2009 | NV | SB 283 | Establishing Domestic Partnerships | Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9) |
| April 20, 2009 | MN | Permitting Slot Machines at Race Tracks | Amendment Rejected - Senate (25 - 41) | |
| April 20, 2009 | MN | SF 802 | 2009-2011 Biennium Public Safety and Corrections Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 31) |
| April 17, 2009 | MN | SF 971 | School Anti-Bullying Policy Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 22) |
| April 17, 2009 | NV | SB 372 | Smoking Ban Exceptions | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 5) |
| April 17, 2009 | NE | LB 355 | Exempting Cigar Bars from the Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| April 17, 2009 | MN | SF 971 | School Anti-Bullying Policy Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 22) |
| April 16, 2009 | MN | Limmer Amdt | Homosexuality in Education | Amendment Rejected - Senate (24 - 37) |
| April 16, 2009 | MN | Limmer Amdt | Homosexuality in Education | Amendment Rejected - Senate (24 - 37) |
| April 16, 2009 | TN | HB 962 | Authorizing Guns in Restaurants that Serve Alcohol | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| April 16, 2009 | NC | HB 88 | Parental Choice Between Abstinence-Only or Comprehensive Sex Education | Bill Passed - House (62 - 52) |
| April 16, 2009 | NC | HB 88 | Parental Choice Between Abstinence-Only or Comprehensive Sex Education | Bill Passed - House (62 - 52) |
| April 16, 2009 | MO | HB 668 | Firearm Regulation Amendments | Bill Passed - House (105 - 50) |
| April 16, 2009 | CA | SB 242 | Prohibiting Language Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| April 16, 2009 | CA | SB 242 | Prohibiting Language Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| April 15, 2009 | WA | HB 1517 | Expediting the Restoration of Felons' Voting Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 19) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/22 | HB 1517 | Expediting the Restoration of Felons' Voting Rights | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 44) |
| 4/22 | HB 1517 | Expediting the Restoration of Felons' Voting Rights | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 44) |
| 4/22 | HB 1332 | Increased Regulation of Pet Breeders | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 16) |
| 4/22 | SB 899 | Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| 4/22 | SB 899 | Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| 4/22 | SB 899 | Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (100 - 44) |
| 4/22 | SB 899 | Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - House (100 - 44) |
| 4/21 | SB 5288 | Probation Time Reductions | Bill Passed - House (51 - 45) |
| 4/21 | SB 283 | Establishing Domestic Partnerships | Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9) |
| 4/21 | SB 283 | Establishing Domestic Partnerships | Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9) |
| 4/20 | Permitting Slot Machines at Race Tracks | Amendment Rejected - Senate (25 - 41) | |
| 4/20 | SF 802 | 2009-2011 Biennium Public Safety and Corrections Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 31) |
| 4/17 | SF 971 | School Anti-Bullying Policy Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 22) |
| 4/17 | SB 372 | Smoking Ban Exceptions | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 5) |
| 4/17 | LB 355 | Exempting Cigar Bars from the Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22) |
| 4/17 | SF 971 | School Anti-Bullying Policy Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 22) |
| 4/16 | Limmer Amdt | Homosexuality in Education | Amendment Rejected - Senate (24 - 37) |
| 4/16 | Limmer Amdt | Homosexuality in Education | Amendment Rejected - Senate (24 - 37) |
| 4/16 | HB 962 | Authorizing Guns in Restaurants that Serve Alcohol | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| 4/16 | HB 88 | Parental Choice Between Abstinence-Only or Comprehensive Sex Education | Bill Passed - House (62 - 52) |
| 4/16 | HB 88 | Parental Choice Between Abstinence-Only or Comprehensive Sex Education | Bill Passed - House (62 - 52) |
| 4/16 | HB 668 | Firearm Regulation Amendments | Bill Passed - House (105 - 50) |
| 4/16 | SB 242 | Prohibiting Language Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| 4/16 | SB 242 | Prohibiting Language Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| 4/15 | HB 1517 | Expediting the Restoration of Felons' Voting Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 19) |