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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 23, 2009 | HI | SB 777 | Requiring Comprehensive Sex Education When Using State Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 3) |
| Feb. 19, 2009 | VA | SB 1105 | Prohibiting Smoking in Restaurants | Conference Report Adopted - House (60 - 39) |
| Feb. 19, 2009 | VA | SB 1105 | Prohibiting Smoking in Restaurants | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 13) |
| Feb. 19, 2009 | KS | SB 59 | Enforcing Seat Belt Violations as a Primary Offense | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 17) |
| Feb. 19, 2009 | NM | SB 77 | Allowing Embryonic Stem Cell Research | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 14) |
| Feb. 19, 2009 | ND | HB 1213 | Prohibiting Smoking in Bars and Hotels | Bill Failed - House (33 - 59) |
| Feb. 19, 2009 | GA | SB 42 | Transfer of Authority Over State's Public Defender System | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 21) |
| Feb. 18, 2009 | ND | SB 2278 | Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19) |
| Feb. 18, 2009 | ND | SB 2278 | Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19) |
| Feb. 18, 2009 | NH | HB 383 | Mandating Seat Belt Usage | Bill Passed - House (197 - 155) |
| Feb. 18, 2009 | NH | HB 383 | Mandating Seat Belt Usage | Bill Passed - House (197 - 155) |
| Feb. 18, 2009 | ND | HB 1348 | Allowing Concealed Firearms on Campuses | Bill Passed - House (48 - 46) |
| Feb. 18, 2009 | UT | HB 122 | Restricting Access to Government Litigation Records | Bill Passed - House (43 - 27) |
| Feb. 17, 2009 | SD | HB 1278 | Ban on Local Firearm Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (46 - 20) |
| Feb. 17, 2009 | ND | HB 1572 | Legislative Intent With Regards to the Legal Definition of Life | Bill Passed - House (51 - 41) |
| Feb. 17, 2009 | KS | SB 25 | Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| Feb. 17, 2009 | IN | HB 1213 | Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - House (70 - 26) |
| Feb. 16, 2009 | IA | SF 137 | Wage Discrimination Policy and Penalties | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| Feb. 16, 2009 | ND | HB 1197 | Seat Belt Violation as Primary Offense | Bill Failed - House (34 - 58) |
| Feb. 16, 2009 | ND | HB 1197 | Seat Belt Violation as Primary Offense | Bill Failed - House (34 - 58) |
| Feb. 12, 2009 | SD | SB 156 | Expansion of Hate Crime Law | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 21) |
| Feb. 12, 2009 | SD | SB 156 | Expansion of Hate Crime Law | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 21) |
| Feb. 12, 2009 | SD | SB 156 | Expansion of Hate Crime Law | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 21) |
| Feb. 12, 2009 | ND | HB 1453 | Wheelchair Accessibility in Businesses | Bill Failed - House (19 - 72) |
| Feb. 12, 2009 | MS | HB 234 | Sex Education Pilot Program | Bill Passed - House (79 - 40) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/23 | SB 777 | Requiring Comprehensive Sex Education When Using State Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 3) |
| 2/19 | SB 1105 | Prohibiting Smoking in Restaurants | Conference Report Adopted - House (60 - 39) |
| 2/19 | SB 1105 | Prohibiting Smoking in Restaurants | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 13) |
| 2/19 | SB 59 | Enforcing Seat Belt Violations as a Primary Offense | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 17) |
| 2/19 | SB 77 | Allowing Embryonic Stem Cell Research | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 14) |
| 2/19 | HB 1213 | Prohibiting Smoking in Bars and Hotels | Bill Failed - House (33 - 59) |
| 2/19 | SB 42 | Transfer of Authority Over State's Public Defender System | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 21) |
| 2/18 | SB 2278 | Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19) |
| 2/18 | SB 2278 | Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19) |
| 2/18 | HB 383 | Mandating Seat Belt Usage | Bill Passed - House (197 - 155) |
| 2/18 | HB 383 | Mandating Seat Belt Usage | Bill Passed - House (197 - 155) |
| 2/18 | HB 1348 | Allowing Concealed Firearms on Campuses | Bill Passed - House (48 - 46) |
| 2/18 | HB 122 | Restricting Access to Government Litigation Records | Bill Passed - House (43 - 27) |
| 2/17 | HB 1278 | Ban on Local Firearm Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (46 - 20) |
| 2/17 | HB 1572 | Legislative Intent With Regards to the Legal Definition of Life | Bill Passed - House (51 - 41) |
| 2/17 | SB 25 | Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| 2/17 | HB 1213 | Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - House (70 - 26) |
| 2/16 | SF 137 | Wage Discrimination Policy and Penalties | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| 2/16 | HB 1197 | Seat Belt Violation as Primary Offense | Bill Failed - House (34 - 58) |
| 2/16 | HB 1197 | Seat Belt Violation as Primary Offense | Bill Failed - House (34 - 58) |
| 2/12 | SB 156 | Expansion of Hate Crime Law | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 21) |
| 2/12 | SB 156 | Expansion of Hate Crime Law | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 21) |
| 2/12 | SB 156 | Expansion of Hate Crime Law | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 21) |
| 2/12 | HB 1453 | Wheelchair Accessibility in Businesses | Bill Failed - House (19 - 72) |
| 2/12 | HB 234 | Sex Education Pilot Program | Bill Passed - House (79 - 40) |