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. 12, 2009 | HI | HB 444 | Legalizing Same-Sex Civil Unions | Bill Passed - House (33 - 17) |
| Feb. 12, 2009 | HI | HB 444 | Legalizing Same-Sex Civil Unions | Bill Passed - House (33 - 17) |
| Feb. 11, 2009 | MS | HB 1533 | Election Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (78 - 44) |
| Feb. 11, 2009 | WY | HB 32 | Gray Wolf Management Plan Amendments | Bill Failed - House (7 - 52) |
| Feb. 11, 2009 | AR | HB 1237 | Allowing Concealed Weapons in Churches | Bill Passed - House (57 - 42) |
| Feb. 10, 2009 | OH | SB 35 | State Enforcement of Federal Immigration Law | (21 - 11) |
| Feb. 10, 2009 | MT | HB 228 | Amending Concealed Weapons and Self-Defense Statutes | Bill Passed - House (60 - 40) |
| Feb. 10, 2009 | MT | HB 228 | Amending Concealed Weapons and Self-Defense Statutes | Bill Passed - House (60 - 40) |
| Feb. 9, 2009 | VA | SB 1105 | Prohibiting Smoking in Restaurants | Bill Passed - House (59 - 39) |
| Feb. 9, 2009 | ND | HB 1576 | Election Law Amendments | Bill Failed - House (47 - 46) |
| Feb. 9, 2009 | VA | SJ 354 | Civil Rights for Nonviolent Felons | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (19 - 19) |
| Feb. 9, 2009 | WY | HB 170 | State Lottery for Scholarship Funding | Bill Failed - House (25 - 35) |
| Feb. 9, 2009 | SD | SJR 1 | Authorization of Legal Gaming due to Gaming in Bordering States | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| Feb. 9, 2009 | VA | SJ 273 | Legislative Restoration of Voting Rights for Nonviolent Felons | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| Feb. 9, 2009 | CO | HB 1057 | Mandatory Unpaid Parental Work Leave for Education Activities | Bill Passed - House (35 - 30) |
| Feb. 6, 2009 | WY | HJ 17 | Constitutional Amendment to Define Marriage | Joint Resolution Failed - House (25 - 35) |
| Feb. 6, 2009 | ND | HB 1508 | State-Sponsored Children's Savings Accounts | Bill Failed - House (28 - 64) |
| Feb. 6, 2009 | WY | HJ 17 | Constitutional Amendment to Define Marriage | Joint Resolution Failed - House (25 - 35) |
| Feb. 5, 2009 | VA | HB 1826 | Driver's License Suspension for Unexcused School Absences | Bill Passed - House (68 - 28) |
| Feb. 5, 2009 | VA | HB 1826 | Driver's License Suspension for Unexcused School Absences | Bill Passed - House (68 - 28) |
| Feb. 5, 2009 | UT | SB 16 | Prohibiting "Gang Loitering" | Bill Passed - House (56 - 17) |
| Feb. 5, 2009 | UT | SB 16 | Prohibiting "Gang Loitering" | Bill Passed - House (56 - 17) |
| Feb. 5, 2009 | MT | SB 237 | Primary Seatbelt Enforcement | Bill Failed - Senate (25 - 25) |
| Feb. 5, 2009 | MT | SB 237 | Primary Seatbelt Enforcement | Bill Failed - Senate (25 - 25) |
| Feb. 5, 2009 | VA | SB 1161 | Classifying a Seat Belt Violation as a Primary Offense | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/12 | HB 444 | Legalizing Same-Sex Civil Unions | Bill Passed - House (33 - 17) |
| 2/12 | HB 444 | Legalizing Same-Sex Civil Unions | Bill Passed - House (33 - 17) |
| 2/11 | HB 1533 | Election Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (78 - 44) |
| 2/11 | HB 32 | Gray Wolf Management Plan Amendments | Bill Failed - House (7 - 52) |
| 2/11 | HB 1237 | Allowing Concealed Weapons in Churches | Bill Passed - House (57 - 42) |
| 2/10 | SB 35 | State Enforcement of Federal Immigration Law | (21 - 11) |
| 2/10 | HB 228 | Amending Concealed Weapons and Self-Defense Statutes | Bill Passed - House (60 - 40) |
| 2/10 | HB 228 | Amending Concealed Weapons and Self-Defense Statutes | Bill Passed - House (60 - 40) |
| 2/09 | SB 1105 | Prohibiting Smoking in Restaurants | Bill Passed - House (59 - 39) |
| 2/09 | HB 1576 | Election Law Amendments | Bill Failed - House (47 - 46) |
| 2/09 | SJ 354 | Civil Rights for Nonviolent Felons | Joint Resolution Failed - Senate (19 - 19) |
| 2/09 | HB 170 | State Lottery for Scholarship Funding | Bill Failed - House (25 - 35) |
| 2/09 | SJR 1 | Authorization of Legal Gaming due to Gaming in Bordering States | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 2/09 | SJ 273 | Legislative Restoration of Voting Rights for Nonviolent Felons | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| 2/09 | HB 1057 | Mandatory Unpaid Parental Work Leave for Education Activities | Bill Passed - House (35 - 30) |
| 2/06 | HJ 17 | Constitutional Amendment to Define Marriage | Joint Resolution Failed - House (25 - 35) |
| 2/06 | HB 1508 | State-Sponsored Children's Savings Accounts | Bill Failed - House (28 - 64) |
| 2/06 | HJ 17 | Constitutional Amendment to Define Marriage | Joint Resolution Failed - House (25 - 35) |
| 2/05 | HB 1826 | Driver's License Suspension for Unexcused School Absences | Bill Passed - House (68 - 28) |
| 2/05 | HB 1826 | Driver's License Suspension for Unexcused School Absences | Bill Passed - House (68 - 28) |
| 2/05 | SB 16 | Prohibiting "Gang Loitering" | Bill Passed - House (56 - 17) |
| 2/05 | SB 16 | Prohibiting "Gang Loitering" | Bill Passed - House (56 - 17) |
| 2/05 | SB 237 | Primary Seatbelt Enforcement | Bill Failed - Senate (25 - 25) |
| 2/05 | SB 237 | Primary Seatbelt Enforcement | Bill Failed - Senate (25 - 25) |
| 2/05 | SB 1161 | Classifying a Seat Belt Violation as a Primary Offense | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |