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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
May 15, 2009 TX HB 2962 Childrens' Health Care Bill Passed - House (87 - 55)
May 15, 2009 NV SB 283 Establishing Domestic Partnerships Bill Passed - House (26 - 14)
May 15, 2009 NV SB 283 Establishing Domestic Partnerships Bill Passed - House (26 - 14)
May 14, 2009 NC SB 461 Racial Discrimination in Capital Sentences Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 10)
May 14, 2009 CA SB 572 Harvey Milk Day Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14)
May 14, 2009 CA SB 4 Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
May 14, 2009 CA SB 572 Harvey Milk Day Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14)
May 13, 2009 ME LD 290 Out-of-State Health Insurance "Ought Not to Pass" Report Adopted - House (82 - 63)
May 13, 2009 WI SB 181 Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Passed - House (61 - 38)
May 13, 2009 WI SB 181 Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8)
May 12, 2009 National S Amdt 1067 Allowing Loaded Guns in National Parks Amendment Adopted - Senate (67 - 29)
May 12, 2009 LA HB 60 Birth Certificates for Adoption Bill Passed - House (78 - 17)
May 12, 2009 RI H 5143 E-Verify Bill Bill Passed - House (38 - 33)
May 12, 2009 DE HB 100 Reestablishing a Sports Lottery Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 2)
May 12, 2009 NY A 7732 Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passed - House (89 - 52)
May 12, 2009 NY A 7732 Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passed - House (89 - 52)
May 12, 2009 LA HB 60 Birth Certificates for Adoption Bill Passed - House (78 - 17)
May 12, 2009 LA HB 60 Birth Certificates for Adoption Bill Passed - House (78 - 17)
May 12, 2009 NC HB 1289 Lottery Sales Ban at Check Cashing Sites Bill Passed - House (84 - 29)
May 11, 2009 TX HB 1736 Increasing Wrongful Conviction Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4)
May 11, 2009 TX HB 1736 Increasing Wrongful Conviction Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4)
May 11, 2009 NC HB 2 Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18)
May 8, 2009 FL SB 788 Gambling Expansion Conference Report Adopted - House (82 - 35)
May 8, 2009 FL SB 788 Gambling Expansion Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 9)
May 8, 2009 MN HF 1231 2010-2011 Cultural and Outdoor Resources Budget Bill Passed - House (78 - 51)
Date No. Title Outcome
5/15 HB 2962 Childrens' Health Care Bill Passed - House (87 - 55)
5/15 SB 283 Establishing Domestic Partnerships Bill Passed - House (26 - 14)
5/15 SB 283 Establishing Domestic Partnerships Bill Passed - House (26 - 14)
5/14 SB 461 Racial Discrimination in Capital Sentences Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 10)
5/14 SB 572 Harvey Milk Day Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14)
5/14 SB 4 Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
5/14 SB 572 Harvey Milk Day Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14)
5/13 LD 290 Out-of-State Health Insurance "Ought Not to Pass" Report Adopted - House (82 - 63)
5/13 SB 181 Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Passed - House (61 - 38)
5/13 SB 181 Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8)
5/12 S Amdt 1067 Allowing Loaded Guns in National Parks Amendment Adopted - Senate (67 - 29)
5/12 HB 60 Birth Certificates for Adoption Bill Passed - House (78 - 17)
5/12 H 5143 E-Verify Bill Bill Passed - House (38 - 33)
5/12 HB 100 Reestablishing a Sports Lottery Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 2)
5/12 A 7732 Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passed - House (89 - 52)
5/12 A 7732 Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passed - House (89 - 52)
5/12 HB 60 Birth Certificates for Adoption Bill Passed - House (78 - 17)
5/12 HB 60 Birth Certificates for Adoption Bill Passed - House (78 - 17)
5/12 HB 1289 Lottery Sales Ban at Check Cashing Sites Bill Passed - House (84 - 29)
5/11 HB 1736 Increasing Wrongful Conviction Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4)
5/11 HB 1736 Increasing Wrongful Conviction Compensation Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4)
5/11 HB 2 Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18)
5/08 SB 788 Gambling Expansion Conference Report Adopted - House (82 - 35)
5/08 SB 788 Gambling Expansion Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 9)
5/08 HF 1231 2010-2011 Cultural and Outdoor Resources Budget Bill Passed - House (78 - 51)

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