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 3, 2009 | GA | HB 2 | Citizenship Status Verification of Government Assistance Recipients | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 16) |
| April 3, 2009 | GA | HB 2 | Citizenship Status Verification of Government Assistance Recipients | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (121 - 47) |
| March 26, 2009 | ID | S 1148 | Alcohol Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| March 16, 2009 | NJ | S 21 | Local Government PERS/PFRS Contribution Deferral | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 17) |
| March 16, 2009 | NJ | S 2091 | Formalizing Palimony Agreements | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| March 16, 2009 | NJ | S 21 | Local Government PERS/PFRS Contribution Deferral | Bill Passed - House (42 - 36) |
| March 12, 2009 | WA | SB 2252 | Shifting Local Tax Revenue | Bill Passed - House (54 - 42) |
| March 12, 2009 | TN | SB 83 | "Living" Wage Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13) |
| March 12, 2009 | KS | HB 2320 | State Spending Limitations and Savings Accounts | Bill Passed - House (89 - 33) |
| March 10, 2009 | OK | SB 834 | Increased Local School Board Control | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 21) |
| March 10, 2009 | HI | HB 1744 | Suspending the Distribution of Transient Accommodation Tax Revenue to Counties | Bill Passed - House (33 - 17) |
| March 9, 2009 | UT | SB 241 | Instructional Spending Requirements for School Districts | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 17) |
| March 9, 2009 | KY | HB 102 | State and Local Transportation Authorities | Bill Passed - House (67 - 23) |
| March 4, 2009 | UT | SB 29 | Authorizing Corporate Water Systems to Refuse Fluoridation | Bill Passed - House (60 - 11) |
| March 3, 2009 | UT | SB 29 | Authorizing Corporate Water Systems to Refuse Fluoridation | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 11) |
| March 3, 2009 | WA | HB 1956 | Limiting Local Regulations of Homeless Shelters | Bill Passed - House (56 - 41) |
| Feb. 27, 2009 | VT | S 34 | Presidential Election by National Popular Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 10) |
| Feb. 26, 2009 | National | S 160 | Washington DC Voting Act | Bill Passed - Senate (61 - 37) |
| Feb. 25, 2009 | IN | HB 1730 | Exempting Energy Efficient Projects From Referendum Requirements | Bill Passed - House (52 - 48) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | IN | SB 512 | Eliminating Township Boards in Counties Without a Consolidated City | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 22) |
| Feb. 23, 2009 | OR | SB 311 | Changes in Liability Limits | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
| Feb. 18, 2009 | SD | HB 1171 | Exemptions from School District Minimum Size Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12) |
| Feb. 17, 2009 | SD | HB 1278 | Ban on Local Firearm Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (46 - 20) |
| Feb. 12, 2009 | OR | HB 2157 | Severing the Federal and State Income Tax Connection | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13) |
| Feb. 11, 2009 | WY | HB 32 | Gray Wolf Management Plan Amendments | Bill Failed - House (7 - 52) |
| Feb. 10, 2009 | OH | SB 35 | State Enforcement of Federal Immigration Law | (21 - 11) |
| Feb. 10, 2009 | IN | HB 1656 | Shifting Federal Transportation Funding to Counties and Localities | Bill Passed - House (88 - 11) |
| Feb. 4, 2009 | SD | HB 1171 | Exemptions from School District Minimum Size Requirements | Bill Passed - House (36 - 34) |
| Feb. 4, 2009 | OR | HB 2157 | Severing the Federal and State Income Tax Connection | Bill Passed - House (36 - 23) |
| Feb. 3, 2009 | WY | HB 31 | Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - House (31 - 29) |
| Feb. 2, 2009 | MT | SJ 7 | Statement of Opposition to Expansion of EPA Jurisdiction (H.R. 2421) | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| Feb. 2, 2009 | NY | A 1688 | Expanding Local Control Over Rent Laws | Bill Passed - House (94 - 49) |
| Jan. 30, 2009 | WY | Amdt 2002 to HB 31 | Allowing Counties and Municipalities to Opt Out of Smoking Ban | Amendment Adopted - House (41 - 18) |
| Jan. 29, 2009 | IA | SF 44 | Expediting Local-Option Tax Approval in Disaster Areas | Bill Passed - House (55 - 37) |
| Jan. 27, 2009 | IA | SF 44 | Expediting Local-Option Tax Approval in Disaster Areas | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |