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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 26, 2009 | CT | SB 953 | Hedge Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| May 26, 2009 | OR | SB 284 | Extension of Statute of Ultimate Repose | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13) |
| May 20, 2009 | ME | LD 290 | Out-of-State Health Insurance | "Ought Not to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 16) |
| May 15, 2009 | MO | HB 191 | Law Changes Regarding Taxation | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| May 14, 2009 | AL | HB 175 | Permitting Elections in Smaller Municipalities on Allowing Alcohol | Veto Override Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
| May 14, 2009 | AL | HB 373 | Higher Alcohol Content Limit for Beer | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 9) |
| May 13, 2009 | WI | SB 181 | Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| May 11, 2009 | NC | HB 2 | Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| May 8, 2009 | HI | SB 1111 | Transient Accommodations Tax Increase | Veto Override Passed - Senate (19 - 6) |
| May 6, 2009 | CO | HB 1366 | Capital Gains Income Tax Reduction Modification | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| May 6, 2009 | NY | S 1363 | Tenants' Protection In Foreclosure | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 24) |
| May 5, 2009 | CO | SB 244 | Requiring Health Insurance Plans to Cover Autism Treatments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
| May 5, 2009 | VT | H 446 | Renewable Energy Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 10) |
| May 5, 2009 | OR | SB 786 | Workplace Religious Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| May 4, 2009 | MN | SF 2081 | 2010-2011 Economic Development Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (38 - 28) |
| May 1, 2009 | FL | HB 903 | Capping Attorney Fees in Workers' Compensation Lawsuits | Motion Agreed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| May 1, 2009 | FL | HB 1495 | Property Insurance Law Modifications | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 6) |
| May 1, 2009 | FL | SB 360 | Growth Management Deregulation | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 7) |
| May 1, 2009 | VT | H 436 | Nuclear Plant Decommissioning Fund Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 4) |
| April 30, 2009 | FL | Amdt 626368 | Liability Insurance Related to SunRail Commuter Line | Motion Rejected - Senate (17 - 23) |
| April 28, 2009 | WI | SB 20 | Discriminatory Pay Compensation | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| April 28, 2009 | CO | HB 1170 | Allowing Locked-Out Employees to Collect Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| April 27, 2009 | CO | SB 244 | Requiring Health Insurance Plans to Cover Autism Treatments | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
| April 27, 2009 | CO | HB 1057 | Mandatory Unpaid Parental Work Leave for Education Activities | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 13) |
| April 22, 2009 | OK | HB 1332 | Increased Regulation of Pet Breeders | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 16) |
| April 22, 2009 | WA | HB 1709 | Payday Lending Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
| April 22, 2009 | OK | HB 1602 | Attorney Fee Limits | Bill Failed - Senate (23 - 23) |
| April 21, 2009 | AL | HB 175 | Permitting Elections in Smaller Municipalities on Allowing Alcohol | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 9) |
| April 20, 2009 | MN | Permitting Slot Machines at Race Tracks | Amendment Rejected - Senate (25 - 41) | |
| 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 2083 | 2009-2011 Biennium Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 23) |
| April 16, 2009 | TN | HB 962 | Authorizing Guns in Restaurants that Serve Alcohol | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| April 16, 2009 | CA | SB 242 | Prohibiting Language Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| April 16, 2009 | ID | S 1166 | Workers' Compensation Dividend Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
| April 15, 2009 | TX | SB 1049 | Increasing Age Restriction on Tobacco Purchases | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 5) |
| April 14, 2009 | HI | HB 952 | Amending Unionization Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 4) |
| April 14, 2009 | HI | HB 1744 | Allowing a County Surcharge on the Transient Accommodations Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 6) |
| April 14, 2009 | HI | HB 1605 | Allowing Counties to Impose Retail Sales Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 4) |
| April 13, 2009 | MD | SB 278 | Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 9) |
| April 13, 2009 | TN | SB 1954 | Basic Phone Service Deregulation | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 7) |
| April 13, 2009 | CO | SB 281 | Clarifying Pinnacol Assurance as a Subdivision of the State | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| April 9, 2009 | AL | SB 373 | Deregulation of Landline Phone Service Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 8) |
| April 6, 2009 | MN | SF 10 | Sharing Services For Schools Districts | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 33) |
| April 3, 2009 | GA | HB 2 | Citizenship Status Verification of Government Assistance Recipients | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 16) |
| April 2, 2009 | MI | HB 4454 | Written Foreclosure Notice Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| April 2, 2009 | MI | HB 4453 | Holds in Foreclosure Proceedings | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8) |
| April 2, 2009 | MI | HB 4455 | Mortgage Payment Modifications | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 7) |
| April 1, 2009 | MD | SB 844 | Public Service Commission Regulation of New Electric Generation Facilities | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19) |
| March 31, 2009 | WV | SB 419 | Calorie Information Posting Requirement for Restaurants | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/26 | SB 953 | Hedge Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| 5/26 | SB 284 | Extension of Statute of Ultimate Repose | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13) |
| 5/20 | LD 290 | Out-of-State Health Insurance | "Ought Not to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 16) |
| 5/15 | HB 191 | Law Changes Regarding Taxation | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| 5/14 | HB 175 | Permitting Elections in Smaller Municipalities on Allowing Alcohol | Veto Override Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
| 5/14 | HB 373 | Higher Alcohol Content Limit for Beer | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 9) |
| 5/13 | SB 181 | Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| 5/11 | HB 2 | Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| 5/08 | SB 1111 | Transient Accommodations Tax Increase | Veto Override Passed - Senate (19 - 6) |
| 5/06 | HB 1366 | Capital Gains Income Tax Reduction Modification | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 5/06 | S 1363 | Tenants' Protection In Foreclosure | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 24) |
| 5/05 | SB 244 | Requiring Health Insurance Plans to Cover Autism Treatments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
| 5/05 | H 446 | Renewable Energy Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 10) |
| 5/05 | SB 786 | Workplace Religious Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| 5/04 | SF 2081 | 2010-2011 Economic Development Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (38 - 28) |
| 5/01 | HB 903 | Capping Attorney Fees in Workers' Compensation Lawsuits | Motion Agreed - Senate (22 - 16) |
| 5/01 | HB 1495 | Property Insurance Law Modifications | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 6) |
| 5/01 | SB 360 | Growth Management Deregulation | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 7) |
| 5/01 | H 436 | Nuclear Plant Decommissioning Fund Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 4) |
| 4/30 | Amdt 626368 | Liability Insurance Related to SunRail Commuter Line | Motion Rejected - Senate (17 - 23) |
| 4/28 | SB 20 | Discriminatory Pay Compensation | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| 4/28 | HB 1170 | Allowing Locked-Out Employees to Collect Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 4/27 | SB 244 | Requiring Health Insurance Plans to Cover Autism Treatments | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
| 4/27 | HB 1057 | Mandatory Unpaid Parental Work Leave for Education Activities | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 13) |
| 4/22 | HB 1332 | Increased Regulation of Pet Breeders | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 16) |
| 4/22 | HB 1709 | Payday Lending Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
| 4/22 | HB 1602 | Attorney Fee Limits | Bill Failed - Senate (23 - 23) |
| 4/21 | HB 175 | Permitting Elections in Smaller Municipalities on Allowing Alcohol | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 9) |
| 4/20 | Permitting Slot Machines at Race Tracks | Amendment Rejected - Senate (25 - 41) | |
| 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 2083 | 2009-2011 Biennium Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 23) |
| 4/16 | HB 962 | Authorizing Guns in Restaurants that Serve Alcohol | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| 4/16 | SB 242 | Prohibiting Language Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| 4/16 | S 1166 | Workers' Compensation Dividend Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
| 4/15 | SB 1049 | Increasing Age Restriction on Tobacco Purchases | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 5) |
| 4/14 | HB 952 | Amending Unionization Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 4) |
| 4/14 | HB 1744 | Allowing a County Surcharge on the Transient Accommodations Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 6) |
| 4/14 | HB 1605 | Allowing Counties to Impose Retail Sales Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 4) |
| 4/13 | SB 278 | Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 9) |
| 4/13 | SB 1954 | Basic Phone Service Deregulation | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 7) |
| 4/13 | SB 281 | Clarifying Pinnacol Assurance as a Subdivision of the State | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| 4/09 | SB 373 | Deregulation of Landline Phone Service Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 8) |
| 4/06 | SF 10 | Sharing Services For Schools Districts | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 33) |
| 4/03 | HB 2 | Citizenship Status Verification of Government Assistance Recipients | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 16) |
| 4/02 | HB 4454 | Written Foreclosure Notice Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9) |
| 4/02 | HB 4453 | Holds in Foreclosure Proceedings | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8) |
| 4/02 | HB 4455 | Mortgage Payment Modifications | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 7) |
| 4/01 | SB 844 | Public Service Commission Regulation of New Electric Generation Facilities | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19) |
| 3/31 | SB 419 | Calorie Information Posting Requirement for Restaurants | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16) |