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 14, 2009 | HI | HB 1605 | Allowing Counties to Impose Retail Sales Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 4) |
| April 14, 2009 | HI | HB 1744 | Allowing a County Surcharge on the Transient Accommodations Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 6) |
| April 13, 2009 | MD | SB 785 | Inheritance Tax Exemption for Domestic Partners | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 18) |
| April 13, 2009 | CO | SB 273 | Appropriation of Pinnacol Assurance Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| April 13, 2009 | CO | SB 281 | Clarifying Pinnacol Assurance as a Subdivision of the State | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| April 10, 2009 | MD | HB 310 | Extending Unemployment Benefits to Part-Time Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 9) |
| April 8, 2009 | OR | SB 311 | Changes in Liability Limits | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
| April 7, 2009 | MN | SF 1328 | 2009-2011 Biennium Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 29) |
| April 7, 2009 | ID | S 1186 | Highway Project Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 6) |
| April 3, 2009 | NY | A 159-B | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 30) |
| April 3, 2009 | NE | LB 260 | Wrongful Conviction Compensation | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 9) |
| April 3, 2009 | NY | A 158-B | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 30) |
| April 3, 2009 | NY | A 157-B | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 30) |
| April 3, 2009 | GA | HB 243 | Ending New Enrollment in Bonus Program for Teachers' National Certification | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| April 3, 2009 | ID | H 173 | Restricting Eligibility for State Retiree Health Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| April 2, 2009 | NY | A 156-B | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 30) |
| April 2, 2009 | RI | H 5019 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 6) |
| April 1, 2009 | TX | SB 1 | 2009-2011 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 5) |
| April 1, 2009 | AK | HB 81 | 2009-2010 Operating Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 4) |
| March 31, 2009 | KS | HB 2354 | 2009-2010 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 5) |
| March 25, 2009 | PA | SB 490 | Oil and Gas Lease Fund Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| March 24, 2009 | IN | HB 1379 | Unemployment Benefit Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20) |
| March 24, 2009 | KS | HB 2354 | 2009-2010 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 14) |
| March 24, 2009 | NC | SB 287 | State Health Plan Changes and Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 18) |
| March 19, 2009 | IA | SF 389 | Health Insurance Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/14 | HB 1605 | Allowing Counties to Impose Retail Sales Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 4) |
| 4/14 | HB 1744 | Allowing a County Surcharge on the Transient Accommodations Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 6) |
| 4/13 | SB 785 | Inheritance Tax Exemption for Domestic Partners | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 18) |
| 4/13 | SB 273 | Appropriation of Pinnacol Assurance Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| 4/13 | SB 281 | Clarifying Pinnacol Assurance as a Subdivision of the State | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| 4/10 | HB 310 | Extending Unemployment Benefits to Part-Time Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 9) |
| 4/08 | SB 311 | Changes in Liability Limits | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
| 4/07 | SF 1328 | 2009-2011 Biennium Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 29) |
| 4/07 | S 1186 | Highway Project Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 6) |
| 4/03 | A 159-B | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 30) |
| 4/03 | LB 260 | Wrongful Conviction Compensation | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 9) |
| 4/03 | A 158-B | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 30) |
| 4/03 | A 157-B | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 30) |
| 4/03 | HB 243 | Ending New Enrollment in Bonus Program for Teachers' National Certification | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| 4/03 | H 173 | Restricting Eligibility for State Retiree Health Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| 4/02 | A 156-B | Budget Financing | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 30) |
| 4/02 | H 5019 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 6) |
| 4/01 | SB 1 | 2009-2011 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 5) |
| 4/01 | HB 81 | 2009-2010 Operating Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 4) |
| 3/31 | HB 2354 | 2009-2010 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 5) |
| 3/25 | SB 490 | Oil and Gas Lease Fund Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| 3/24 | HB 1379 | Unemployment Benefit Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20) |
| 3/24 | HB 2354 | 2009-2010 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 14) |
| 3/24 | SB 287 | State Health Plan Changes and Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 18) |
| 3/19 | SF 389 | Health Insurance Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |