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 1, 2009 | IL | HB | Text Messaging while Driving Ban | Bill Passed - House (89 - 27) |
| April 1, 2009 | ND | SB 2070 | Ban on Smoking in Cars with Children Passengers | Bill Failed - House (31 - 58) |
| April 1, 2009 | MD | SB 844 | Public Service Commission Regulation of New Electric Generation Facilities | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19) |
| April 1, 2009 | GA | SB 200 | Reorganization of the Department of Transportation | Bill Passed - House (90 - 84) |
| April 1, 2009 | OH | HB 2 | 2009-2011 Biennium Transportation Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (70 - 29) |
| April 1, 2009 | IL | HB 71 | Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving | Bill Passed - House (89 - 27) |
| March 31, 2009 | WV | SB 419 | Calorie Information Posting Requirement for Restaurants | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16) |
| March 31, 2009 | TX | SB 298 | Authorizing Sobriety Checkpoints | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11) |
| March 30, 2009 | GA | HB 614 | Prescription Tracking Database | Bill Failed - Senate (25 - 29) |
| March 30, 2009 | ID | H 216 | Allowing Pharmacists to Refuse Prescriptions | Bill Passed - House (48 - 21) |
| March 30, 2009 | GA | SB 67 | English Only Requirement for Driver's License Examinations | Bill Passed - House (104 - 58) |
| March 27, 2009 | VT | H 436 | Nuclear Plant Decommissioning Fund Amendments | Bill Passed - House (93 - 46) |
| March 27, 2009 | WV | HB 2621 | Prohibiting the Use of Cell Phones While Driving | Bill Passed - House (80 - 18) |
| March 26, 2009 | MI | HB 4317 | Extending Pharmaceutical Manufacturer Liability | Bill Passed - House (56 - 53) |
| March 26, 2009 | MO | HB 10 | 2009-10 Health Budget | Bill Passed - House (88 - 66) |
| March 26, 2009 | MO | HB 2 | 2009-10 Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (92 - 64) |
| March 26, 2009 | MN | HF 1797 | Federal Stimulus Transportation Funding | Bill Passed - House (113 - 19) |
| March 26, 2009 | ID | H 262 | Teacher Compensation Adjustments | Bill Passed - House (49 - 20) |
| March 25, 2009 | OR | HB 2599 | Expanding School Bullying Law | Bill Passed - House (50 - 9) |
| March 25, 2009 | PA | SB 490 | Oil and Gas Lease Fund Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| March 25, 2009 | TX | SB 175 | Capping Automatic College Admissions | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 7) |
| March 25, 2009 | GA | SB 83 | Expanding Homestead Property Tax Exemption | Bill Failed - House (109 - 63) |
| March 25, 2009 | NH | HB 648 | Medical Marijuana Legalization | Bill Passed - House (234 - 138) |
| March 24, 2009 | WI | SB 37 | Allowing Drivers To Keep Licenses While Paying Fines | Bill Passed - House (53 - 45) |
| March 24, 2009 | NC | SB 287 | State Health Plan Changes and Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 18) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/01 | HB | Text Messaging while Driving Ban | Bill Passed - House (89 - 27) |
| 4/01 | SB 2070 | Ban on Smoking in Cars with Children Passengers | Bill Failed - House (31 - 58) |
| 4/01 | SB 844 | Public Service Commission Regulation of New Electric Generation Facilities | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19) |
| 4/01 | SB 200 | Reorganization of the Department of Transportation | Bill Passed - House (90 - 84) |
| 4/01 | HB 2 | 2009-2011 Biennium Transportation Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (70 - 29) |
| 4/01 | HB 71 | Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving | Bill Passed - House (89 - 27) |
| 3/31 | SB 419 | Calorie Information Posting Requirement for Restaurants | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16) |
| 3/31 | SB 298 | Authorizing Sobriety Checkpoints | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11) |
| 3/30 | HB 614 | Prescription Tracking Database | Bill Failed - Senate (25 - 29) |
| 3/30 | H 216 | Allowing Pharmacists to Refuse Prescriptions | Bill Passed - House (48 - 21) |
| 3/30 | SB 67 | English Only Requirement for Driver's License Examinations | Bill Passed - House (104 - 58) |
| 3/27 | H 436 | Nuclear Plant Decommissioning Fund Amendments | Bill Passed - House (93 - 46) |
| 3/27 | HB 2621 | Prohibiting the Use of Cell Phones While Driving | Bill Passed - House (80 - 18) |
| 3/26 | HB 4317 | Extending Pharmaceutical Manufacturer Liability | Bill Passed - House (56 - 53) |
| 3/26 | HB 10 | 2009-10 Health Budget | Bill Passed - House (88 - 66) |
| 3/26 | HB 2 | 2009-10 Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (92 - 64) |
| 3/26 | HF 1797 | Federal Stimulus Transportation Funding | Bill Passed - House (113 - 19) |
| 3/26 | H 262 | Teacher Compensation Adjustments | Bill Passed - House (49 - 20) |
| 3/25 | HB 2599 | Expanding School Bullying Law | Bill Passed - House (50 - 9) |
| 3/25 | SB 490 | Oil and Gas Lease Fund Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| 3/25 | SB 175 | Capping Automatic College Admissions | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 7) |
| 3/25 | SB 83 | Expanding Homestead Property Tax Exemption | Bill Failed - House (109 - 63) |
| 3/25 | HB 648 | Medical Marijuana Legalization | Bill Passed - House (234 - 138) |
| 3/24 | SB 37 | Allowing Drivers To Keep Licenses While Paying Fines | Bill Passed - House (53 - 45) |
| 3/24 | SB 287 | State Health Plan Changes and Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 18) |