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
Feb. 17, 2009 OR HB 2436 Real Estate Fees to Fund Housing Programs Bill Passed - House (44 - 15)
Feb. 17, 2009 SD SB 106 School Funding Formula Revision Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7)
Feb. 17, 2009 KS SB 25 Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13)
Feb. 16, 2009 ND HB 1197 Seat Belt Violation as Primary Offense Bill Failed - House (34 - 58)
Feb. 16, 2009 ND HB 1431 Increasing Fines for Certain Traffic Violations Bill Failed - House (35 - 57)
Feb. 16, 2009 MT SB 142 Consideration of Gender for Insurance Coverage Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23)
Feb. 13, 2009 ND SB 2184 Repeals Auto Rebate Tax Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 6)
Feb. 13, 2009 UT SB 48 Amending Requirements for Obtaining Teaching Licenses Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10)
Feb. 12, 2009 MS HB 234 Sex Education Pilot Program Bill Passed - House (79 - 40)
Feb. 12, 2009 MS HB 234 Sex Education Pilot Program Bill Passed - House (79 - 40)
Feb. 12, 2009 KS SB 23 2008-2009, 2009-2010, and 2010-2011Budget Amendments Conference Report Adopted - House (70 - 51)
Feb. 12, 2009 KS SB 23 2008-2009, 2009-2010, and 2010-2011Budget Amendments Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 11)
Feb. 12, 2009 AR HB 1204 Tobacco Tax Increase Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7)
Feb. 12, 2009 GA HB 233 Two-Year Property Tax Assessment Freeze Bill Passed - House (110 - 63)
Feb. 11, 2009 GA SB 31 Energy Rate Increases to Finance Nuclear Power Plant Construction Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 16)
Feb. 10, 2009 WY HB 218 Amending Hathaway Scholarship Requirements Bill Failed - House (29 - 30)
Feb. 10, 2009 KY SB 3 Allowing Early High School Graduation Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
Feb. 10, 2009 IN HB 1656 Shifting Federal Transportation Funding to Counties and Localities Bill Passed - House (88 - 11)
Feb. 10, 2009 IN HB 1723 2009-2010 Education Budget Bill Passed - House (52 - 46)
Feb. 9, 2009 VA SB 1105 Prohibiting Smoking in Restaurants Bill Passed - House (59 - 39)
Feb. 9, 2009 WY HB 170 State Lottery for Scholarship Funding Bill Failed - House (25 - 35)
Feb. 9, 2009 WY HB 170 State Lottery for Scholarship Funding Bill Failed - House (25 - 35)
Feb. 9, 2009 SD SJR 1 Authorization of Legal Gaming due to Gaming in Bordering States Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
Feb. 9, 2009 ND SB 2238 Higher Education Tuition Increase Limits Bill Failed - Senate (21 - 22)
Feb. 9, 2009 CO HB 1057 Mandatory Unpaid Parental Work Leave for Education Activities Bill Passed - House (35 - 30)
Date No. Title Outcome
2/17 HB 2436 Real Estate Fees to Fund Housing Programs Bill Passed - House (44 - 15)
2/17 SB 106 School Funding Formula Revision Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7)
2/17 SB 25 Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13)
2/16 HB 1197 Seat Belt Violation as Primary Offense Bill Failed - House (34 - 58)
2/16 HB 1431 Increasing Fines for Certain Traffic Violations Bill Failed - House (35 - 57)
2/16 SB 142 Consideration of Gender for Insurance Coverage Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23)
2/13 SB 2184 Repeals Auto Rebate Tax Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 6)
2/13 SB 48 Amending Requirements for Obtaining Teaching Licenses Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10)
2/12 HB 234 Sex Education Pilot Program Bill Passed - House (79 - 40)
2/12 HB 234 Sex Education Pilot Program Bill Passed - House (79 - 40)
2/12 SB 23 2008-2009, 2009-2010, and 2010-2011Budget Amendments Conference Report Adopted - House (70 - 51)
2/12 SB 23 2008-2009, 2009-2010, and 2010-2011Budget Amendments Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 11)
2/12 HB 1204 Tobacco Tax Increase Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7)
2/12 HB 233 Two-Year Property Tax Assessment Freeze Bill Passed - House (110 - 63)
2/11 SB 31 Energy Rate Increases to Finance Nuclear Power Plant Construction Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 16)
2/10 HB 218 Amending Hathaway Scholarship Requirements Bill Failed - House (29 - 30)
2/10 SB 3 Allowing Early High School Graduation Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12)
2/10 HB 1656 Shifting Federal Transportation Funding to Counties and Localities Bill Passed - House (88 - 11)
2/10 HB 1723 2009-2010 Education Budget Bill Passed - House (52 - 46)
2/09 SB 1105 Prohibiting Smoking in Restaurants Bill Passed - House (59 - 39)
2/09 HB 170 State Lottery for Scholarship Funding Bill Failed - House (25 - 35)
2/09 HB 170 State Lottery for Scholarship Funding Bill Failed - House (25 - 35)
2/09 SJR 1 Authorization of Legal Gaming due to Gaming in Bordering States Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
2/09 SB 2238 Higher Education Tuition Increase Limits Bill Failed - Senate (21 - 22)
2/09 HB 1057 Mandatory Unpaid Parental Work Leave for Education Activities Bill Passed - House (35 - 30)

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