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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 16, 2010 | AL | HB 44 | Tennessee Valley Authority Payment Allocation Modification | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 7) |
| Feb. 16, 2010 | VA | SB 660 | Internet Sales Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 12) |
| Feb. 13, 2010 | NM | SB 10 | Limiting Food Tax Deduction to Staple Foods | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 19) |
| Feb. 12, 2010 | NM | SB 112 | Authorizing Severance Tax Bonds and Allocating Proceeds | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 17) |
| Feb. 11, 2010 | SD | Jerstad Amdt | Per Student Funding Increase | Amendment Rejected - Senate (17 - 18) |
| Feb. 11, 2010 | MN | SF 2168 | General Assistance Medical Care Program Modifications | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 20) |
| Feb. 10, 2010 | SC | H 3272 | Property Tax Law Amendments | Bill Failed - Senate (28 - 13) |
| Feb. 10, 2010 | CO | HB 1192 | Repealing Sales Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| Feb. 10, 2010 | CO | HB 1194 | Repealing Sales Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| Feb. 10, 2010 | CO | HB 1190 | Suspending Sales Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16) |
| Feb. 10, 2010 | CO | HB 1199 | Temporary Limit on Income Tax Reduction for Net Operating Loss | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
| Feb. 10, 2010 | CO | HB 1189 | Repealing Sales Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 15) |
| Feb. 10, 2010 | CO | HB 1195 | Suspending Sales Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| Feb. 10, 2010 | CO | HB 1191 | Repealing Sales Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| Feb. 10, 2010 | CO | HB 1193 | Internet Sales Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
| Feb. 10, 2010 | CO | HB 1196 | Repealing Income Tax Credit | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| Feb. 10, 2010 | VA | SB 102 | Starting Biennial Budgets in Odd-Numbered Years | Motion Agreed - Senate (21 - 19) |
| Feb. 10, 2010 | VA | SB 601 | Allocating Offshore Drilling Royalties | Motion Agreed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| Feb. 9, 2010 | WA | SB 6382 | Extending State Employee Salary Freeze | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 15) |
| Feb. 9, 2010 | MN | SF 2360 | Construction Projects Authorizations and Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 14) |
| Feb. 9, 2010 | WA | SB 6843 | Suspension of Tax Increase Vote Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
| Feb. 8, 2010 | VA | SB 239 | Unemployment Benefit Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 9) |
| Feb. 4, 2010 | IA | SF 2062 | State Worker Retirement Incentive Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 6) |
| Feb. 2, 2010 | AZ | SB 1003 | Lottery Revenue Bond Authorization and State Building Lease-Purchase Agreements | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 9) |
| Feb. 2, 2010 | AZ | SCR 1001 | Temporary Sales Tax Increase | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (16 - 12) |
| Feb. 1, 2010 | IA | SF 2088 | Government Reorganization | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15) |
| Jan. 28, 2010 | National | PN 959 | Ben S. Bernanke, Federal Reserve Chairman | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (70 - 30) |
| Jan. 28, 2010 | National | H J Res 45 | Increasing the Public Debt Limit and Reinstating PAYGO | Bill Passed - Senate (60 - 39) |
| Jan. 28, 2010 | DE | HB 310 | Legalizing Table Games | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 4) |
| Jan. 26, 2010 | OH | HJR 12 | "Third Frontier" Program Extension | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| Jan. 26, 2010 | OH | Schiavoni Amdt | Casino Location Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (20 - 13) |
| Jan. 26, 2010 | National | S Amdt 3302 | Establishing a Federal Budget Deficit Commission | Amendment Rejected - Senate (53 - 46) |
| Jan. 21, 2010 | National | S Amdt 3301 | Ending the Troubled Asset Relief Program | Amendment Rejected - Senate (53 - 45) |
| Jan. 19, 2010 | IA | HF 2030 | School District Budget Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 16) |
| Jan. 14, 2010 | MA | S 2247 | Education Law Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 12) |
| Jan. 13, 2010 | IA | SF 2033 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| Jan. 12, 2010 | IN | SB 23 | Unemployment Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| Jan. 12, 2010 | IN | SJR 1 | Constitutional Property Tax Cap | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (35 - 15) |
| Jan. 6, 2010 | CA | SBx5 4 | Education Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| Jan. 6, 2010 | CA | SBx5 1 | Education Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
| Jan. 5, 2010 | PA | SB 711 | Legalizing Table Games | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 22) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/16 | HB 44 | Tennessee Valley Authority Payment Allocation Modification | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 7) |
| 2/16 | SB 660 | Internet Sales Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 12) |
| 2/13 | SB 10 | Limiting Food Tax Deduction to Staple Foods | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 19) |
| 2/12 | SB 112 | Authorizing Severance Tax Bonds and Allocating Proceeds | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 17) |
| 2/11 | Jerstad Amdt | Per Student Funding Increase | Amendment Rejected - Senate (17 - 18) |
| 2/11 | SF 2168 | General Assistance Medical Care Program Modifications | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 20) |
| 2/10 | H 3272 | Property Tax Law Amendments | Bill Failed - Senate (28 - 13) |
| 2/10 | HB 1192 | Repealing Sales Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| 2/10 | HB 1194 | Repealing Sales Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| 2/10 | HB 1190 | Suspending Sales Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 16) |
| 2/10 | HB 1199 | Temporary Limit on Income Tax Reduction for Net Operating Loss | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
| 2/10 | HB 1189 | Repealing Sales Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 15) |
| 2/10 | HB 1195 | Suspending Sales Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| 2/10 | HB 1191 | Repealing Sales Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| 2/10 | HB 1193 | Internet Sales Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
| 2/10 | HB 1196 | Repealing Income Tax Credit | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| 2/10 | SB 102 | Starting Biennial Budgets in Odd-Numbered Years | Motion Agreed - Senate (21 - 19) |
| 2/10 | SB 601 | Allocating Offshore Drilling Royalties | Motion Agreed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| 2/09 | SB 6382 | Extending State Employee Salary Freeze | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 15) |
| 2/09 | SF 2360 | Construction Projects Authorizations and Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (52 - 14) |
| 2/09 | SB 6843 | Suspension of Tax Increase Vote Requirement | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
| 2/08 | SB 239 | Unemployment Benefit Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 9) |
| 2/04 | SF 2062 | State Worker Retirement Incentive Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (41 - 6) |
| 2/02 | SB 1003 | Lottery Revenue Bond Authorization and State Building Lease-Purchase Agreements | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 9) |
| 2/02 | SCR 1001 | Temporary Sales Tax Increase | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (16 - 12) |
| 2/01 | SF 2088 | Government Reorganization | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15) |
| 1/28 | PN 959 | Ben S. Bernanke, Federal Reserve Chairman | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (70 - 30) |
| 1/28 | H J Res 45 | Increasing the Public Debt Limit and Reinstating PAYGO | Bill Passed - Senate (60 - 39) |
| 1/28 | HB 310 | Legalizing Table Games | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 4) |
| 1/26 | HJR 12 | "Third Frontier" Program Extension | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| 1/26 | Schiavoni Amdt | Casino Location Amendment | Amendment Tabled - Senate (20 - 13) |
| 1/26 | S Amdt 3302 | Establishing a Federal Budget Deficit Commission | Amendment Rejected - Senate (53 - 46) |
| 1/21 | S Amdt 3301 | Ending the Troubled Asset Relief Program | Amendment Rejected - Senate (53 - 45) |
| 1/19 | HF 2030 | School District Budget Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 16) |
| 1/14 | S 2247 | Education Law Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 1/13 | SF 2033 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| 1/12 | SB 23 | Unemployment Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| 1/12 | SJR 1 | Constitutional Property Tax Cap | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (35 - 15) |
| 1/06 | SBx5 4 | Education Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| 1/06 | SBx5 1 | Education Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
| 1/05 | SB 711 | Legalizing Table Games | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 22) |