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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 25, 2010 | KY | SB 178 | Closed-Session School Superintendent Evaluations | Bill Passed - House (67 - 29) |
| March 22, 2010 | WA | HB 2782 | Limiting Disability Benefits | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (57 - 40) |
| March 22, 2010 | IL | HB 4886 | Authorizing 4-Day School Week | Bill Passed - House (81 - 21) |
| March 18, 2010 | IL | HB 5428 | Limiting Adoption Records Disclosure Restrictions for Adoptees | Bill Passed - House (74 - 39) |
| March 17, 2010 | IA | HF 2518 | Retirement Contribution Rate Amendments | Bill Passed - House (53 - 43) |
| March 17, 2010 | GA | HB 982 | Amending Wage Garnishment Procedures for Late Taxpayers | Bill Passed - House (95 - 68) |
| March 16, 2010 | NY | A 7575 | Prohibiting Domestic Violence Offenders from Possessing Firearms | Bill Passed - House (89 - 53) |
| March 11, 2010 | MN | HF 2700 | Omnibus Bonding and Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - House (89 - 44) |
| March 11, 2010 | UT | SB 251 | Requiring Businesses Utilize Federal E-Verify Program | Bill Passed - House (46 - 24) |
| March 11, 2010 | AZ | HCR 2001 | Repealing Early Childhood Development and Health Program | Joint Resolution Passed - House (31 - 28) |
| March 10, 2010 | SC | H 3305 | Requiring Secret Ballot Elections | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (106 - 12) |
| March 10, 2010 | IA | SF 2357 | Prohibiting Firearm Possession by Domestic Violence Perpetrators | Bill Passed - House (73 - 25) |
| March 10, 2010 | IA | Amdt 8381 | Free Self Defense Courses for Domestic Violence Victims | Amendment Rejected - House (44 - 53) |
| March 9, 2010 | VA | SB 66 | Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination in State Government Employment | Motion Agreed - House (55 - 42) |
| March 9, 2010 | VA | SB 66 | Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination in State Government Employment | Motion Agreed - House (55 - 42) |
| March 8, 2010 | SD | SB 18 | Restrictions on Retirement for Rehired Public Employees | Bill Passed - House (55 - 13) |
| March 3, 2010 | WY | SF 61 | Establishing Health Care Demonstration Project | Bill Passed - House (42 - 16) |
| March 3, 2010 | WY | SF 61 | Establishing Health Care Demonstration Project | Bill Passed - House (42 - 16) |
| March 3, 2010 | CO | HB 1147 | Requiring Bicycle Helmets for Minors | Bill Passed - House (33 - 32) |
| March 3, 2010 | IL | HB 4685 | Eliminating General Assembly Scholarship Program | Bill Passed - House (80 - 36) |
| March 2, 2010 | NY | A 5710 | Prohibiting Gender Identity Discrimination | Bill Passed - House (100 - 43) |
| March 1, 2010 | MN | SF 2168 | General Assistance Medical Care Program Modifications | Veto Override Failed - House (86 - 47) |
| March 1, 2010 | SD | SB 63 | Pilot Charter School | Bill Passed - House (49 - 20) |
| Feb. 26, 2010 | UT | SB 43 | Retirement System Amendments | Bill Passed - House (55 - 20) |
| Feb. 26, 2010 | UT | SB 43 | Retirement System Amendments | Bill Passed - House (55 - 20) |
| Feb. 26, 2010 | UT | SB 63 | Retirement System Amendments | Bill Passed - House (46 - 26) |
| Feb. 26, 2010 | UT | SB 63 | Retirement System Amendments | Bill Passed - House (46 - 26) |
| Feb. 26, 2010 | WY | SF 72 | Increasing State Employee Contribution to State Retirement System | Bill Passed - House (37 - 21) |
| Feb. 26, 2010 | WY | SF 72 | Increasing State Employee Contribution to State Retirement System | Bill Passed - House (37 - 21) |
| Feb. 25, 2010 | WI | AB 35 | Complaint Process for Race-Based Names, Logos and Mascots of Schools | Bill Passed - House (51 - 42) |
| Feb. 24, 2010 | IN | SB 23 | Unemployment Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (82 - 17) |
| Feb. 24, 2010 | UT | SB 55 | Authorizing Higher Education Institutions to Authorize Charter Schools | Bill Passed - House (43 - 27) |
| Feb. 24, 2010 | UT | HB 227 | Lawful Presence Documentation Requirement for Business Licensing | Bill Passed - House (38 - 36) |
| Feb. 24, 2010 | IL | HB 4654 | Limiting Free Mass Transit for Seniors | Bill Passed - House (83 - 27) |
| Feb. 24, 2010 | IL | HB 4654 | Limiting Free Mass Transit for Seniors | Bill Passed - House (83 - 27) |
| Feb. 24, 2010 | WV | HB 4292 | Changes in Required Magistrate Qualifications | Bill Passed - House (61 - 37) |
| Feb. 22, 2010 | WY | HB 93 | Increasing Penalties for Workplace Safety Violations | Bill Passed - House (54 - 3) |
| Feb. 18, 2010 | NM | SB 112 | Authorizing Severance Tax Bonds and Allocating Proceeds | Bill Passed - House (37 - 31) |
| Feb. 17, 2010 | NM | SB 148 | Excluding Gender for Health Insurance Deliberation | Bill Passed - House (50 - 17) |
| Feb. 17, 2010 | NM | SB 26 | Establishing the Domestic Violence Commission | Bill Passed - House (33 - 22) |
| Feb. 17, 2010 | NH | CACR 28 | Constitutional Amendment to Define Marriage | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (201 - 135) |
| Feb. 17, 2010 | NH | HB 1590 | Repealing Same-Sex Marriage | "Inexpedient to Legislate" Vote Passed - House (210 - 109) |
| Feb. 17, 2010 | UT | HB 113 | Child Safety Seat Law Amendments | Bill Failed - House (24 - 47) |
| Feb. 16, 2010 | NM | SB 216 | Repeal "Guilty but Mentally Ill" Plea | Bill Passed - House (40 - 21) |
| Feb. 16, 2010 | CO | SB 1 | Public Employee Retirement Association Amendments | Bill Passed - House (36 - 29) |
| Feb. 16, 2010 | CO | SB 1 | Public Employee Retirement Association Amendments | Bill Passed - House (36 - 29) |
| Feb. 16, 2010 | CO | SB 1 | Public Employee Retirement Association Amendments | Bill Passed - House (36 - 29) |
| Feb. 15, 2010 | WA | HB 2793 | Legalizing Paid Surrogacy | Bill Passed - House (59 - 39) |
| Feb. 15, 2010 | WA | HB 2793 | Legalizing Paid Surrogacy | Bill Passed - House (59 - 39) |
| Feb. 11, 2010 | CA | Maldonado Nomination | Abel Maldonado, Lieutenant Governor | (37 - 36) |