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. 10, 2010 | WA | HB 1956 | Limiting Local Regulations of Homeless Shelters | Bill Passed - House (57 - 39) |
| Feb. 10, 2010 | MS | HB 232 | Novelty Lighter Ban | Bill Passed - House (94 - 25) |
| Feb. 9, 2010 | VA | HB 629 | Asbestos Lawsuit Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (49 - 48) |
| Feb. 9, 2010 | IA | HJR 6 | Constitutionally Defining Marriage as Between One Man and One Woman | Motion Rejected - House (45 - 54) |
| Feb. 9, 2010 | NM | HB 162 | Severance Bonds For Tribal Infrastructure | Bill Passed - House (42 - 24) |
| Feb. 8, 2010 | UT | HB 18 | Expanding Unemployment Insurance Eligibility | Bill Passed - House (46 - 28) |
| Feb. 8, 2010 | UT | HB 18 | Expanding Unemployment Insurance Eligibility | Bill Passed - House (46 - 28) |
| Feb. 8, 2010 | NM | HB 17 | Prohibiting Domestic Violence Offenders from Being Peace Officers | Bill Passed - House (48 - 19) |
| Feb. 3, 2010 | MS | HB 959 | Sale of State Plane | Bill Passed - House (65 - 55) |
| Feb. 3, 2010 | VA | HB 502 | Expanding Death Penalty Eligibility to Accomplices | Bill Passed - House (74 - 24) |
| Jan. 29, 2010 | UT | HB 12 | Abortion and Homicide Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (59 - 12) |
| Jan. 28, 2010 | MA | H 4441 | School Nutrition Standards | Bill Passed - House (152 - 4) |
| Jan. 26, 2010 | IA | HF 2110 | Military Spouse Relocation Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (56 - 44) |
| Jan. 26, 2010 | IA | HF 2110 | Military Spouse Relocation Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (56 - 44) |
| Jan. 20, 2010 | WA | HB 2561 | Energy Efficiency Improvement Bonds | Bill Passed - House (57 - 41) |
| Jan. 19, 2010 | MO | HCR 18 | Statement of Opposition to Federal Health Care Proposal | Joint Resolution Passed - House (111 - 46) |
| Jan. 19, 2010 | MS | HB 392 | Limiting Gubernatorial Budget Reductions | Bill Passed - House (70 - 49) |
| Jan. 13, 2010 | IL | HB 1188 | Increasing Cemetery Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (85 - 30) |
| Jan. 13, 2010 | SC | H 4219 | Censuring Governor Mark Sanford | Resolution Passed - House (102 - 11) |
| Jan. 12, 2010 | IL | SB 315 | Teacher Evaluation Amendments | Bill Passed - House (74 - 37) |
| Jan. 11, 2010 | NJ | A 4378 | Exception to the Ban on Former State Employees Working for the Casino Industry | Bill Passed - House (42 - 31) |
| Jan. 7, 2010 | NJ | A 2762 | Authorizing Reduction of Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Drug Offenses in School Zones | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (46 - 30) |
| Jan. 7, 2010 | NJ | A 2139 | Tax Expenditure Report Requirement for Governor's Budget Message | Bill Passed - House (47 - 28) |
| Jan. 6, 2010 | NH | HB 569 | Expanding Coverage Requirements for Autism Disorders | Bill Passed - House (213 - 147) |
| Jan. 5, 2010 | CA | SBx5 4 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (41 - 27) |
| Jan. 5, 2010 | CA | SBx5 1 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (45 - 17) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/10 | HB 1956 | Limiting Local Regulations of Homeless Shelters | Bill Passed - House (57 - 39) |
| 2/10 | HB 232 | Novelty Lighter Ban | Bill Passed - House (94 - 25) |
| 2/09 | HB 629 | Asbestos Lawsuit Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (49 - 48) |
| 2/09 | HJR 6 | Constitutionally Defining Marriage as Between One Man and One Woman | Motion Rejected - House (45 - 54) |
| 2/09 | HB 162 | Severance Bonds For Tribal Infrastructure | Bill Passed - House (42 - 24) |
| 2/08 | HB 18 | Expanding Unemployment Insurance Eligibility | Bill Passed - House (46 - 28) |
| 2/08 | HB 18 | Expanding Unemployment Insurance Eligibility | Bill Passed - House (46 - 28) |
| 2/08 | HB 17 | Prohibiting Domestic Violence Offenders from Being Peace Officers | Bill Passed - House (48 - 19) |
| 2/03 | HB 959 | Sale of State Plane | Bill Passed - House (65 - 55) |
| 2/03 | HB 502 | Expanding Death Penalty Eligibility to Accomplices | Bill Passed - House (74 - 24) |
| 1/29 | HB 12 | Abortion and Homicide Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (59 - 12) |
| 1/28 | H 4441 | School Nutrition Standards | Bill Passed - House (152 - 4) |
| 1/26 | HF 2110 | Military Spouse Relocation Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (56 - 44) |
| 1/26 | HF 2110 | Military Spouse Relocation Unemployment Benefits | Bill Passed - House (56 - 44) |
| 1/20 | HB 2561 | Energy Efficiency Improvement Bonds | Bill Passed - House (57 - 41) |
| 1/19 | HCR 18 | Statement of Opposition to Federal Health Care Proposal | Joint Resolution Passed - House (111 - 46) |
| 1/19 | HB 392 | Limiting Gubernatorial Budget Reductions | Bill Passed - House (70 - 49) |
| 1/13 | HB 1188 | Increasing Cemetery Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (85 - 30) |
| 1/13 | H 4219 | Censuring Governor Mark Sanford | Resolution Passed - House (102 - 11) |
| 1/12 | SB 315 | Teacher Evaluation Amendments | Bill Passed - House (74 - 37) |
| 1/11 | A 4378 | Exception to the Ban on Former State Employees Working for the Casino Industry | Bill Passed - House (42 - 31) |
| 1/07 | A 2762 | Authorizing Reduction of Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Drug Offenses in School Zones | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (46 - 30) |
| 1/07 | A 2139 | Tax Expenditure Report Requirement for Governor's Budget Message | Bill Passed - House (47 - 28) |
| 1/06 | HB 569 | Expanding Coverage Requirements for Autism Disorders | Bill Passed - House (213 - 147) |
| 1/05 | SBx5 4 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (41 - 27) |
| 1/05 | SBx5 1 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (45 - 17) |