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 27, 2010 | VT | SR 17 | Requesting Congressional Waiver From Federal Drinking Age Requirement | Resolution Passed - Senate (14 - 13) |
| April 23, 2010 | WI | AB 720 | Statewide Smoking Ban Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 34) |
| April 21, 2010 | IL | HB 5428 | Limiting Adoption Records Disclosure Restrictions for Adoptees | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 16) |
| April 21, 2010 | LA | SB 9 | Classifying Text Messaging While Driving as a Primary Offense | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 9) |
| April 20, 2010 | MI | HB 4394 | Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (74 - 33) |
| April 15, 2010 | WI | AB 612 | Limiting Access to 9-1-1 Recordings | Bill Passed - House (67 - 30) |
| April 15, 2010 | CA | SB 4 | Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| April 15, 2010 | WI | AB 106 | Authorizing Sale of Alcohol to 18-20 Year-Olds Under Parental or Spousal Supervision | Bill Passed - House (56 - 41) |
| April 9, 2010 | MD | SB 321 | Prohibiting Hand-Held Cell Phone Use While Driving | Bill Passed - House (125 - 14) |
| April 6, 2010 | ME | LD 1611 | State Prison Solitary Confinement Review | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (78 - 67) |
| April 5, 2010 | ME | LD 1611 | State Prison Solitary Confinement Review | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| April 1, 2010 | CO | HB 1201 | Requiring Police to Inform Citizens of Right to Refuse Searches | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (42 - 22) |
| April 1, 2010 | KY | HB 415 | Prohibiting Text-Messaging While Driving | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (86 - 10) |
| March 29, 2010 | ID | H 729 | Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 4) |
| March 29, 2010 | OK | SB 1891 | Allowing Health Services Employees to Refuse Participation in Abortion and Other Procedures | Bill Passed - House (80 - 13) |
| March 26, 2010 | ID | H 729 | Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving | Bill Passed - House (51 - 16) |
| March 25, 2010 | MI | HB 4394 | Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 10) |
| March 24, 2010 | ID | H 496 | Requiring Photo Identification to Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6) |
| March 24, 2010 | MD | SB 321 | Prohibiting Hand-Held Cell Phone Use While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 23) |
| March 23, 2010 | IA | HF 2456 | Texting While Driving Ban | Conference Report Adopted - House (66 - 33) |
| March 23, 2010 | IA | HF 2456 | Texting While Driving Ban | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 12) |
| March 22, 2010 | CA | SB 4 | Prohibiting Smoking at State Park Beaches | Bill Passed - House (42 - 27) |
| March 18, 2010 | IL | HB 5428 | Limiting Adoption Records Disclosure Restrictions for Adoptees | Bill Passed - House (74 - 39) |
| March 10, 2010 | ID | S 1352 | Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 5) |
| March 10, 2010 | OK | SB 1891 | Allowing Health Services Employees to Refuse Participation in Abortion and Other Procedures | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 11) |