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 4, 2010 | SD | Cooper Nomination | John L. Cooper, Game, Fish and Parks Commission | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| March 1, 2010 | SD | HCR 1009 | Urges Changes to the Public School Environmental Curriculum | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (37 - 33) |
| Feb. 25, 2010 | IN | SB 313 | Allowing Renewable Energy Generation Credits | Bill Passed - House (68 - 31) |
| Feb. 24, 2010 | SD | HCR 1009 | Urges Changes to the Public School Environmental Curriculum | Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| Feb. 24, 2010 | VT | S 289 | Authorizing Nuclear Power Plant Operation Until 2032 | Bill Failed - Senate (4 - 26) |
| Feb. 22, 2010 | VA | HB 756 | Allocating Offshore Drilling Royalties | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19) |
| Feb. 17, 2010 | SD | HCR 1009 | Urges Changes to the Public School Environmental Curriculum | Resolution Passed - House (36 - 30) |
| Feb. 17, 2010 | CA | AB 1998 | Ban of Single-Use Carryout Bags in Certain Stores | |
| Feb. 16, 2010 | NM | Holguin Nomination | Neri Holguin, Environmental Improvement Board | (17 - 25) |
| Feb. 15, 2010 | CO | SB 100 | Multi-County Local Improvement Districts | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| Feb. 10, 2010 | VA | SB 601 | Allocating Offshore Drilling Royalties | Motion Agreed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| Feb. 10, 2010 | NM | HB 276 | New Mexico Air Quality Act Amendments | Bill Failed - House (32 - 33) |
| Feb. 8, 2010 | VA | HB 756 | Allocating Offshore Drilling Royalties | Bill Passed - House (71 - 26) |
| Jan. 27, 2010 | VT | H 485 | Property Tax and Land Use Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (104 - 34) |
| Jan. 20, 2010 | KY | SB 26 | Allowing Nuclear Power Facility Construction | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |