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. 23, 2010 | AL | HJR 54 | Referendum on Constitutional Convention | Motion Agreed - House (58 - 32) |
| Feb. 16, 2010 | AL | HB 44 | Tennessee Valley Authority Payment Allocation Modification | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 26) |
| Feb. 16, 2010 | AL | HB 44 | Tennessee Valley Authority Payment Allocation Modification | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 7) |
| Aug. 14, 2009 | AL | HB 13 | Authorizes an Occupational Tax for Jefferson County | Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9) |
| Aug. 12, 2009 | AL | HB 13 | Authorizes an Occupational Tax for Jefferson County | Bill Passed - House (17 - 15) |
| May 14, 2009 | AL | HB 175 | Permitting Elections in Smaller Municipalities on Allowing Alcohol | Veto Override Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
| May 14, 2009 | AL | HB 373 | Higher Alcohol Content Limit for Beer | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 9) |
| April 30, 2009 | AL | HB 175 | Permitting Elections in Smaller Municipalities on Allowing Alcohol | Veto Override Passed - House (54 - 19) |
| April 30, 2009 | AL | SB 373 | Deregulation of Landline Phone Service Rates | Bill Passed - House (67 - 24) |
| April 23, 2009 | AL | HB 533 | Hate Crime Law Expansion | Bill Passed - House (46 - 41) |
| April 21, 2009 | AL | HB 175 | Permitting Elections in Smaller Municipalities on Allowing Alcohol | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 23) |
| April 21, 2009 | AL | HB 175 | Permitting Elections in Smaller Municipalities on Allowing Alcohol | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 9) |
| April 9, 2009 | AL | SB 373 | Deregulation of Landline Phone Service Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 8) |
| March 3, 2009 | AL | SB 279 | Funding for Road Construction | Bill Failed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| March 3, 2009 | AL | HB 373 | Higher Alcohol Content Limit for Beer | Bill Passed - House (49 - 37) |
| May 31, 2008 | AL | SB 51 | 2008-2009 Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (98 - 4) |
| May 29, 2008 | AL | SB 51 | 2008-2009 Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 1) |
| May 6, 2008 | AL | HB 829 | Hate Crime Legislation Regarding Victim's Sexual Orientation | Bill Passed - House (46 - 44) |
| May 1, 2008 | AL | HB 787 | State Employees in Public Office | Bill Passed - House (57 - 36) |
| April 15, 2008 | AL | HB 274 | Food Sales Tax Repeal | Bill Passed - House (63 - 38) |
| March 4, 2008 | AL | HB 196 | Relaxing Alcohol Sales Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (48 - 42) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | AL | HB 73 | Prohibiting Money Transfers Between Political Action Committees | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14) |
| May 24, 2007 | AL | HB 112 | Gill Net Fishing Ban | Bill Passed - House (74 - 21) |
| May 2, 2007 | AL | HB 507 | Sunday Liquor Sales | Bill Passed - House (59 - 28) |
| April 24, 2007 | AL | SJR 54 | Expressing Regret For Slavery | Resolution Passed - Senate (22 - 7) |
| March 20, 2007 | AL | HJR 29 | State Legislature Pay Increase | Veto Override Passed - House (57 - 41) |
| March 20, 2007 | AL | HJR 29 | State Legislature Pay Increase | Veto Override Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| April 18, 2006 | AL | SB 446 | Eminent Domain | Conference Report Rejected - House (54 - 25) |
| April 6, 2006 | AL | SA 85045-1 to HB 135 | Food Sales and Use Tax Reduction Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (16 - 11) |
| April 6, 2006 | AL | SB 446 | Eminent Domain | Bill Passed - House (94 - 3) |
| April 5, 2006 | AL | HB 51 | Presidential Primary Date | Bill Passed - House (79 - 14) |
| March 29, 2006 | AL | Executive Amendment 84452-1 to HB 272 | Educational Funds Amendment | Nonconcurrence Vote Passed - House (63 - 38) |
| March 29, 2006 | AL | SB 446 | Eminent Domain | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| March 14, 2006 | AL | SB 352 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| Feb. 23, 2006 | AL | SB 31 | Alcohol Tax | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 14) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/23 | HJR 54 | Referendum on Constitutional Convention | Motion Agreed - House (58 - 32) |
| 2/16 | HB 44 | Tennessee Valley Authority Payment Allocation Modification | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 26) |
| 2/16 | HB 44 | Tennessee Valley Authority Payment Allocation Modification | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 7) |
| 8/14 | HB 13 | Authorizes an Occupational Tax for Jefferson County | Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9) |
| 8/12 | HB 13 | Authorizes an Occupational Tax for Jefferson County | Bill Passed - House (17 - 15) |
| 5/14 | HB 175 | Permitting Elections in Smaller Municipalities on Allowing Alcohol | Veto Override Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
| 5/14 | HB 373 | Higher Alcohol Content Limit for Beer | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 9) |
| 4/30 | HB 175 | Permitting Elections in Smaller Municipalities on Allowing Alcohol | Veto Override Passed - House (54 - 19) |
| 4/30 | SB 373 | Deregulation of Landline Phone Service Rates | Bill Passed - House (67 - 24) |
| 4/23 | HB 533 | Hate Crime Law Expansion | Bill Passed - House (46 - 41) |
| 4/21 | HB 175 | Permitting Elections in Smaller Municipalities on Allowing Alcohol | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (49 - 23) |
| 4/21 | HB 175 | Permitting Elections in Smaller Municipalities on Allowing Alcohol | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 9) |
| 4/09 | SB 373 | Deregulation of Landline Phone Service Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 8) |
| 3/03 | SB 279 | Funding for Road Construction | Bill Failed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| 3/03 | HB 373 | Higher Alcohol Content Limit for Beer | Bill Passed - House (49 - 37) |
| 5/31 | SB 51 | 2008-2009 Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (98 - 4) |
| 5/29 | SB 51 | 2008-2009 Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 1) |
| 5/06 | HB 829 | Hate Crime Legislation Regarding Victim's Sexual Orientation | Bill Passed - House (46 - 44) |
| 5/01 | HB 787 | State Employees in Public Office | Bill Passed - House (57 - 36) |
| 4/15 | HB 274 | Food Sales Tax Repeal | Bill Passed - House (63 - 38) |
| 3/04 | HB 196 | Relaxing Alcohol Sales Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (48 - 42) |
| 2/26 | HB 73 | Prohibiting Money Transfers Between Political Action Committees | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14) |
| 5/24 | HB 112 | Gill Net Fishing Ban | Bill Passed - House (74 - 21) |
| 5/02 | HB 507 | Sunday Liquor Sales | Bill Passed - House (59 - 28) |
| 4/24 | SJR 54 | Expressing Regret For Slavery | Resolution Passed - Senate (22 - 7) |
| 3/20 | HJR 29 | State Legislature Pay Increase | Veto Override Passed - House (57 - 41) |
| 3/20 | HJR 29 | State Legislature Pay Increase | Veto Override Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 4/18 | SB 446 | Eminent Domain | Conference Report Rejected - House (54 - 25) |
| 4/06 | SA 85045-1 to HB 135 | Food Sales and Use Tax Reduction Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (16 - 11) |
| 4/06 | SB 446 | Eminent Domain | Bill Passed - House (94 - 3) |
| 4/05 | HB 51 | Presidential Primary Date | Bill Passed - House (79 - 14) |
| 3/29 | Executive Amendment 84452-1 to HB 272 | Educational Funds Amendment | Nonconcurrence Vote Passed - House (63 - 38) |
| 3/29 | SB 446 | Eminent Domain | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| 3/14 | SB 352 | Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| 2/23 | SB 31 | Alcohol Tax | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 14) |