Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
March 26, 2009 MD SB 279 Capital Punishment Restrictions Bill Passed - House (87 - 52)
March 26, 2009 MD HB 310 Extending Unemployment Benefits to Part-Time Employees Bill Passed - House (94 - 43)
March 17, 2009 MD HB 359 Handgun Permit Eligibility for Domestic Abuse Victims Bill Failed - House (51 - 86)
March 17, 2009 MD HB 302 Allowing Judges to Confiscate Firearms from Domestic Abuse Suspects Bill Passed - House (92 - 45)
April 7, 2008 MD SB 268 Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Program Bill Passed - House (113 - 25)
April 7, 2008 MD HB 374 Energy Efficiency Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - House (101 - 33)
April 7, 2008 MD HB 375 Increasing Renewable Energy Standards Concurrence Vote Passed - House (103 - 24)
April 7, 2008 MD SB 1013 Regulation of Power Plants Bill Passed - House (102 - 38)
April 5, 2008 MD SB 90 2008-2009 Budget Conference Report Adopted - House (109 - 31)
April 5, 2008 MD SB 46 Computer Services Sales Tax Repeal and Other Tax Adjustments Bill Passed - House (93 - 44)
April 5, 2008 MD SB 646 Allowing For-Profit Entities to Provide Credit Counseling Bill Passed - House (124 - 12)
April 4, 2008 MD SB 597 Property Transfer Tax Exemptions for Domestic Partners Bill Passed - House (86 - 47)
April 4, 2008 MD SB 566 Hospital Visitation/Decision-Making Rights for Domestic Partners Bill Passed - House (88 - 46)
April 4, 2008 MD HB 1626 Public Utilitiy Regulation Bill Passed - House (98 - 41)
March 31, 2008 MD SB 269 Authorizing Speed Monitoring Systems Bill Passed - House (89 - 47)
March 20, 2008 MD SB 90 2008-2009 Budget Bill Passed - House (105 - 34)
March 4, 2008 MD HB 362 Department of Information Technology Bill Passed - House (105 - 31)
Nov. 19, 2007 MD HB 1 2007-2008 Budget Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (100 - 33)
Nov. 19, 2007 MD HB 5 Sales Tax Increase Concurrence Vote Passed - House (81 - 52)
Nov. 13, 2007 MD HB 1 2007-2008 Budget Amendments Bill Passed - House (103 - 36)
Nov. 11, 2007 MD HB 5 Sales Tax Increase Bill Passed - House (80 - 56)
Nov. 11, 2007 MD HB 2 Tax Reform Act of 2007 Bill Passed - House (82 - 55)
April 9, 2007 MD HB 430 State Living Wage Concurrence Vote Passed - House (91 - 49)
April 6, 2007 MD HB 430 State Living Wage Bill Passed - House (88 - 50)
April 6, 2007 MD SB 634 Presidential Election by Popular Vote Bill Passed - House (84 - 54)
April 6, 2007 MD SB 1 Early Voting Bill Passed - House (107 - 32)
April 5, 2007 MD SB 103 Maryland Clean Cars Act of 2007 Bill Passed - House (123 - 17)
April 3, 2007 MD SB 91 Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Passed - House (99 - 39)
April 2, 2007 MD HB 148 Presidential Election by Popular Vote Bill Passed - House (85 - 54)
March 26, 2007 MD HB 992 Parole for Drug Offenders Bill Passed - House (71 - 66)
March 26, 2007 MD SB 488 Felon Voting Rights Bill Passed - House (78 - 60)
March 24, 2007 MD HB 359 Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Passed - House (98 - 40)
March 24, 2007 MD HB 1220 Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Green Fund Bill Passed - House (96 - 41)
March 23, 2007 MD HB 6 Resident Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - House (81 - 57)
March 16, 2007 MD HB 754 Tobacco Tax to Fund Health Care Bill Passed - House (102 - 37)
March 14, 2007 MD Amendment 643129/1 2008-2009 Budget Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (29 - 110)
Feb. 20, 2007 MD HB 131 Maryland Clean Cars Act of 2007 Bill Passed - House (122 - 16)
Feb. 16, 2007 MD HB 201 Early Voting Bill Passed - House (101 - 31)
June 23, 2006 MD SB 1 Electricity Rates Veto Override Passed - House (87 - 37)
June 15, 2006 MD SB 1 Electricity Rates Bill Passed - House (109 - 26)
June 14, 2006 MD SB 52 Maryland Transportation Authority Veto Override Passed - House (94 - 42)
April 8, 2006 MD HB 1674 Restrictions on Campaign Fund-Raising Activities by Members of the Board of Regents Veto Override Passed - House (88 - 49)
April 8, 2006 MD HB 1368 Election Changes Veto Override Passed - House (93 - 45)
April 8, 2006 MD HB 1215 School Closure Regulations Veto Override Passed - House (97 - 42)
April 7, 2006 MD HB 853 Prohibiting Dredging for Oysters & Clams in Atlantic Coastal Bays Bill Passed - House (88 - 44)
April 4, 2006 MD HB 1054 Public Campaign Financing Act for Candidates for the General Assembly Bill Passed - House (79 - 56)
March 31, 2006 MD SB 1075 Governor Cabinet Appointments Bill Passed - House (89 - 48)
March 31, 2006 MD SB 154 Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and Additional Emission Caps Bill Passed - House (107 - 27)
March 25, 2006 MD HB 1035 Uninsured Employers' Fund -- Liability of Corporate Officers Bill Passed - House (90 - 45)
March 25, 2006 MD HB 1674 Restrictions on Campaign Fund-Raising Activities by Members of the Board of Regents Bill Passed - House (87 - 47)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/26 SB 279 Capital Punishment Restrictions Bill Passed - House (87 - 52)
3/26 HB 310 Extending Unemployment Benefits to Part-Time Employees Bill Passed - House (94 - 43)
3/17 HB 359 Handgun Permit Eligibility for Domestic Abuse Victims Bill Failed - House (51 - 86)
3/17 HB 302 Allowing Judges to Confiscate Firearms from Domestic Abuse Suspects Bill Passed - House (92 - 45)
4/07 SB 268 Maryland Strategic Energy Investment Program Bill Passed - House (113 - 25)
4/07 HB 374 Energy Efficiency Regulations Concurrence Vote Passed - House (101 - 33)
4/07 HB 375 Increasing Renewable Energy Standards Concurrence Vote Passed - House (103 - 24)
4/07 SB 1013 Regulation of Power Plants Bill Passed - House (102 - 38)
4/05 SB 90 2008-2009 Budget Conference Report Adopted - House (109 - 31)
4/05 SB 46 Computer Services Sales Tax Repeal and Other Tax Adjustments Bill Passed - House (93 - 44)
4/05 SB 646 Allowing For-Profit Entities to Provide Credit Counseling Bill Passed - House (124 - 12)
4/04 SB 597 Property Transfer Tax Exemptions for Domestic Partners Bill Passed - House (86 - 47)
4/04 SB 566 Hospital Visitation/Decision-Making Rights for Domestic Partners Bill Passed - House (88 - 46)
4/04 HB 1626 Public Utilitiy Regulation Bill Passed - House (98 - 41)
3/31 SB 269 Authorizing Speed Monitoring Systems Bill Passed - House (89 - 47)
3/20 SB 90 2008-2009 Budget Bill Passed - House (105 - 34)
3/04 HB 362 Department of Information Technology Bill Passed - House (105 - 31)
11/19 HB 1 2007-2008 Budget Amendments Concurrence Vote Passed - House (100 - 33)
11/19 HB 5 Sales Tax Increase Concurrence Vote Passed - House (81 - 52)
11/13 HB 1 2007-2008 Budget Amendments Bill Passed - House (103 - 36)
11/11 HB 5 Sales Tax Increase Bill Passed - House (80 - 56)
11/11 HB 2 Tax Reform Act of 2007 Bill Passed - House (82 - 55)
4/09 HB 430 State Living Wage Concurrence Vote Passed - House (91 - 49)
4/06 HB 430 State Living Wage Bill Passed - House (88 - 50)
4/06 SB 634 Presidential Election by Popular Vote Bill Passed - House (84 - 54)
4/06 SB 1 Early Voting Bill Passed - House (107 - 32)
4/05 SB 103 Maryland Clean Cars Act of 2007 Bill Passed - House (123 - 17)
4/03 SB 91 Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Passed - House (99 - 39)
4/02 HB 148 Presidential Election by Popular Vote Bill Passed - House (85 - 54)
3/26 HB 992 Parole for Drug Offenders Bill Passed - House (71 - 66)
3/26 SB 488 Felon Voting Rights Bill Passed - House (78 - 60)
3/24 HB 359 Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Passed - House (98 - 40)
3/24 HB 1220 Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Green Fund Bill Passed - House (96 - 41)
3/23 HB 6 Resident Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants Bill Passed - House (81 - 57)
3/16 HB 754 Tobacco Tax to Fund Health Care Bill Passed - House (102 - 37)
3/14 Amendment 643129/1 2008-2009 Budget Amendment Amendment Rejected - House (29 - 110)
2/20 HB 131 Maryland Clean Cars Act of 2007 Bill Passed - House (122 - 16)
2/16 HB 201 Early Voting Bill Passed - House (101 - 31)
6/23 SB 1 Electricity Rates Veto Override Passed - House (87 - 37)
6/15 SB 1 Electricity Rates Bill Passed - House (109 - 26)
6/14 SB 52 Maryland Transportation Authority Veto Override Passed - House (94 - 42)
4/08 HB 1674 Restrictions on Campaign Fund-Raising Activities by Members of the Board of Regents Veto Override Passed - House (88 - 49)
4/08 HB 1368 Election Changes Veto Override Passed - House (93 - 45)
4/08 HB 1215 School Closure Regulations Veto Override Passed - House (97 - 42)
4/07 HB 853 Prohibiting Dredging for Oysters & Clams in Atlantic Coastal Bays Bill Passed - House (88 - 44)
4/04 HB 1054 Public Campaign Financing Act for Candidates for the General Assembly Bill Passed - House (79 - 56)
3/31 SB 1075 Governor Cabinet Appointments Bill Passed - House (89 - 48)
3/31 SB 154 Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and Additional Emission Caps Bill Passed - House (107 - 27)
3/25 HB 1035 Uninsured Employers' Fund -- Liability of Corporate Officers Bill Passed - House (90 - 45)
3/25 HB 1674 Restrictions on Campaign Fund-Raising Activities by Members of the Board of Regents Bill Passed - House (87 - 47)

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