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. 22, 2008 | MD | SB 243 | Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 10) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | MD | SB 111 | Expanding Hate Crimes Classification to Homeless | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 4) |
| Nov. 19, 2007 | MD | HB 1 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 13) |
| Nov. 19, 2007 | MD | HB 5 | Sales Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 20) |
| April 9, 2007 | MD | HB 430 | State Living Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 16) |
| April 9, 2007 | MD | HB 992 | Parole for Drug Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
| April 9, 2007 | MD | HB 148 | Presidential Election by Popular Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 17) |
| April 5, 2007 | MD | HB 359 | Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
| April 4, 2007 | MD | HB 131 | Maryland Clean Cars Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 9) |
| March 28, 2007 | MD | SB 634 | Presidential Election by Popular Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 17) |
| March 26, 2007 | MD | SB 91 | Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 13) |
| March 23, 2007 | MD | SB 488 | Felon Voting Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 19) |
| March 21, 2007 | MD | Amendment 993627/1 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (14 - 33) |
| March 16, 2007 | MD | SB 533 | Removal of Remarriage Barriers | Bill Failed - Senate (22 - 22) |
| March 6, 2007 | MD | SB 160 | Discrimination Against the Homeless | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 9) |
| Feb. 27, 2007 | MD | SB 61 | Evidence in Sexual Misconduct Trials | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20) |
| Feb. 26, 2007 | MD | SB 103 | Maryland Clean Cars Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 9) |
| Feb. 20, 2007 | MD | SB 1 | Early Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 16) |
| June 15, 2006 | MD | HB 2 | Mandatory Sentences and Other Penalties for Sex Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 5) |
| June 14, 2006 | MD | SB 52 | Maryland Transportation Authority | Veto Override Passed - Senate (34 - 13) |
| June 14, 2006 | MD | SB 1 | Electricity Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 11) |
| April 10, 2006 | MD | HB 1368 | Election Changes | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| April 10, 2006 | MD | HB 1674 | Restrictions on Campaign Fund-Raising Activities by Members of the Board of Regents | Veto Override Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
| April 10, 2006 | MD | HB 1215 | School Closure Regulations | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| April 10, 2006 | MD | HB 1035 | Uninsured Employers' Fund -- Liability of Corporate Officers | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 18) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/22 | SB 243 | Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 10) |
| 2/21 | SB 111 | Expanding Hate Crimes Classification to Homeless | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 4) |
| 11/19 | HB 1 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 13) |
| 11/19 | HB 5 | Sales Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 20) |
| 4/09 | HB 430 | State Living Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 16) |
| 4/09 | HB 992 | Parole for Drug Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
| 4/09 | HB 148 | Presidential Election by Popular Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 17) |
| 4/05 | HB 359 | Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
| 4/04 | HB 131 | Maryland Clean Cars Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 9) |
| 3/28 | SB 634 | Presidential Election by Popular Vote | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 17) |
| 3/26 | SB 91 | Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 13) |
| 3/23 | SB 488 | Felon Voting Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 19) |
| 3/21 | Amendment 993627/1 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (14 - 33) |
| 3/16 | SB 533 | Removal of Remarriage Barriers | Bill Failed - Senate (22 - 22) |
| 3/06 | SB 160 | Discrimination Against the Homeless | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 9) |
| 2/27 | SB 61 | Evidence in Sexual Misconduct Trials | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20) |
| 2/26 | SB 103 | Maryland Clean Cars Act of 2007 | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 9) |
| 2/20 | SB 1 | Early Voting | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 16) |
| 6/15 | HB 2 | Mandatory Sentences and Other Penalties for Sex Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 5) |
| 6/14 | SB 52 | Maryland Transportation Authority | Veto Override Passed - Senate (34 - 13) |
| 6/14 | SB 1 | Electricity Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 11) |
| 4/10 | HB 1368 | Election Changes | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| 4/10 | HB 1674 | Restrictions on Campaign Fund-Raising Activities by Members of the Board of Regents | Veto Override Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
| 4/10 | HB 1215 | School Closure Regulations | Veto Override Passed - Senate (30 - 17) |
| 4/10 | HB 1035 | Uninsured Employers' Fund -- Liability of Corporate Officers | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 18) |