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
April 22, 2009 OK HB 1602 Attorney Fee Limits Bill Failed - Senate (23 - 23)
Feb. 18, 2009 OK HB 1602 Attorney Fee Limits Bill Passed - House (54 - 46)
Feb. 19, 2009 ND HB 1213 Prohibiting Smoking in Bars and Hotels Bill Failed - House (33 - 59)
Feb. 18, 2009 IA HF 311 Health Insurance Coverage for Prosthetics Bill Passed - House (64 - 33)
March 23, 2009 CO HB 1260 Designated Beneficiary Agreements Between Unmarried Adults Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10)
Feb. 24, 2009 CO HB 1260 Designated Beneficiary Agreements Between Unmarried Adults Bill Passed - House (41 - 24)
Feb. 17, 2009 ND HB 1255 Corporate Tax Rate Reduction Bill Passed - House (57 - 36)
Feb. 17, 2009 ND HB 1268 Sales Tax Exemption on Clothing Purchases Bill Passed - House (66 - 26)
Feb. 25, 2009 CO HB 1001 Tax Credit for Job Creation Bill Passed - House (52 - 13)
Feb. 24, 2009 SC Amdt 5 Prohibiting Employment Termination Due to Abortion Waiting Period Amendment Rejected - House (54 - 60)
March 9, 2009 SD HB 1240 Smoking Ban Concurrence Vote Passed - House (46 - 23)
March 4, 2009 SD HB 1240 Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
Feb. 23, 2009 SD HB 1240 Smoking Ban Bill Passed - House (43 - 27)
Feb. 19, 2009 IA HF 333 Wage Standards for Public Project Workers Bill Failed - House (49 - 49)
Feb. 25, 2009 MT HB 418 Amendments Regarding Horse Slaughterhouses Bill Passed - House (66 - 33)
March 20, 2009 MT HB 418 Amendments Regarding Horse Slaughterhouses Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23)
Feb. 23, 2009 MT HB 394 Prohibits the Use of Individual Prescription Information for Marketing Motion Rejected - House (50 - 50)
March 5, 2009 National HR 1106 Mortgage Restructuring In Bankruptcy Bill Passed - House (234 - 191)
Feb. 25, 2009 VA SB 1035 Allowing Guns in Alcohol-Serving Establishments Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 16)
Feb. 24, 2009 VA SB 1035 Allowing Guns in Alcohol-Serving Establishments Bill Passed - House (66 - 33)
April 13, 2009 MD SB 278 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 9)
April 13, 2009 MD SB 278 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan Bill Passed - House (107 - 30)
March 2, 2009 MD SB 278 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 9)
Feb. 25, 2009 IN HB 1207 Required Nutritional Information on Restaurant Menus Bill Passed - House (51 - 46)
Feb. 17, 2009 IN HB 1213 Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Passed - House (70 - 26)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/22 HB 1602 Attorney Fee Limits Bill Failed - Senate (23 - 23)
2/18 HB 1602 Attorney Fee Limits Bill Passed - House (54 - 46)
2/19 HB 1213 Prohibiting Smoking in Bars and Hotels Bill Failed - House (33 - 59)
2/18 HF 311 Health Insurance Coverage for Prosthetics Bill Passed - House (64 - 33)
3/23 HB 1260 Designated Beneficiary Agreements Between Unmarried Adults Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10)
2/24 HB 1260 Designated Beneficiary Agreements Between Unmarried Adults Bill Passed - House (41 - 24)
2/17 HB 1255 Corporate Tax Rate Reduction Bill Passed - House (57 - 36)
2/17 HB 1268 Sales Tax Exemption on Clothing Purchases Bill Passed - House (66 - 26)
2/25 HB 1001 Tax Credit for Job Creation Bill Passed - House (52 - 13)
2/24 Amdt 5 Prohibiting Employment Termination Due to Abortion Waiting Period Amendment Rejected - House (54 - 60)
3/09 HB 1240 Smoking Ban Concurrence Vote Passed - House (46 - 23)
3/04 HB 1240 Smoking Ban Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14)
2/23 HB 1240 Smoking Ban Bill Passed - House (43 - 27)
2/19 HF 333 Wage Standards for Public Project Workers Bill Failed - House (49 - 49)
2/25 HB 418 Amendments Regarding Horse Slaughterhouses Bill Passed - House (66 - 33)
3/20 HB 418 Amendments Regarding Horse Slaughterhouses Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23)
2/23 HB 394 Prohibits the Use of Individual Prescription Information for Marketing Motion Rejected - House (50 - 50)
3/05 HR 1106 Mortgage Restructuring In Bankruptcy Bill Passed - House (234 - 191)
2/25 SB 1035 Allowing Guns in Alcohol-Serving Establishments Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 16)
2/24 SB 1035 Allowing Guns in Alcohol-Serving Establishments Bill Passed - House (66 - 33)
4/13 SB 278 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 9)
4/13 SB 278 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan Bill Passed - House (107 - 30)
3/02 SB 278 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 9)
2/25 HB 1207 Required Nutritional Information on Restaurant Menus Bill Passed - House (51 - 46)
2/17 HB 1213 Statewide Indoor Smoking Ban Bill Passed - House (70 - 26)

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