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 4, 2009 OK SB 318 Repeal of the Grocery Sales Tax Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 8)
March 12, 2009 MI SB 69 Alternative Business Tax Eligibility Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
March 17, 2009 NM SB 263 Requiring State Contractors to Disclose Campaign Contributions Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11)
March 16, 2009 NJ S 2577 Age-Restricted Housing Exemptions Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 15)
March 16, 2009 NJ S 2577 Age-Restricted Housing Exemptions Bill Passed - House (42 - 28)
April 6, 2009 MN SF 10 Sharing Services For Schools Districts Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 33)
March 3, 2009 AL HB 373 Higher Alcohol Content Limit for Beer Bill Passed - House (49 - 37)
March 19, 2009 ID H 246 Gasoline Tax Increase Bill Failed - House (27 - 43)
March 25, 2009 KS SB 160 Increasing Minimum Wage Bill Passed - House (104 - 21)
Feb. 19, 2009 KS SB 160 Increasing Minimum Wage Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 7)
March 3, 2009 OH SB 9 Transferable Tax Credit for Film Production Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10)
March 20, 2009 KS HB 2295 Dairy Labeling Requirements Bill Passed - House (75 - 44)
March 6, 2009 UT HJR 8 Mandating Secret Ballots Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8)
March 4, 2009 UT HJR 8 Mandating Secret Ballots Bill Passed - House (53 - 22)
March 9, 2009 WA HB 1709 Payday Lending Regulations Bill Passed - House (84 - 10)
March 24, 2009 IN HB 1379 Unemployment Benefit Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20)
Feb. 24, 2009 IN HB 1379 Unemployment Benefit Amendments Bill Passed - House (55 - 41)
March 12, 2009 WA SB 2252 Shifting Local Tax Revenue Bill Passed - House (54 - 42)
March 3, 2009 OH HB 6 Transferable Tax Credit for Film Production Bill Passed - House (83 - 14)
March 12, 2009 TN SB 83 "Living" Wage Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
May 1, 2009 VT H 436 Nuclear Plant Decommissioning Fund Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 4)
March 27, 2009 VT H 436 Nuclear Plant Decommissioning Fund Amendments Bill Passed - House (93 - 46)
April 15, 2009 ID S 1148 Alcohol Law Amendments Bill Failed - House (28 - 42)
March 26, 2009 ID S 1148 Alcohol Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
April 1, 2009 MD SB 844 Public Service Commission Regulation of New Electric Generation Facilities Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/04 SB 318 Repeal of the Grocery Sales Tax Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 8)
3/12 SB 69 Alternative Business Tax Eligibility Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14)
3/17 SB 263 Requiring State Contractors to Disclose Campaign Contributions Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11)
3/16 S 2577 Age-Restricted Housing Exemptions Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 15)
3/16 S 2577 Age-Restricted Housing Exemptions Bill Passed - House (42 - 28)
4/06 SF 10 Sharing Services For Schools Districts Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 33)
3/03 HB 373 Higher Alcohol Content Limit for Beer Bill Passed - House (49 - 37)
3/19 H 246 Gasoline Tax Increase Bill Failed - House (27 - 43)
3/25 SB 160 Increasing Minimum Wage Bill Passed - House (104 - 21)
2/19 SB 160 Increasing Minimum Wage Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 7)
3/03 SB 9 Transferable Tax Credit for Film Production Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10)
3/20 HB 2295 Dairy Labeling Requirements Bill Passed - House (75 - 44)
3/06 HJR 8 Mandating Secret Ballots Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8)
3/04 HJR 8 Mandating Secret Ballots Bill Passed - House (53 - 22)
3/09 HB 1709 Payday Lending Regulations Bill Passed - House (84 - 10)
3/24 HB 1379 Unemployment Benefit Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 20)
2/24 HB 1379 Unemployment Benefit Amendments Bill Passed - House (55 - 41)
3/12 SB 2252 Shifting Local Tax Revenue Bill Passed - House (54 - 42)
3/03 HB 6 Transferable Tax Credit for Film Production Bill Passed - House (83 - 14)
3/12 SB 83 "Living" Wage Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13)
5/01 H 436 Nuclear Plant Decommissioning Fund Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 4)
3/27 H 436 Nuclear Plant Decommissioning Fund Amendments Bill Passed - House (93 - 46)
4/15 S 1148 Alcohol Law Amendments Bill Failed - House (28 - 42)
3/26 S 1148 Alcohol Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12)
4/01 SB 844 Public Service Commission Regulation of New Electric Generation Facilities Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19)

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