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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sept. 9, 2009 | CA | SB 54 | Recognizing Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
Sept. 11, 2009 | CA | SBx3 18 | Correctional Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
Sept. 8, 2009 | CA | AB 2 | Health Care Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
Sept. 4, 2009 | CA | AB 793 | Clarifying Statute of Limitations for Wage Discrimination Lawsuits | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
March 23, 2009 | CO | HB 1260 | Designated Beneficiary Agreements Between Unmarried Adults | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
May 27, 2009 | CT | HB 6385 | Probate Court System | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 7) |
May 1, 2009 | FL | HB 903 | Capping Attorney Fees in Workers' Compensation Lawsuits | Motion Agreed - Senate (22 - 16) |
Feb. 25, 2009 | GA | SB 23 | Admissibility of Seat Belt Evidence in Court | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 12) |
Feb. 19, 2009 | GA | SB 42 | Transfer of Authority Over State's Public Defender System | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 21) |
April 29, 2009 | IN | HB 1491 | St. Joseph Superior Court Judges | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 18) |
June 21, 2009 | LA | HB 866 | Publishing Legal Records | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 8) |
March 5, 2009 | MD | SB 279 | Capital Punishment Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 13) |
May 4, 2009 | MN | SF 341 | Domestic Partner Death Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 24) |
April 20, 2009 | MN | SF 802 | 2009-2011 Biennium Public Safety and Corrections Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 31) |
Aug. 6, 2009 | National | PN 506 | Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (68 - 31) |
Oct. 6, 2009 | National | S Amdt 2588 | Prohibiting Federal Funding of Mandatory Arbitration Contracts | Amendment Adopted - Senate (68 - 30) |
Nov. 19, 2009 | National | PN 187 | David F. Hamilton, Seventh Circuit Judge | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (59 - 39) |
April 3, 2009 | ND | HB 1572 | Legislative Intent With Regards to the Legal Definition of Life | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 29) |
April 3, 2009 | NE | LB 260 | Wrongful Conviction Compensation | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 9) |
March 16, 2009 | NJ | S 2091 | Formalizing Palimony Agreements | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
Feb. 26, 2009 | NM | SB 12 | Establishing Domestic Partnerships | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 25) |
April 22, 2009 | OK | HB 1603 | Tort Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19) |
April 8, 2009 | OK | HB 1601 | Regulating Attorney Election Contributions | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 22) |
April 22, 2009 | OK | HB 1602 | Attorney Fee Limits | Bill Failed - Senate (23 - 23) |
April 8, 2009 | OR | SB 311 | Changes in Liability Limits | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
May 26, 2009 | OR | SB 284 | Extension of Statute of Ultimate Repose | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13) |
March 3, 2009 | OR | SB 581 | 2007-2008, 2008-2009, and 2009-2010 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
March 3, 2009 | OR | SB 5552 | 2007-2009 Biennium Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
Feb. 23, 2009 | OR | SB 311 | Changes in Liability Limits | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
May 11, 2009 | TX | HB 1736 | Increasing Wrongful Conviction Compensation | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4) |
March 12, 2009 | UT | SB 208 | Posting Public Notices Online | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 10) |
March 10, 2009 | UT | SB 53 | Prohibiting the Awarding of Legal Fees to Plaintiffs in Public Interest Lawsuits | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 6) |
Feb. 24, 2009 | VA | HB 1671 | "Derelict Building" Plan Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 3) |
Jan. 27, 2009 | VA | SB 961 | Expanding Death Penalty Eligibility to Accomplices | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
9/09 | SB 54 | Recognizing Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
9/11 | SBx3 18 | Correctional Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
9/08 | AB 2 | Health Care Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13) |
9/04 | AB 793 | Clarifying Statute of Limitations for Wage Discrimination Lawsuits | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
3/23 | HB 1260 | Designated Beneficiary Agreements Between Unmarried Adults | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
5/27 | HB 6385 | Probate Court System | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 7) |
5/01 | HB 903 | Capping Attorney Fees in Workers' Compensation Lawsuits | Motion Agreed - Senate (22 - 16) |
2/25 | SB 23 | Admissibility of Seat Belt Evidence in Court | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 12) |
2/19 | SB 42 | Transfer of Authority Over State's Public Defender System | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 21) |
4/29 | HB 1491 | St. Joseph Superior Court Judges | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 18) |
6/21 | HB 866 | Publishing Legal Records | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 8) |
3/05 | SB 279 | Capital Punishment Restrictions | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 13) |
5/04 | SF 341 | Domestic Partner Death Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 24) |
4/20 | SF 802 | 2009-2011 Biennium Public Safety and Corrections Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 31) |
8/06 | PN 506 | Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (68 - 31) |
10/06 | S Amdt 2588 | Prohibiting Federal Funding of Mandatory Arbitration Contracts | Amendment Adopted - Senate (68 - 30) |
11/19 | PN 187 | David F. Hamilton, Seventh Circuit Judge | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (59 - 39) |
4/03 | HB 1572 | Legislative Intent With Regards to the Legal Definition of Life | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 29) |
4/03 | LB 260 | Wrongful Conviction Compensation | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 9) |
3/16 | S 2091 | Formalizing Palimony Agreements | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
2/26 | SB 12 | Establishing Domestic Partnerships | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 25) |
4/22 | HB 1603 | Tort Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19) |
4/08 | HB 1601 | Regulating Attorney Election Contributions | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 22) |
4/22 | HB 1602 | Attorney Fee Limits | Bill Failed - Senate (23 - 23) |
4/08 | SB 311 | Changes in Liability Limits | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
5/26 | SB 284 | Extension of Statute of Ultimate Repose | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13) |
3/03 | SB 581 | 2007-2008, 2008-2009, and 2009-2010 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
3/03 | SB 5552 | 2007-2009 Biennium Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
2/23 | SB 311 | Changes in Liability Limits | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
5/11 | HB 1736 | Increasing Wrongful Conviction Compensation | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4) |
3/12 | SB 208 | Posting Public Notices Online | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (16 - 10) |
3/10 | SB 53 | Prohibiting the Awarding of Legal Fees to Plaintiffs in Public Interest Lawsuits | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 6) |
2/24 | HB 1671 | "Derelict Building" Plan Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 3) |
1/27 | SB 961 | Expanding Death Penalty Eligibility to Accomplices | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |