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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Oct. 22, 2009 | National | HR 2647 | 2009-2010 Defense Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (68 - 29) |
May 6, 2009 | ME | LD 1020 | Same Sex Marriage Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
April 13, 2009 | MD | SB 785 | Inheritance Tax Exemption for Domestic Partners | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 18) |
May 20, 2009 | NH | HB 73 | Religious Choice in Performing Marriage Ceremonies | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 10) |
March 13, 2009 | WV | SB 238 | Ban on Sexual Orientation Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
March 23, 2009 | VT | S 115 | Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 4) |
June 24, 2009 | DE | SB 121 | Adding Sexual Orientation to Delaware Anti-Discriminatory Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 5) |
Feb. 18, 2009 | ND | SB 2278 | Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19) |
March 2, 2009 | CA | SR 7 | Statement of Opposition to Proposition 8 | Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
March 10, 2009 | WA | SB 5688 | Expanding Domestic Partnership Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
April 17, 2009 | MN | SF 971 | School Anti-Bullying Policy Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 22) |
April 22, 2009 | CT | SB 899 | Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
May 6, 2009 | NC | SB 526 | Prevention of Bullying and Violence in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 22) |
May 30, 2009 | NV | SB 283 | Establishing Domestic Partnerships | Veto Override Passed - Senate (14 - 7) |
April 7, 2009 | VT | S 115 | Same-Sex Marriage | Veto Override Passed - Senate (23 - 5) |
Sept. 8, 2009 | CA | SB 572 | Harvey Milk Day | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
Sept. 9, 2009 | CA | SB 54 | Recognizing Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
March 23, 2009 | CO | HB 1260 | Designated Beneficiary Agreements Between Unmarried Adults | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
April 29, 2009 | NH | HB 436 | Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 11) |
May 4, 2009 | MN | SF 341 | Domestic Partner Death Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 24) |
May 14, 2009 | CA | SB 572 | Harvey Milk Day | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
April 21, 2009 | NV | SB 283 | Establishing Domestic Partnerships | Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9) |
Feb. 24, 2009 | CO | SB 88 | Extending State Employee Health Benefits to Domestic Partners | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
April 16, 2009 | MN | Limmer Amdt | Homosexuality in Education | Amendment Rejected - Senate (24 - 37) |
Dec. 2, 2009 | NY | A 40003 | Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 38) |
Feb. 26, 2009 | NM | SB 12 | Establishing Domestic Partnerships | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 25) |
March 23, 2009 | VT | Same-Sex Marriage Ballot Question | Amendment Rejected - Senate (11 - 19) | |
Feb. 12, 2009 | SD | SB 156 | Expansion of Hate Crime Law | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 21) |
June 4, 2009 | DE | SB 121 | Adding Sexual Orientation to Delaware Anti-Discriminatory Laws |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
10/22 | HR 2647 | 2009-2010 Defense Appropriations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (68 - 29) |
5/06 | LD 1020 | Same Sex Marriage Bill | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
4/13 | SB 785 | Inheritance Tax Exemption for Domestic Partners | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 18) |
5/20 | HB 73 | Religious Choice in Performing Marriage Ceremonies | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 10) |
3/13 | SB 238 | Ban on Sexual Orientation Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
3/23 | S 115 | Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 4) |
6/24 | SB 121 | Adding Sexual Orientation to Delaware Anti-Discriminatory Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 5) |
2/18 | SB 2278 | Prohibiting Sexual Orientation Discrimination | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19) |
3/02 | SR 7 | Statement of Opposition to Proposition 8 | Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
3/10 | SB 5688 | Expanding Domestic Partnership Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 18) |
4/17 | SF 971 | School Anti-Bullying Policy Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 22) |
4/22 | SB 899 | Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
5/06 | SB 526 | Prevention of Bullying and Violence in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 22) |
5/30 | SB 283 | Establishing Domestic Partnerships | Veto Override Passed - Senate (14 - 7) |
4/07 | S 115 | Same-Sex Marriage | Veto Override Passed - Senate (23 - 5) |
9/08 | SB 572 | Harvey Milk Day | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
9/09 | SB 54 | Recognizing Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
3/23 | HB 1260 | Designated Beneficiary Agreements Between Unmarried Adults | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 10) |
4/29 | HB 436 | Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 11) |
5/04 | SF 341 | Domestic Partner Death Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 24) |
5/14 | SB 572 | Harvey Milk Day | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
4/21 | SB 283 | Establishing Domestic Partnerships | Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9) |
2/24 | SB 88 | Extending State Employee Health Benefits to Domestic Partners | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 11) |
4/16 | Limmer Amdt | Homosexuality in Education | Amendment Rejected - Senate (24 - 37) |
12/02 | A 40003 | Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 38) |
2/26 | SB 12 | Establishing Domestic Partnerships | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 25) |
3/23 | Same-Sex Marriage Ballot Question | Amendment Rejected - Senate (11 - 19) | |
2/12 | SB 156 | Expansion of Hate Crime Law | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 21) |
6/04 | SB 121 | Adding Sexual Orientation to Delaware Anti-Discriminatory Laws |