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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dec. 22, 2009 | National | S Amdt 3276 | Senate Health Care Bill Amendments | Amendment Adopted - Senate (60 - 39) |
Dec. 10, 2009 | NJ | A 2762 | Authorizing Reduction of Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Drug Offenses in School Zones | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
Dec. 10, 2009 | NJ | A 2762 | Authorizing Reduction of Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Drug Offenses in School Zones | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
Dec. 2, 2009 | NY | A 40003 | Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 38) |
Nov. 18, 2009 | MA | S 2210 | Sentencing Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
Oct. 29, 2009 | RI | HB 5044 | Prostitution Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 2) |
Oct. 28, 2009 | NH | HB 648 | Medical Marijuana Legalization | Veto Override Failed - Senate (14 - 10) |
Oct. 20, 2009 | National | HR 2892 | 2009-2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Authorizations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (79 - 19) |
Oct. 6, 2009 | National | S Amdt 2588 | Prohibiting Federal Funding of Mandatory Arbitration Contracts | Amendment Adopted - Senate (68 - 30) |
Sept. 30, 2009 | MI | HB 4437 | 2009-2010 Department of Corrections Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 14) |
Sept. 11, 2009 | CA | SBx3 18 | Correctional Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
Sept. 9, 2009 | CA | SB 54 | Recognizing Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
Sept. 8, 2009 | CA | SB 572 | Harvey Milk Day | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
Sept. 8, 2009 | CA | AB 524 | Privacy Law Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
Sept. 4, 2009 | CA | AB 793 | Clarifying Statute of Limitations for Wage Discrimination Lawsuits | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
Aug. 20, 2009 | CA | ABx3 14 | Correctional Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19) |
Aug. 12, 2009 | AZ | HB 2010 | Budget Reconciliation (Criminal Justice) | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 8) |
Aug. 5, 2009 | NC | SB 461 | Racial Discrimination in Capital Sentences | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 18) |
Aug. 5, 2009 | NC | SB 461 | Racial Discrimination in Capital Sentences | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 18) |
July 24, 2009 | CA | ABX4 19 | Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Revisions: In-Home Supportive Services Fraud | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
July 22, 2009 | National | S Amdt 1618 | Authorizing Concealed Firearms Across State Lines | Amendment Rejected - Senate (58 - 39) |
July 8, 2009 | National | S Amdt 1399 | Requiring Completion of Reinforced Border Fencing | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 44) |
June 29, 2009 | DE | SB 169 | Health Clinic Access | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 3) |
June 27, 2009 | OR | HB 3508 | Implementing Measure 57 | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 8) |
June 26, 2009 | NJ | A 339 | Handgun Purchasing Limitations | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
12/22 | S Amdt 3276 | Senate Health Care Bill Amendments | Amendment Adopted - Senate (60 - 39) |
12/10 | A 2762 | Authorizing Reduction of Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Drug Offenses in School Zones | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
12/10 | A 2762 | Authorizing Reduction of Mandatory Minimum Sentences for Drug Offenses in School Zones | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
12/02 | A 40003 | Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 38) |
11/18 | S 2210 | Sentencing Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
10/29 | HB 5044 | Prostitution Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 2) |
10/28 | HB 648 | Medical Marijuana Legalization | Veto Override Failed - Senate (14 - 10) |
10/20 | HR 2892 | 2009-2010 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Authorizations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (79 - 19) |
10/06 | S Amdt 2588 | Prohibiting Federal Funding of Mandatory Arbitration Contracts | Amendment Adopted - Senate (68 - 30) |
9/30 | HB 4437 | 2009-2010 Department of Corrections Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 14) |
9/11 | SBx3 18 | Correctional Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 16) |
9/09 | SB 54 | Recognizing Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
9/08 | SB 572 | Harvey Milk Day | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
9/08 | AB 524 | Privacy Law Expansion | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
9/04 | AB 793 | Clarifying Statute of Limitations for Wage Discrimination Lawsuits | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
8/20 | ABx3 14 | Correctional Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 19) |
8/12 | HB 2010 | Budget Reconciliation (Criminal Justice) | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 8) |
8/05 | SB 461 | Racial Discrimination in Capital Sentences | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 18) |
8/05 | SB 461 | Racial Discrimination in Capital Sentences | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 18) |
7/24 | ABX4 19 | Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Revisions: In-Home Supportive Services Fraud | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 15) |
7/22 | S Amdt 1618 | Authorizing Concealed Firearms Across State Lines | Amendment Rejected - Senate (58 - 39) |
7/08 | S Amdt 1399 | Requiring Completion of Reinforced Border Fencing | Amendment Adopted - Senate (54 - 44) |
6/29 | SB 169 | Health Clinic Access | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 3) |
6/27 | HB 3508 | Implementing Measure 57 | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 8) |
6/26 | A 339 | Handgun Purchasing Limitations | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |