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