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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 28, 2006 | MD | SB 539 | Hate Crimes Against Homeless Persons Bill | Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 25) |
March 28, 2006 | MD | SB 539 | Hate Crimes Against Homeless Persons Bill | Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 25) |
March 27, 2006 | MD | SB 539 | Hate Crimes Against Homeless Persons Bill | Bill Failed - Senate (23 - 22) |
March 27, 2006 | MD | SB 539 | Hate Crimes Against Homeless Persons Bill | Bill Failed - Senate (23 - 22) |
March 15, 2006 | MD | Amendment 553220 | Needle Exchange Funding Prohibition Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (15 - 32) |
June 15, 2006 | MD | HB 2 | Mandatory Sentences and Other Penalties for Sex Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 5) |
Feb. 27, 2007 | MD | SB 61 | Evidence in Sexual Misconduct Trials | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20) |
March 6, 2007 | MD | SB 160 | Discrimination Against the Homeless | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 9) |
March 6, 2007 | MD | SB 160 | Discrimination Against the Homeless | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 9) |
March 26, 2007 | MD | HB 992 | Parole for Drug Offenders | Bill Passed - House (71 - 66) |
April 9, 2007 | MD | HB 992 | Parole for Drug Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
April 9, 2007 | MD | HB 992 | Parole for Drug Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
March 26, 2007 | MD | HB 992 | Parole for Drug Offenders | Bill Passed - House (71 - 66) |
April 5, 2007 | MD | HB 359 | Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
March 24, 2007 | MD | HB 359 | Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - House (98 - 40) |
March 23, 2007 | MD | SB 488 | Felon Voting Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 19) |
March 23, 2007 | MD | SB 488 | Felon Voting Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 19) |
March 26, 2007 | MD | SB 488 | Felon Voting Rights | Bill Passed - House (78 - 60) |
March 26, 2007 | MD | SB 488 | Felon Voting Rights | Bill Passed - House (78 - 60) |
April 3, 2007 | MD | SB 91 | Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - House (99 - 39) |
March 26, 2007 | MD | SB 91 | Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 13) |
March 16, 2007 | MD | SB 533 | Removal of Remarriage Barriers | Bill Failed - Senate (22 - 22) |
Feb. 21, 2008 | MD | SB 111 | Expanding Hate Crimes Classification to Homeless | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 4) |
Feb. 22, 2008 | MD | SB 243 | Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 10) |
March 12, 2008 | MD | SB 42 | Temporary Confiscation of Firearms | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 17) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
3/28 | SB 539 | Hate Crimes Against Homeless Persons Bill | Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 25) |
3/28 | SB 539 | Hate Crimes Against Homeless Persons Bill | Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 25) |
3/27 | SB 539 | Hate Crimes Against Homeless Persons Bill | Bill Failed - Senate (23 - 22) |
3/27 | SB 539 | Hate Crimes Against Homeless Persons Bill | Bill Failed - Senate (23 - 22) |
3/15 | Amendment 553220 | Needle Exchange Funding Prohibition Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (15 - 32) |
6/15 | HB 2 | Mandatory Sentences and Other Penalties for Sex Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 5) |
2/27 | SB 61 | Evidence in Sexual Misconduct Trials | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20) |
3/06 | SB 160 | Discrimination Against the Homeless | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 9) |
3/06 | SB 160 | Discrimination Against the Homeless | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 9) |
3/26 | HB 992 | Parole for Drug Offenders | Bill Passed - House (71 - 66) |
4/09 | HB 992 | Parole for Drug Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
4/09 | HB 992 | Parole for Drug Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 18) |
3/26 | HB 992 | Parole for Drug Offenders | Bill Passed - House (71 - 66) |
4/05 | HB 359 | Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
3/24 | HB 359 | Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - House (98 - 40) |
3/23 | SB 488 | Felon Voting Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 19) |
3/23 | SB 488 | Felon Voting Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 19) |
3/26 | SB 488 | Felon Voting Rights | Bill Passed - House (78 - 60) |
3/26 | SB 488 | Felon Voting Rights | Bill Passed - House (78 - 60) |
4/03 | SB 91 | Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - House (99 - 39) |
3/26 | SB 91 | Indoor Smoking Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 13) |
3/16 | SB 533 | Removal of Remarriage Barriers | Bill Failed - Senate (22 - 22) |
2/21 | SB 111 | Expanding Hate Crimes Classification to Homeless | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 4) |
2/22 | SB 243 | Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 10) |
3/12 | SB 42 | Temporary Confiscation of Firearms | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 17) |