Key Votes

Chamber

Keyword Search

Search string must be longer than 3 characters.

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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
April 13, 2009 MD HB 387 "Lawful Status" Requirements for ID Cards, Vehicle Licenses and Permits Conference Report Adopted - House (76 - 60)
April 13, 2009 MD SB 785 Inheritance Tax Exemption for Domestic Partners Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 18)
April 13, 2009 MD SB 785 Inheritance Tax Exemption for Domestic Partners Bill Passed - House (94 - 38)
March 5, 2009 MD SB 279 Capital Punishment Restrictions Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 13)
March 26, 2009 MD SB 279 Capital Punishment Restrictions Bill Passed - House (87 - 52)
March 26, 2009 MD HB 310 Extending Unemployment Benefits to Part-Time Employees Bill Passed - House (94 - 43)
April 1, 2009 MD SB 844 Public Service Commission Regulation of New Electric Generation Facilities Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19)
April 2, 2009 MD SB 277 Authorizing Speed Monitoring Systems Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20)
April 6, 2009 MD HB 302 Allowing Judges to Confiscate Firearms from Domestic Abuse Suspects Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15)
April 10, 2009 MD HB 310 Extending Unemployment Benefits to Part-Time Employees Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 9)
April 10, 2009 MD SB 277 Authorizing Speed Monitoring Systems Bill Passed - House (94 - 41)
March 17, 2009 MD HB 302 Allowing Judges to Confiscate Firearms from Domestic Abuse Suspects Bill Passed - House (92 - 45)
April 13, 2009 MD SB 278 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 9)
April 13, 2009 MD SB 278 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan Bill Passed - House (107 - 30)
March 2, 2009 MD SB 278 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 9)
March 17, 2009 MD HB 359 Handgun Permit Eligibility for Domestic Abuse Victims Bill Failed - House (51 - 86)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/13 HB 387 "Lawful Status" Requirements for ID Cards, Vehicle Licenses and Permits Conference Report Adopted - House (76 - 60)
4/13 SB 785 Inheritance Tax Exemption for Domestic Partners Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 18)
4/13 SB 785 Inheritance Tax Exemption for Domestic Partners Bill Passed - House (94 - 38)
3/05 SB 279 Capital Punishment Restrictions Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 13)
3/26 SB 279 Capital Punishment Restrictions Bill Passed - House (87 - 52)
3/26 HB 310 Extending Unemployment Benefits to Part-Time Employees Bill Passed - House (94 - 43)
4/01 SB 844 Public Service Commission Regulation of New Electric Generation Facilities Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 19)
4/02 SB 277 Authorizing Speed Monitoring Systems Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20)
4/06 HB 302 Allowing Judges to Confiscate Firearms from Domestic Abuse Suspects Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15)
4/10 HB 310 Extending Unemployment Benefits to Part-Time Employees Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 9)
4/10 SB 277 Authorizing Speed Monitoring Systems Bill Passed - House (94 - 41)
3/17 HB 302 Allowing Judges to Confiscate Firearms from Domestic Abuse Suspects Bill Passed - House (92 - 45)
4/13 SB 278 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (36 - 9)
4/13 SB 278 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan Bill Passed - House (107 - 30)
3/02 SB 278 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 9)
3/17 HB 359 Handgun Permit Eligibility for Domestic Abuse Victims Bill Failed - House (51 - 86)

arrow_upward