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. 15, 2009 | IL | HJRCA 31 | Authorizing Governor Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (56 - 1) |
Sept. 22, 2009 | MA | H 4246 | Authorizing Governor to Appoint Interim U.S. Senator | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
Aug. 6, 2009 | National | PN 506 | Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (68 - 31) |
June 24, 2009 | LA | SB 278 | Governor Records Disclosed | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 8) |
June 22, 2009 | AZ | HCR 2019 | Ends Affirmative Action | Amendment Adopted - Senate (17 - 11) |
June 16, 2009 | SC | S 351 | State Ports Authority Amendments | Veto Override Passed - Senate (35 - 9) |
May 29, 2009 | CT | SB 913 | Elections to Fill US Senate Vacancies | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
May 1, 2009 | FL | HB 479 | Amendments Regarding Public Employee Retirement | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 11) |
April 16, 2009 | ID | S 1166 | Workers' Compensation Dividend Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
April 13, 2009 | CO | SB 281 | Clarifying Pinnacol Assurance as a Subdivision of the State | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
April 13, 2009 | CO | SB 273 | Appropriation of Pinnacol Assurance Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
March 10, 2009 | UT | SB 53 | Prohibiting the Awarding of Legal Fees to Plaintiffs in Public Interest Lawsuits | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 6) |
March 5, 2009 | GA | SB 200 | Reorganization of State Transportation Authorities | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 25) |
Feb. 25, 2009 | NM | SB 141 | Allowing Increase of Penalties for Convicted Public Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 12) |
Feb. 18, 2009 | SC | S 351 | State Ports Authority Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 14) |
Feb. 4, 2009 | VA | SB 1473 | Department of Forestry Land Use Permits | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 9) |
Feb. 2, 2009 | MT | SB 81 | Board of Public Education Elections | Bill Failed - Senate (21 - 29) |
Feb. 2, 2009 | MT | SB 80 | Board of Regents Elections | Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 30) |
Jan. 21, 2009 | MT | SB 31 | Revising Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Commission Membership Qualifications | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 20) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
10/15 | HJRCA 31 | Authorizing Governor Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (56 - 1) |
9/22 | H 4246 | Authorizing Governor to Appoint Interim U.S. Senator | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16) |
8/06 | PN 506 | Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice | Nomination Confirmed - Senate (68 - 31) |
6/24 | SB 278 | Governor Records Disclosed | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (28 - 8) |
6/22 | HCR 2019 | Ends Affirmative Action | Amendment Adopted - Senate (17 - 11) |
6/16 | S 351 | State Ports Authority Amendments | Veto Override Passed - Senate (35 - 9) |
5/29 | SB 913 | Elections to Fill US Senate Vacancies | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
5/01 | HB 479 | Amendments Regarding Public Employee Retirement | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 11) |
4/16 | S 1166 | Workers' Compensation Dividend Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
4/13 | SB 281 | Clarifying Pinnacol Assurance as a Subdivision of the State | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
4/13 | SB 273 | Appropriation of Pinnacol Assurance Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
3/10 | SB 53 | Prohibiting the Awarding of Legal Fees to Plaintiffs in Public Interest Lawsuits | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 6) |
3/05 | SB 200 | Reorganization of State Transportation Authorities | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 25) |
2/25 | SB 141 | Allowing Increase of Penalties for Convicted Public Officials | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 12) |
2/18 | S 351 | State Ports Authority Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 14) |
2/04 | SB 1473 | Department of Forestry Land Use Permits | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 9) |
2/02 | SB 81 | Board of Public Education Elections | Bill Failed - Senate (21 - 29) |
2/02 | SB 80 | Board of Regents Elections | Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 30) |
1/21 | SB 31 | Revising Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Commission Membership Qualifications | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 20) |