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 4, 2008 | IL | HB 4180 | Allowing Teachers to Conduct a Silent Reflection | Bill Passed - House (72 - 31) |
| March 4, 2008 | KY | HB 186 | Dental Health Certificate Requirement for School Enrollment | Bill Passed - House (91 - 4) |
| March 4, 2008 | UT | SB 2 | 2007-2009 Biennium Education Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 7) |
| March 3, 2008 | UT | AM 1 | Mandating the Concealment of Firearms on Campus | Amendment Adopted - House (41 - 29) |
| March 3, 2008 | UT | SB 48 | School Building Funding Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 9) |
| March 3, 2008 | UT | HB 473 | Campus Gun Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (60 - 11) |
| Feb. 29, 2008 | ID | S 1436 | Teacher Pay-for-Performance Plan | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 19) |
| Feb. 29, 2008 | KS | HB 2870 | Employment Incentive for Teachers | Bill Failed - House (59 - 63) |
| Feb. 29, 2008 | GA | SB 506 | Mandatory School Physical Fitness Testing | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 13) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | KS | Ward Amnd. | Teacher Scholarship Program | Amendment Rejected - House (50 - 71) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | CO | SB 129 | Restricting Beverage Sales at Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | UT | SB 162 | State Discretion Over Federal Education Programs | Bill Passed - House (38 - 33) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | KS | HB 2605 | Changing School Finance Formula | Bill Failed - House (62 - 63) |
| Feb. 28, 2008 | WI | AB 870 | Virtual Charter Schools | Bill Passed - House (53 - 44) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | KS | McKinney Amnd. A to HB 2760 | Per Student Public School Funding | Amendment Rejected - House (50 - 70) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | VA | HB 30 | 2008-2010 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | SD | HB 1085 | Constructing Science Facilities at Universities | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 3) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | MO | HB 1066 | Teacher Certification | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 5) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | IN | HB 1210 | Teacher Certification | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | CO | HB 1001 | Expanding Bioscience Research Funding | Bill Passed - House (52 - 13) |
| Feb. 27, 2008 | MS | SB 2149 | Election of School Board Members | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | IA | SF 2216 | State-Mandated Curriculum for Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 14) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | ID | H 503 | Scholarships for Drug-Free Students | Bill Passed - House (55 - 14) |
| Feb. 25, 2008 | WV | HB 4023 | Linking Driving Privileges with Student Performance | Bill Passed - House (80 - 15) |
| Feb. 21, 2008 | NH | CACR 34 | Constitutional Amendment to Define an Adequate Education | Resolution Passed - Senate (19 - 5) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/04 | HB 4180 | Allowing Teachers to Conduct a Silent Reflection | Bill Passed - House (72 - 31) |
| 3/04 | HB 186 | Dental Health Certificate Requirement for School Enrollment | Bill Passed - House (91 - 4) |
| 3/04 | SB 2 | 2007-2009 Biennium Education Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 7) |
| 3/03 | AM 1 | Mandating the Concealment of Firearms on Campus | Amendment Adopted - House (41 - 29) |
| 3/03 | SB 48 | School Building Funding Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (18 - 9) |
| 3/03 | HB 473 | Campus Gun Restrictions | Bill Passed - House (60 - 11) |
| 2/29 | S 1436 | Teacher Pay-for-Performance Plan | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 19) |
| 2/29 | HB 2870 | Employment Incentive for Teachers | Bill Failed - House (59 - 63) |
| 2/29 | SB 506 | Mandatory School Physical Fitness Testing | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 13) |
| 2/28 | Ward Amnd. | Teacher Scholarship Program | Amendment Rejected - House (50 - 71) |
| 2/28 | SB 129 | Restricting Beverage Sales at Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| 2/28 | SB 162 | State Discretion Over Federal Education Programs | Bill Passed - House (38 - 33) |
| 2/28 | HB 2605 | Changing School Finance Formula | Bill Failed - House (62 - 63) |
| 2/28 | AB 870 | Virtual Charter Schools | Bill Passed - House (53 - 44) |
| 2/27 | McKinney Amnd. A to HB 2760 | Per Student Public School Funding | Amendment Rejected - House (50 - 70) |
| 2/27 | HB 30 | 2008-2010 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18) |
| 2/27 | HB 1085 | Constructing Science Facilities at Universities | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 3) |
| 2/27 | HB 1066 | Teacher Certification | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 5) |
| 2/27 | HB 1210 | Teacher Certification | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20) |
| 2/27 | HB 1001 | Expanding Bioscience Research Funding | Bill Passed - House (52 - 13) |
| 2/27 | SB 2149 | Election of School Board Members | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15) |
| 2/26 | SF 2216 | State-Mandated Curriculum for Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 14) |
| 2/26 | H 503 | Scholarships for Drug-Free Students | Bill Passed - House (55 - 14) |
| 2/25 | HB 4023 | Linking Driving Privileges with Student Performance | Bill Passed - House (80 - 15) |
| 2/21 | CACR 34 | Constitutional Amendment to Define an Adequate Education | Resolution Passed - Senate (19 - 5) |