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 24, 2010 | MI | SB 1163 | 2010-2011 Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 17) |
| March 23, 2010 | KY | HB 239 | School Principal Selection Process Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| March 22, 2010 | IA | SF 2376 | 2010-2011 Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (55 - 44) |
| March 22, 2010 | IA | Amdt 8522 | Allowing Cuts to Teacher Salary Supplement | Amendment Rejected - House (49 - 50) |
| March 22, 2010 | ID | S 1418 | 2010-2011 Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| March 22, 2010 | IL | HB 4886 | Authorizing 4-Day School Week | Bill Passed - House (81 - 21) |
| March 21, 2010 | National | HR 4872 | Health Care Reconciliation Act | Bill Passed - House (220 - 211) |
| March 21, 2010 | National | HR 4872 | Health Care Reconciliation Act | Bill Passed - House (220 - 211) |
| March 17, 2010 | MO | Amdt 4 | Deleting an Education Foundation Formula Modification | Amendment Rejected - House (73 - 83) |
| March 16, 2010 | IA | SF 2376 | 2010-2011 Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 20) |
| March 13, 2010 | WV | HB 4652 | School Calendar Committees | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (86 - 12) |
| March 12, 2010 | WV | HB 4652 | School Calendar Committees | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
| March 11, 2010 | VA | SB 737 | Requiring Department of Education Review of Charter School Applications | Bill Passed - House (62 - 34) |
| March 9, 2010 | VA | SB 737 | Requiring Department of Education Review of Charter School Applications | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 12) |
| March 8, 2010 | SD | HB 1240 | Need-Based Education Grant Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
| March 3, 2010 | IL | HB 4685 | Eliminating General Assembly Scholarship Program | Bill Passed - House (80 - 36) |
| March 1, 2010 | SD | HCR 1009 | Urges Changes to the Public School Environmental Curriculum | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (37 - 33) |
| March 1, 2010 | SD | SB 63 | Pilot Charter School | Bill Passed - House (49 - 20) |
| Feb. 25, 2010 | WI | AB 35 | Complaint Process for Race-Based Names, Logos and Mascots of Schools | Bill Passed - House (51 - 42) |
| Feb. 24, 2010 | SD | HCR 1009 | Urges Changes to the Public School Environmental Curriculum | Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| Feb. 24, 2010 | UT | SB 55 | Authorizing Higher Education Institutions to Authorize Charter Schools | Bill Passed - House (43 - 27) |
| Feb. 24, 2010 | WV | HB 4292 | Changes in Required Magistrate Qualifications | Bill Passed - House (61 - 37) |
| Feb. 23, 2010 | IN | HB 1367 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| Feb. 23, 2010 | SD | HB 1240 | Need-Based Education Grant Fund | Bill Passed - House (64 - 4) |
| Feb. 17, 2010 | SD | HCR 1009 | Urges Changes to the Public School Environmental Curriculum | Resolution Passed - House (36 - 30) |
| Feb. 17, 2010 | NM | HB 150 | Hispanic Education Act | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| Feb. 16, 2010 | NM | HB 231 | Authorizing Education Retirement Board Pension Disclosure | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18) |
| Feb. 15, 2010 | WA | SB 6562 | Expanding State University Tuition Authority | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 19) |
| Feb. 11, 2010 | SD | Jerstad Amdt | Per Student Funding Increase | Amendment Rejected - Senate (17 - 18) |
| Feb. 10, 2010 | NM | HB 150 | Hispanic Education Act | Bill Passed - House (44 - 25) |
| Feb. 9, 2010 | NM | HB 53 | Financial Literacy as School Math Requirement | Bill Passed - House (46 - 22) |
| Feb. 2, 2010 | IN | HB 1367 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (51 - 48) |
| Feb. 2, 2010 | IN | SB 150 | School Year Beginning and Ending Limitations | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| Jan. 28, 2010 | WI | AB 458 | Sex Education Curriculum Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| Jan. 28, 2010 | MA | H 4441 | School Nutrition Standards | Bill Passed - House (152 - 4) |
| Jan. 19, 2010 | IA | HF 2030 | School District Budget Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 16) |
| Jan. 14, 2010 | MA | S 2247 | Education Law Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - House (98 - 47) |
| Jan. 14, 2010 | MA | S 2247 | Education Law Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 12) |
| Jan. 13, 2010 | IL | SB 315 | Teacher Evaluation Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (48 - 4) |
| Jan. 13, 2010 | IA | SF 2033 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| Jan. 12, 2010 | IL | SB 315 | Teacher Evaluation Amendments | Bill Passed - House (74 - 37) |
| Jan. 6, 2010 | CA | SBx5 4 | Education Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| Jan. 6, 2010 | CA | SBx5 1 | Education Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
| Jan. 5, 2010 | CA | SBx5 1 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (45 - 17) |
| Jan. 5, 2010 | CA | SBx5 4 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (41 - 27) |
| Dec. 17, 2009 | OH | HB 318 | Tax Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 42) |
| Dec. 17, 2009 | OH | HB 318 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15) |
| Dec. 16, 2009 | OH | HB 60 | Restrictions on Snack and Beverage Sales in Schools | Bill Passed - House (60 - 37) |
| Dec. 10, 2009 | CA | ABx5 8 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (48 - 25) |
| Dec. 3, 2009 | MI | SB 638 | "Consistent Ineffectiveness" as Grounds for Discharging or Demoting Tenured Teachers | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| Nov. 17, 2009 | MA | S 2205 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 11) |
| Nov. 5, 2009 | WI | SB 371 | Higher Education Student Data System | Bill Passed - House (73 - 20) |
| Nov. 5, 2009 | WI | SB 223 | University of Wisconsin Board of Regents Geographic Composition Requirements | Bill Passed - House (59 - 34) |
| Nov. 5, 2009 | WI | SB 371 | Higher Education Student Data System | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 7) |
| Nov. 5, 2009 | WI | SB 372 | Teacher Evaluation Amendments | Bill Passed - House (47 - 46) |
| Nov. 5, 2009 | WI | SB 372 | Teacher Evaluation Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
| Nov. 5, 2009 | WI | AB 458 | Sex Education Curriculum Requirements | Bill Passed - House (48 - 43) |
| Nov. 3, 2009 | CA | SBx5 1 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| Oct. 8, 2009 | MI | HB 4447 | 2009-2010 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 13) |
| Oct. 8, 2009 | MI | HB 4447 | 2009-2010 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (66 - 42) |
| Sept. 22, 2009 | WI | AB 119 | Requiring Kindergarten for First Grade Enrollment | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15) |
| Sept. 17, 2009 | National | HR 3221 | Prohibiting Federal Assistance to ACORN | Bill Passed - House (253 - 171) |
| Sept. 16, 2009 | WI | AB 119 | Requiring Kindergarten for First Grade Enrollment | Bill Passed - House (53 - 44) |
| Sept. 11, 2009 | CA | SB 19 | Eliminating Prohibition on Utilizing CALTIDES Data to Evaluate Teachers | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 7) |
| Sept. 11, 2009 | CA | SB 19 | Eliminating Prohibition on Utilizing CALTIDES Data to Evaluate Teachers | Bill Passed - House (53 - 20) |
| Sept. 8, 2009 | CA | SB 572 | Harvey Milk Day | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| Sept. 3, 2009 | CA | SB 572 | Harvey Milk Day | Bill Passed - House (46 - 28) |
| Aug. 18, 2009 | AZ | SB 1025 | Tax Law Amendments (Budget Reconciliation) | Bill Passed - House (32 - 15) |
| Aug. 6, 2009 | NY | A 8903-A | Extending City Board Jurisdiction Over New York City Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 8) |
| July 24, 2009 | CA | ABX4 2 | Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Revisions: Education Revisions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 18) |
| July 24, 2009 | CA | ABX4 2 | Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Revisions: Education Revisions | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 6) |
| July 13, 2009 | OH | HB 1 | 2009-2011 Biennium Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (54 - 44) |
| July 13, 2009 | OH | HB 1 | 2009-2011 Biennium Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 15) |
| June 30, 2009 | CA | SB 74 | Deferring Education Funding (2009-2010 Budget Financing) | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| June 30, 2009 | CA | SB 64 | Education Spending Reductions (2009-2010 Budget Financing) | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/24 | SB 1163 | 2010-2011 Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 17) |
| 3/23 | HB 239 | School Principal Selection Process Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 14) |
| 3/22 | SF 2376 | 2010-2011 Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (55 - 44) |
| 3/22 | Amdt 8522 | Allowing Cuts to Teacher Salary Supplement | Amendment Rejected - House (49 - 50) |
| 3/22 | S 1418 | 2010-2011 Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| 3/22 | HB 4886 | Authorizing 4-Day School Week | Bill Passed - House (81 - 21) |
| 3/21 | HR 4872 | Health Care Reconciliation Act | Bill Passed - House (220 - 211) |
| 3/21 | HR 4872 | Health Care Reconciliation Act | Bill Passed - House (220 - 211) |
| 3/17 | Amdt 4 | Deleting an Education Foundation Formula Modification | Amendment Rejected - House (73 - 83) |
| 3/16 | SF 2376 | 2010-2011 Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 20) |
| 3/13 | HB 4652 | School Calendar Committees | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (86 - 12) |
| 3/12 | HB 4652 | School Calendar Committees | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
| 3/11 | SB 737 | Requiring Department of Education Review of Charter School Applications | Bill Passed - House (62 - 34) |
| 3/09 | SB 737 | Requiring Department of Education Review of Charter School Applications | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 12) |
| 3/08 | HB 1240 | Need-Based Education Grant Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
| 3/03 | HB 4685 | Eliminating General Assembly Scholarship Program | Bill Passed - House (80 - 36) |
| 3/01 | HCR 1009 | Urges Changes to the Public School Environmental Curriculum | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (37 - 33) |
| 3/01 | SB 63 | Pilot Charter School | Bill Passed - House (49 - 20) |
| 2/25 | AB 35 | Complaint Process for Race-Based Names, Logos and Mascots of Schools | Bill Passed - House (51 - 42) |
| 2/24 | HCR 1009 | Urges Changes to the Public School Environmental Curriculum | Resolution Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| 2/24 | SB 55 | Authorizing Higher Education Institutions to Authorize Charter Schools | Bill Passed - House (43 - 27) |
| 2/24 | HB 4292 | Changes in Required Magistrate Qualifications | Bill Passed - House (61 - 37) |
| 2/23 | HB 1367 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| 2/23 | HB 1240 | Need-Based Education Grant Fund | Bill Passed - House (64 - 4) |
| 2/17 | HCR 1009 | Urges Changes to the Public School Environmental Curriculum | Resolution Passed - House (36 - 30) |
| 2/17 | HB 150 | Hispanic Education Act | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| 2/16 | HB 231 | Authorizing Education Retirement Board Pension Disclosure | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18) |
| 2/15 | SB 6562 | Expanding State University Tuition Authority | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 19) |
| 2/11 | Jerstad Amdt | Per Student Funding Increase | Amendment Rejected - Senate (17 - 18) |
| 2/10 | HB 150 | Hispanic Education Act | Bill Passed - House (44 - 25) |
| 2/09 | HB 53 | Financial Literacy as School Math Requirement | Bill Passed - House (46 - 22) |
| 2/02 | HB 1367 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (51 - 48) |
| 2/02 | SB 150 | School Year Beginning and Ending Limitations | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 19) |
| 1/28 | AB 458 | Sex Education Curriculum Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| 1/28 | H 4441 | School Nutrition Standards | Bill Passed - House (152 - 4) |
| 1/19 | HF 2030 | School District Budget Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 16) |
| 1/14 | S 2247 | Education Law Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - House (98 - 47) |
| 1/14 | S 2247 | Education Law Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 12) |
| 1/13 | SB 315 | Teacher Evaluation Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (48 - 4) |
| 1/13 | SF 2033 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| 1/12 | SB 315 | Teacher Evaluation Amendments | Bill Passed - House (74 - 37) |
| 1/06 | SBx5 4 | Education Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| 1/06 | SBx5 1 | Education Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 7) |
| 1/05 | SBx5 1 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (45 - 17) |
| 1/05 | SBx5 4 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (41 - 27) |
| 12/17 | HB 318 | Tax Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (54 - 42) |
| 12/17 | HB 318 | Tax Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15) |
| 12/16 | HB 60 | Restrictions on Snack and Beverage Sales in Schools | Bill Passed - House (60 - 37) |
| 12/10 | ABx5 8 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (48 - 25) |
| 12/03 | SB 638 | "Consistent Ineffectiveness" as Grounds for Discharging or Demoting Tenured Teachers | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 13) |
| 11/17 | S 2205 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 11) |
| 11/05 | SB 371 | Higher Education Student Data System | Bill Passed - House (73 - 20) |
| 11/05 | SB 223 | University of Wisconsin Board of Regents Geographic Composition Requirements | Bill Passed - House (59 - 34) |
| 11/05 | SB 371 | Higher Education Student Data System | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 7) |
| 11/05 | SB 372 | Teacher Evaluation Amendments | Bill Passed - House (47 - 46) |
| 11/05 | SB 372 | Teacher Evaluation Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
| 11/05 | AB 458 | Sex Education Curriculum Requirements | Bill Passed - House (48 - 43) |
| 11/03 | SBx5 1 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| 10/08 | HB 4447 | 2009-2010 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 13) |
| 10/08 | HB 4447 | 2009-2010 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (66 - 42) |
| 9/22 | AB 119 | Requiring Kindergarten for First Grade Enrollment | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15) |
| 9/17 | HR 3221 | Prohibiting Federal Assistance to ACORN | Bill Passed - House (253 - 171) |
| 9/16 | AB 119 | Requiring Kindergarten for First Grade Enrollment | Bill Passed - House (53 - 44) |
| 9/11 | SB 19 | Eliminating Prohibition on Utilizing CALTIDES Data to Evaluate Teachers | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 7) |
| 9/11 | SB 19 | Eliminating Prohibition on Utilizing CALTIDES Data to Evaluate Teachers | Bill Passed - House (53 - 20) |
| 9/08 | SB 572 | Harvey Milk Day | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| 9/03 | SB 572 | Harvey Milk Day | Bill Passed - House (46 - 28) |
| 8/18 | SB 1025 | Tax Law Amendments (Budget Reconciliation) | Bill Passed - House (32 - 15) |
| 8/06 | A 8903-A | Extending City Board Jurisdiction Over New York City Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 8) |
| 7/24 | ABX4 2 | Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Revisions: Education Revisions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 18) |
| 7/24 | ABX4 2 | Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Revisions: Education Revisions | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 6) |
| 7/13 | HB 1 | 2009-2011 Biennium Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (54 - 44) |
| 7/13 | HB 1 | 2009-2011 Biennium Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 15) |
| 6/30 | SB 74 | Deferring Education Funding (2009-2010 Budget Financing) | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| 6/30 | SB 64 | Education Spending Reductions (2009-2010 Budget Financing) | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (25 - 14) |