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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 21, 2008 | VA | HB 30 | 2008-2010 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - House (93 - 5) |
| Feb. 20, 2008 | CO | SB 73 | College Textbook Information Disclosure | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 4) |
| Feb. 20, 2008 | KY | HB 396 | HPV Vaccinations for Primary, Secondary and Preschool Students | Bill Passed - House (56 - 37) |
| Feb. 19, 2008 | WI | S Amnd. 1 | Virtual Charter School Enrollment Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (17 - 16) |
| Feb. 19, 2008 | WI | S Amnd. 1 | Virtual Charter School Enrollment Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (16 - 17) |
| Feb. 19, 2008 | WI | SB 396 | Virtual Charter Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| Feb. 18, 2008 | WA | SB 6305 | Use of Federal Sex Education Grants | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 11) |
| Feb. 18, 2008 | CO | HB 1186 | Amending Public School Performance Ratings | Bill Passed - House (53 - 11) |
| Feb. 18, 2008 | UT | HB 295 | Policies for Electronic Devices at School | Bill Failed - House (33 - 37) |
| Feb. 14, 2008 | SD | HB 1124 | Teacher Compensation and Performance | Bill Passed - House (39 - 29) |
| Feb. 13, 2008 | SD | HB 1085 | Constructing Science Facilities at Universities | Bill Passed - House (61 - 6) |
| Feb. 13, 2008 | TN | SB 3419 | Parental Consent for Sexual Abuse Prevention Education | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 6) |
| Feb. 12, 2008 | UT | HB 241 | Restricting In-State Tuition Eligibility | Bill Passed - House (40 - 35) |
| Feb. 12, 2008 | MI | HB 5322 | HPV Information for Schools | Bill Passed - House (90 - 17) |
| Feb. 12, 2008 | MI | SB 415 | HPV Information for Schools | Bill Passed - House (94 - 12) |
| Feb. 11, 2008 | NM | HB 180 | Healthy Food Initiatives Board | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| Feb. 7, 2008 | MA | H 4488 | Education Reorganization | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5) |
| Feb. 7, 2008 | NM | HB 241 | Education Funding Reform | Bill Passed - House (52 - 16) |
| Feb. 7, 2008 | National | HR 4137 | Higher Education Act Amendments and Extensions | Bill Passed - House (354 - 58) |
| Feb. 6, 2008 | MA | H 4488 | Education Reorganization | Bill Passed - House (135 - 19) |
| Feb. 5, 2008 | UT | HB 85 | Teacher Home Loan Program | Bill Passed - House (62 - 7) |
| Feb. 5, 2008 | UT | SB 35 | Salary Supplement for Math and Science Teachers | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 7) |
| Feb. 4, 2008 | SD | HB 1261 | Firearm Possession on College Campuses | Bill Passed - House (63 - 3) |
| Feb. 4, 2008 | NM | SB 34 | New Mexico School for the Arts | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 6) |
| Jan. 31, 2008 | GA | HB 881 | Georgia Charter Schools Commission | Bill Passed - House (119 - 48) |
| Jan. 31, 2008 | MS | HB 513 | Funding for K-12 Education and Related Activities | Bill Passed - House (95 - 26) |
| Jan. 31, 2008 | SC | H 4400 | Immigration Bill | Bill Passed - House (80 - 13) |
| Jan. 30, 2008 | CA | SB 908 | Global Warming Education in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| Jan. 30, 2008 | KY | SB 112 | Restricting Public Employee Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5) |
| Jan. 29, 2008 | IN | HB 1210 | Teacher Certification | Bill Passed - House (67 - 29) |
| Jan. 22, 2008 | IN | Amnd. 72 | School Construction Exemption | Amendment Adopted - House (49 - 44) |
| Jan. 22, 2008 | SD | SB 26 | State Regulation of Preschools | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| Jan. 7, 2008 | NJ | A 500 | Education Funding Reform | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| Jan. 7, 2008 | NJ | A 500 | Education Funding Reform | Bill Passed - House (41 - 37) |
| Dec. 18, 2007 | National | HR 2764 | Inclusion of Iraq and Afghanistan Military Operations Funding with the Consolidated Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (76 - 17) |
| Dec. 17, 2007 | National | HR 2764 | Appropriations for Operations in Afghanistan | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (206 - 201) |
| Dec. 13, 2007 | MI | HB 5375 | Promise Zones | Bill Passed - House (71 - 34) |
| Nov. 20, 2007 | MI | HB 5408 | Michigan Business Tax Surcharge | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| Nov. 19, 2007 | MD | HB 1 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (100 - 33) |
| Nov. 19, 2007 | MD | HB 1 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 13) |
| Nov. 14, 2007 | National | HR 1429 | Head Start Act of 2007 | Conference Report Adopted - House (381 - 36) |
| Nov. 13, 2007 | MD | HB 1 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (103 - 36) |
| Nov. 8, 2007 | WI | SB 299 | School Tax Credit Formula | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| Nov. 8, 2007 | MI | HB 5408 | Michigan Business Tax Surcharge | Bill Passed - House (58 - 48) |
| Oct. 30, 2007 | MI | S Sub for Sub HB 4359 | 2007-2008 Public School Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (104 - 5) |
| Oct. 30, 2007 | MI | S Sub for Sub HB 4346 | 2007-2008 Department of Education Funding | Conference Report Adopted - House (93 - 16) |
| Oct. 30, 2007 | MI | S Sub for Sub HB 4360 | 2007-2008 Community College and Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (36 - 2) |
| Oct. 29, 2007 | MI | SB 231 | 2007-2008 Department of Art, History, and Library Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (102 - 7) |
| Oct. 29, 2007 | MI | SB 231 | 2007-2008 Department of Art, History, and Library Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (36 - 2) |
| Oct. 29, 2007 | MI | S Sub for Sub HB 4350 | 2007-2008 Higher Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (87 - 22) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/21 | HB 30 | 2008-2010 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - House (93 - 5) |
| 2/20 | SB 73 | College Textbook Information Disclosure | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 4) |
| 2/20 | HB 396 | HPV Vaccinations for Primary, Secondary and Preschool Students | Bill Passed - House (56 - 37) |
| 2/19 | S Amnd. 1 | Virtual Charter School Enrollment Amendment | Amendment Adopted - Senate (17 - 16) |
| 2/19 | S Amnd. 1 | Virtual Charter School Enrollment Amendment | Amendment Rejected - Senate (16 - 17) |
| 2/19 | SB 396 | Virtual Charter Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15) |
| 2/18 | SB 6305 | Use of Federal Sex Education Grants | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 11) |
| 2/18 | HB 1186 | Amending Public School Performance Ratings | Bill Passed - House (53 - 11) |
| 2/18 | HB 295 | Policies for Electronic Devices at School | Bill Failed - House (33 - 37) |
| 2/14 | HB 1124 | Teacher Compensation and Performance | Bill Passed - House (39 - 29) |
| 2/13 | HB 1085 | Constructing Science Facilities at Universities | Bill Passed - House (61 - 6) |
| 2/13 | SB 3419 | Parental Consent for Sexual Abuse Prevention Education | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 6) |
| 2/12 | HB 241 | Restricting In-State Tuition Eligibility | Bill Passed - House (40 - 35) |
| 2/12 | HB 5322 | HPV Information for Schools | Bill Passed - House (90 - 17) |
| 2/12 | SB 415 | HPV Information for Schools | Bill Passed - House (94 - 12) |
| 2/11 | HB 180 | Healthy Food Initiatives Board | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| 2/07 | H 4488 | Education Reorganization | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 5) |
| 2/07 | HB 241 | Education Funding Reform | Bill Passed - House (52 - 16) |
| 2/07 | HR 4137 | Higher Education Act Amendments and Extensions | Bill Passed - House (354 - 58) |
| 2/06 | H 4488 | Education Reorganization | Bill Passed - House (135 - 19) |
| 2/05 | HB 85 | Teacher Home Loan Program | Bill Passed - House (62 - 7) |
| 2/05 | SB 35 | Salary Supplement for Math and Science Teachers | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 7) |
| 2/04 | HB 1261 | Firearm Possession on College Campuses | Bill Passed - House (63 - 3) |
| 2/04 | SB 34 | New Mexico School for the Arts | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 6) |
| 1/31 | HB 881 | Georgia Charter Schools Commission | Bill Passed - House (119 - 48) |
| 1/31 | HB 513 | Funding for K-12 Education and Related Activities | Bill Passed - House (95 - 26) |
| 1/31 | H 4400 | Immigration Bill | Bill Passed - House (80 - 13) |
| 1/30 | SB 908 | Global Warming Education in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
| 1/30 | SB 112 | Restricting Public Employee Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 5) |
| 1/29 | HB 1210 | Teacher Certification | Bill Passed - House (67 - 29) |
| 1/22 | Amnd. 72 | School Construction Exemption | Amendment Adopted - House (49 - 44) |
| 1/22 | SB 26 | State Regulation of Preschools | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| 1/07 | A 500 | Education Funding Reform | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| 1/07 | A 500 | Education Funding Reform | Bill Passed - House (41 - 37) |
| 12/18 | HR 2764 | Inclusion of Iraq and Afghanistan Military Operations Funding with the Consolidated Appropriations | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (76 - 17) |
| 12/17 | HR 2764 | Appropriations for Operations in Afghanistan | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (206 - 201) |
| 12/13 | HB 5375 | Promise Zones | Bill Passed - House (71 - 34) |
| 11/20 | HB 5408 | Michigan Business Tax Surcharge | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| 11/19 | HB 1 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (100 - 33) |
| 11/19 | HB 1 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 13) |
| 11/14 | HR 1429 | Head Start Act of 2007 | Conference Report Adopted - House (381 - 36) |
| 11/13 | HB 1 | 2007-2008 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (103 - 36) |
| 11/08 | SB 299 | School Tax Credit Formula | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| 11/08 | HB 5408 | Michigan Business Tax Surcharge | Bill Passed - House (58 - 48) |
| 10/30 | S Sub for Sub HB 4359 | 2007-2008 Public School Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (104 - 5) |
| 10/30 | S Sub for Sub HB 4346 | 2007-2008 Department of Education Funding | Conference Report Adopted - House (93 - 16) |
| 10/30 | S Sub for Sub HB 4360 | 2007-2008 Community College and Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (36 - 2) |
| 10/29 | SB 231 | 2007-2008 Department of Art, History, and Library Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (102 - 7) |
| 10/29 | SB 231 | 2007-2008 Department of Art, History, and Library Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (36 - 2) |
| 10/29 | S Sub for Sub HB 4350 | 2007-2008 Higher Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (87 - 22) |