Key Votes

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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 5, 2012 LA HB 974 Amends Teacher Tenure Policy Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 43)
April 5, 2012 MD HB 373 Raises the Dropout Age for Public School Students Bill Passed - House (88 - 49)
April 2, 2012 MN HF 2083 Requires State Reserve Funds to be Used to Reduce School Debt Conference Report Adopted - House (75 - 56)
March 29, 2012 GA HB 797 Establishes a State Charter School Commission Concurrence Vote Passed - House (117 - 55)
March 29, 2012 GA SB 410 Requires Numerical School Ratings Based on Student Performance Bill Passed - House (94 - 67)
March 29, 2012 NH HB 1607 Establishes a Tax Credit for Businesses that Donate to Certain Scholarship Funds Bill Passed - House (173 - 127)
March 29, 2012 SC H 4894 Authorizes Income Tax Credit for Tuition Payments Bill Passed - House (62 - 38)
March 29, 2012 IL HB 5531 Limits Tuition Waivers for State University Employees Bill Failed - House (26 - 75)
March 28, 2012 IL HB 5290 Requires Schools to Establish Bullying Policies Bill Passed - House (61 - 49)
March 27, 2012 LA HB 969 Establishes Tax Deductions for Donating to Scholarship Programs Bill Passed - House (66 - 37)
March 26, 2012 TN HB 368 Scientific Theories in the Classroom Concurrence Vote Passed - House (72 - 23)
March 23, 2012 ID H 426 Establishes a Program for High School Students to Obtain an Associate's Degree Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 6)
March 23, 2012 ID H 426 Establishes a Program for High School Students to Obtain an Associate's Degree Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 6)
March 23, 2012 LA HB 974 Amends Teacher Tenure Policy Bill Passed - House (64 - 40)
March 22, 2012 LA HB 976 Amends School Voucher Program Bill Passed - House (62 - 43)
March 21, 2012 IL HB 3810 Eliminates General Assembly Scholarships Bill Passed - House (79 - 25)
March 15, 2012 OK HB 1551 Authorizes the Instruction of Various Scientific Theories Bill Passed - House (56 - 12)
March 15, 2012 MN HF 2083 Requires State Reserve Funds to be Used to Reduce School Debt Bill Passed - House (74 - 59)
March 15, 2012 MD HB 650 Reduces Prison Sentences for Inmates Seeking Education Bill Passed - House (81 - 54)
March 14, 2012 MS HB 638 Authorizes Prayer in Schools Bill Passed - House (93 - 24)
March 13, 2012 WI SB 237 Amending Sexual Education Guidelines Bill Passed - House (60 - 34)
March 13, 2012 IA HF 2380 Amends Education Provisions Bill Passed - House (53 - 46)
March 13, 2012 IA HF 2385 Authorizes Professionals to Teach Certain High School Courses Bill Passed - House (61 - 36)
March 13, 2012 IA HF 2380 Amends Education Provisions Bill Passed - House (53 - 46)
March 9, 2012 FL HB 5001 2012-2013 Budget Conference Report Adopted - House (80 - 37)
Date No. Title Outcome
4/05 HB 974 Amends Teacher Tenure Policy Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 43)
4/05 HB 373 Raises the Dropout Age for Public School Students Bill Passed - House (88 - 49)
4/02 HF 2083 Requires State Reserve Funds to be Used to Reduce School Debt Conference Report Adopted - House (75 - 56)
3/29 HB 797 Establishes a State Charter School Commission Concurrence Vote Passed - House (117 - 55)
3/29 SB 410 Requires Numerical School Ratings Based on Student Performance Bill Passed - House (94 - 67)
3/29 HB 1607 Establishes a Tax Credit for Businesses that Donate to Certain Scholarship Funds Bill Passed - House (173 - 127)
3/29 H 4894 Authorizes Income Tax Credit for Tuition Payments Bill Passed - House (62 - 38)
3/29 HB 5531 Limits Tuition Waivers for State University Employees Bill Failed - House (26 - 75)
3/28 HB 5290 Requires Schools to Establish Bullying Policies Bill Passed - House (61 - 49)
3/27 HB 969 Establishes Tax Deductions for Donating to Scholarship Programs Bill Passed - House (66 - 37)
3/26 HB 368 Scientific Theories in the Classroom Concurrence Vote Passed - House (72 - 23)
3/23 H 426 Establishes a Program for High School Students to Obtain an Associate's Degree Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 6)
3/23 H 426 Establishes a Program for High School Students to Obtain an Associate's Degree Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 6)
3/23 HB 974 Amends Teacher Tenure Policy Bill Passed - House (64 - 40)
3/22 HB 976 Amends School Voucher Program Bill Passed - House (62 - 43)
3/21 HB 3810 Eliminates General Assembly Scholarships Bill Passed - House (79 - 25)
3/15 HB 1551 Authorizes the Instruction of Various Scientific Theories Bill Passed - House (56 - 12)
3/15 HF 2083 Requires State Reserve Funds to be Used to Reduce School Debt Bill Passed - House (74 - 59)
3/15 HB 650 Reduces Prison Sentences for Inmates Seeking Education Bill Passed - House (81 - 54)
3/14 HB 638 Authorizes Prayer in Schools Bill Passed - House (93 - 24)
3/13 SB 237 Amending Sexual Education Guidelines Bill Passed - House (60 - 34)
3/13 HF 2380 Amends Education Provisions Bill Passed - House (53 - 46)
3/13 HF 2385 Authorizes Professionals to Teach Certain High School Courses Bill Passed - House (61 - 36)
3/13 HF 2380 Amends Education Provisions Bill Passed - House (53 - 46)
3/09 HB 5001 2012-2013 Budget Conference Report Adopted - House (80 - 37)

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