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
Feb. 11, 2011 ND HB 1470 Higher Education Tuition Bill Failed - House (41 - 51)
Feb. 8, 2011 IN HB 1002 Charter School Amendments Bill Passed - House (59 - 37)
Feb. 8, 2011 VA HB 1465 Excludes Undocumented Immigrants from Public Universities Bill Passed - House (75 - 24)
Feb. 8, 2011 WY HB 204 Patriotism in the Classroom Bill Passed - House (52 - 5)
Feb. 8, 2011 VA HB 2314 Education Improvement Scholarships Bill Passed - House (54 - 45)
Feb. 7, 2011 ID HJM 1 Parental Rights Amendment Joint Resolution Passed - House (49 - 20)
Feb. 1, 2011 VA HJ 593 Free Exercise of Religion Amendment Adopted - House (61 - 33)
Feb. 1, 2011 AR HB 1049 Prohibit Cell Phone Use in School Zones Bill Passed - House (53 - 41)
Jan. 31, 2011 AR HB 1049 Prohibit Cell Phone Use in School Zones Bill Failed - House (46 - 47)
Dec. 8, 2010 National HR 5281 DREAM Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (216 - 198)
Nov. 15, 2010 PA HB 101 Education Law Amendments Veto Override Passed - House (171 - 24)
Nov. 15, 2010 PA HB 2497 Amends State Employee Pension System Concurrence Vote Passed - House (165 - 31)
Sept. 15, 2010 MI SB 1151 Community College Appropriations Conference Report Adopted - House (56 - 49)
Aug. 31, 2010 CA SB 1381 Increasing Age Requirements for Kindergarten and First Grade Bill Passed - House (51 - 18)
Aug. 30, 2010 CA SB 1317 Parental Crime for Chronic Truancy Bill Passed - House (58 - 17)
Aug. 26, 2010 CA SB 1413 Requiring Free Drinking Water in Public School Cafeterias Bill Passed - House (52 - 22)
Aug. 25, 2010 MI HB 6086 2009-2010 Budget Amendments Bill Passed - House (57 - 47)
Aug. 23, 2010 CA SB 970 College Vote-by-Mail Drop-Off Locations Bill Passed - House (48 - 28)
Aug. 10, 2010 National HR 1586 Aid To States for Medicaid, Teacher Employment, and Other Purposes Concurrence Vote Passed - House (247 - 161)
June 28, 2010 NJ S 2094 Limiting State Alternate Benefit Program for Higher Education Faculty Bill Passed - House (41 - 36)
June 23, 2010 PA HB 704 Special Education Funding Bill Passed - House (173 - 25)
June 20, 2010 LA HB 519 Limiting "Retire-Rehire" Benefits in Public Schools Concurrence Vote Passed - House (71 - 19)
June 20, 2010 LA HB 1171 Standards for Colleges and Universities Concurrence Vote Passed - House (74 - 23)
June 18, 2010 LA SB 584 Louisiana Statewide Education Facilities Authority Bill Passed - House (75 - 23)
June 18, 2010 NY A 9709 Omnibus Appropriations Bill Passed - House (79 - 52)
Date No. Title Outcome
2/11 HB 1470 Higher Education Tuition Bill Failed - House (41 - 51)
2/08 HB 1002 Charter School Amendments Bill Passed - House (59 - 37)
2/08 HB 1465 Excludes Undocumented Immigrants from Public Universities Bill Passed - House (75 - 24)
2/08 HB 204 Patriotism in the Classroom Bill Passed - House (52 - 5)
2/08 HB 2314 Education Improvement Scholarships Bill Passed - House (54 - 45)
2/07 HJM 1 Parental Rights Amendment Joint Resolution Passed - House (49 - 20)
2/01 HJ 593 Free Exercise of Religion Amendment Adopted - House (61 - 33)
2/01 HB 1049 Prohibit Cell Phone Use in School Zones Bill Passed - House (53 - 41)
1/31 HB 1049 Prohibit Cell Phone Use in School Zones Bill Failed - House (46 - 47)
12/08 HR 5281 DREAM Act Concurrence Vote Passed - House (216 - 198)
11/15 HB 101 Education Law Amendments Veto Override Passed - House (171 - 24)
11/15 HB 2497 Amends State Employee Pension System Concurrence Vote Passed - House (165 - 31)
9/15 SB 1151 Community College Appropriations Conference Report Adopted - House (56 - 49)
8/31 SB 1381 Increasing Age Requirements for Kindergarten and First Grade Bill Passed - House (51 - 18)
8/30 SB 1317 Parental Crime for Chronic Truancy Bill Passed - House (58 - 17)
8/26 SB 1413 Requiring Free Drinking Water in Public School Cafeterias Bill Passed - House (52 - 22)
8/25 HB 6086 2009-2010 Budget Amendments Bill Passed - House (57 - 47)
8/23 SB 970 College Vote-by-Mail Drop-Off Locations Bill Passed - House (48 - 28)
8/10 HR 1586 Aid To States for Medicaid, Teacher Employment, and Other Purposes Concurrence Vote Passed - House (247 - 161)
6/28 S 2094 Limiting State Alternate Benefit Program for Higher Education Faculty Bill Passed - House (41 - 36)
6/23 HB 704 Special Education Funding Bill Passed - House (173 - 25)
6/20 HB 519 Limiting "Retire-Rehire" Benefits in Public Schools Concurrence Vote Passed - House (71 - 19)
6/20 HB 1171 Standards for Colleges and Universities Concurrence Vote Passed - House (74 - 23)
6/18 SB 584 Louisiana Statewide Education Facilities Authority Bill Passed - House (75 - 23)
6/18 A 9709 Omnibus Appropriations Bill Passed - House (79 - 52)

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