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. 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 | 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. 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) |
| Jan. 28, 2010 | MA | H 4441 | School Nutrition Standards | Bill Passed - House (152 - 4) |
| Jan. 14, 2010 | MA | S 2247 | Education Law Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - House (98 - 47) |
| Jan. 12, 2010 | IL | SB 315 | Teacher Evaluation Amendments | Bill Passed - House (74 - 37) |
| 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. 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) |
| 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 - House (73 - 20) |
| Nov. 5, 2009 | WI | SB 372 | Teacher Evaluation Amendments | Bill Passed - House (47 - 46) |
| Nov. 5, 2009 | WI | AB 458 | Sex Education Curriculum Requirements | Bill Passed - House (48 - 43) |
| Oct. 8, 2009 | MI | HB 4447 | 2009-2010 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (66 - 42) |
| 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 | Bill Passed - House (53 - 20) |
| 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) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 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) |
| 2/10 | 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) |
| 1/28 | H 4441 | School Nutrition Standards | Bill Passed - House (152 - 4) |
| 1/14 | S 2247 | Education Law Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - House (98 - 47) |
| 1/12 | SB 315 | Teacher Evaluation Amendments | Bill Passed - House (74 - 37) |
| 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) |
| 12/16 | 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) |
| 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 - House (73 - 20) |
| 11/05 | SB 372 | Teacher Evaluation Amendments | Bill Passed - House (47 - 46) |
| 11/05 | AB 458 | Sex Education Curriculum Requirements | Bill Passed - House (48 - 43) |
| 10/08 | HB 4447 | 2009-2010 Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (66 - 42) |
| 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 | Bill Passed - House (53 - 20) |
| 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) |