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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 25, 2009 | NJ | A 4048 | 2009 Economic Package | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| June 25, 2009 | NJ | A4141 | Eliminating Non-Operating School Districts | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| June 24, 2009 | NC | HB 442 | Regulating the Use of Corporal Punishment in Schools | Bill Failed - Senate (21 - 25) |
| June 24, 2009 | MI | HB 4447 | 2009-2010 Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| June 23, 2009 | MI | HB 4441 | 2009-2010 Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 17) |
| June 22, 2009 | AZ | HCR 2019 | Ends Affirmative Action | Amendment Adopted - Senate (17 - 11) |
| June 19, 2009 | OR | SB 5520 | 2009-2011 Supplemental Biennium Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 6) |
| June 18, 2009 | LA | HB 531 | Allowing Home-Schooled Students to Participate in Public School Sports | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| June 17, 2009 | LA | HB 689 | Louisiana Statewide Education Facilities Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 6) |
| June 15, 2009 | LA | HB 504 | Jefferson Parish School Board Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| June 10, 2009 | OR | HB 2834 | Funding School for Blind | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| June 8, 2009 | ME | LD 1438 | Allowing Charter Schools | "Ought Not to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 14) |
| June 4, 2009 | ME | LD 977 | Repealing School District Consolidation | "Ought Not to Pass" Report Rejected - Senate (16 - 19) |
| June 3, 2009 | OH | HB 1 | 2009-2011 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11) |
| June 3, 2009 | NY | S 2020 | SUNY Buffalo Education Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 17) |
| June 1, 2009 | NV | AB 458 | Establishing the K-12 Public Education Stabilization Account | Veto Override Failed - Senate (12 - 9) |
| May 31, 2009 | IL | SB 612 | Raising the Cap on Charter Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (45 - 10) |
| May 27, 2009 | AZ | HB 2001 | Scholarships for Disabled or Displaced Students | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 11) |
| May 27, 2009 | OR | HB 2599 | Expanding School Bullying Law | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 2) |
| May 26, 2009 | CA | SB 219 | Extending Whistle-Blower Protection to UC Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| May 18, 2009 | OR | HB 2509 | Sexual Education | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9) |
| May 14, 2009 | CA | SB 572 | Harvey Milk Day | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| May 13, 2009 | AZ | HB 2028 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 8) |
| May 8, 2009 | FL | SB 788 | Gambling Expansion | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 9) |
| May 8, 2009 | ID | H 374 | Allowing Diversion of Funds to Virtual Education | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/25 | A 4048 | 2009 Economic Package | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| 6/25 | A4141 | Eliminating Non-Operating School Districts | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| 6/24 | HB 442 | Regulating the Use of Corporal Punishment in Schools | Bill Failed - Senate (21 - 25) |
| 6/24 | HB 4447 | 2009-2010 Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 6/23 | HB 4441 | 2009-2010 Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 17) |
| 6/22 | HCR 2019 | Ends Affirmative Action | Amendment Adopted - Senate (17 - 11) |
| 6/19 | SB 5520 | 2009-2011 Supplemental Biennium Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 6) |
| 6/18 | HB 531 | Allowing Home-Schooled Students to Participate in Public School Sports | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| 6/17 | HB 689 | Louisiana Statewide Education Facilities Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 6) |
| 6/15 | HB 504 | Jefferson Parish School Board Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| 6/10 | HB 2834 | Funding School for Blind | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| 6/08 | LD 1438 | Allowing Charter Schools | "Ought Not to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 14) |
| 6/04 | LD 977 | Repealing School District Consolidation | "Ought Not to Pass" Report Rejected - Senate (16 - 19) |
| 6/03 | HB 1 | 2009-2011 Biennium Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11) |
| 6/03 | S 2020 | SUNY Buffalo Education Bill | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 17) |
| 6/01 | AB 458 | Establishing the K-12 Public Education Stabilization Account | Veto Override Failed - Senate (12 - 9) |
| 5/31 | SB 612 | Raising the Cap on Charter Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (45 - 10) |
| 5/27 | HB 2001 | Scholarships for Disabled or Displaced Students | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 11) |
| 5/27 | HB 2599 | Expanding School Bullying Law | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 2) |
| 5/26 | SB 219 | Extending Whistle-Blower Protection to UC Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| 5/18 | HB 2509 | Sexual Education | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9) |
| 5/14 | SB 572 | Harvey Milk Day | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| 5/13 | HB 2028 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 8) |
| 5/08 | SB 788 | Gambling Expansion | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 9) |
| 5/08 | H 374 | Allowing Diversion of Funds to Virtual Education | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9) |