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. 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 | UT | HB 295 | Policies for Electronic Devices at School | Bill Failed - House (33 - 37) |
| Feb. 18, 2008 | CO | HB 1186 | Amending Public School Performance Ratings | Bill Passed - House (53 - 11) |
| 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 | NM | SB 34 | New Mexico School for the Arts | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 6) |
| Feb. 4, 2008 | SD | HB 1261 | Firearm Possession on College Campuses | Bill Passed - House (63 - 3) |
| Jan. 31, 2008 | MS | HB 513 | Funding for K-12 Education and Related Activities | Bill Passed - House (95 - 26) |
| Jan. 31, 2008 | GA | HB 881 | Georgia Charter Schools Commission | Bill Passed - House (119 - 48) |
| 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) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 295 | Policies for Electronic Devices at School | Bill Failed - House (33 - 37) |
| 2/18 | HB 1186 | Amending Public School Performance Ratings | Bill Passed - House (53 - 11) |
| 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 | SB 34 | New Mexico School for the Arts | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 6) |
| 2/04 | HB 1261 | Firearm Possession on College Campuses | Bill Passed - House (63 - 3) |
| 1/31 | HB 513 | Funding for K-12 Education and Related Activities | Bill Passed - House (95 - 26) |
| 1/31 | HB 881 | Georgia Charter Schools Commission | Bill Passed - House (119 - 48) |
| 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) |