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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |
| July 24, 2009 | CA | ABX4 2 | Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Revisions: Education Revisions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 18) |
| July 13, 2009 | OH | HB 1 | 2009-2011 Biennium Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (54 - 44) |
| June 29, 2009 | OR | SB 767 | Virtual Charter Schools | Conference Report Adopted - House (31 - 29) |
| June 25, 2009 | NJ | S 1175 | Requiring an After School Activity Plan for School Districts with At-Risk Pupils | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (56 - 18) |
| June 25, 2009 | MI | HB 4787 | Restructure and Redefine Failing Schools | Bill Passed - House (70 - 38) |
| June 25, 2009 | NJ | A4141 | Eliminating Non-Operating School Districts | Bill Passed - House (63 - 14) |
| June 25, 2009 | NJ | A 4048 | 2009 Economic Package | Bill Passed - House (50 - 27) |
| June 23, 2009 | NC | SB 526 | Prevention of Bullying and Violence in Schools | Bill Passed - House (58 - 57) |
| June 22, 2009 | OR | SB 5520 | 2009-2011 Supplemental Biennium Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (42 - 17) |
| June 18, 2009 | TN | SB 2133 | Charter School Access Expansion | Bill Passed - House (79 - 15) |
| June 18, 2009 | AZ | HCR 2019 | Ends Affirmative Action | Amendment Adopted - House (32 - 18) |
| June 17, 2009 | NY | A 8903-A | Extending City Board Jurisdiction Over New York City Schools | Bill Passed - House (129 - 18) |
| June 16, 2009 | LA | HB 495 | Aiken Optional School | Bill Passed - House (72 - 23) |
| June 12, 2009 | ME | LD 977 | Repealing School District Consolidation | "Ought Not to Pass" Report Adopted - House (74 - 69) |
| June 9, 2009 | ME | LD 285 | Delay of School District Consolidation Penalties | Bill Passed - House (110 - 36) |
| June 9, 2009 | DE | HB 117 | School Board Elections | Bill Passed - House (23 - 17) |
| June 8, 2009 | LA | HB 872 | Graduate School Tuition Increase | Bill Failed - House (51 - 33) |
| June 5, 2009 | ME | LD 1438 | Allowing Charter Schools | "Ought Not to Pass" Report Rejected - House (65 - 72) |
| June 4, 2009 | LA | HB 687 | Dentistry in Schools | Bill Passed - House (64 - 31) |
| June 3, 2009 | LA | HB 531 | Allowing Home-Schooled Students to Participate in Public School Sports | Bill Passed - House (65 - 35) |
| June 2, 2009 | LA | HB 851 | School Board Operations | Bill Failed - House (46 - 51) |
| May 31, 2009 | TX | SB 956 | Establishing a Public Law School in Dallas | Conference Report Adopted - House (112 - 24) |
| May 30, 2009 | NV | AB 458 | Establishing the K-12 Public Education Stabilization Account | Veto Override Passed - House (36 - 5) |
| May 29, 2009 | OR | HB 2834 | Funding School for Blind | Bill Passed - House (41 - 18) |
| May 28, 2009 | LA | HB 834 | Education Requirements for Marriage and Family Therapists | Bill Passed - House (53 - 40) |
| May 27, 2009 | LA | HB 689 | Louisiana Statewide Education Facilities Fund | Bill Passed - House (60 - 24) |
| May 27, 2009 | AZ | HB 2001 | Scholarships for Disabled or Displaced Students | Bill Passed - House (35 - 25) |
| May 26, 2009 | TX | SB 175 | Capping Automatic College Admissions | Bill Passed - House (123 - 20) |
| May 19, 2009 | LA | HB 504 | Jefferson Parish School Board Elections | Bill Passed - House (63 - 26) |
| May 18, 2009 | MN | SF 971 | School Anti-Bullying Policy Requirements | Bill Passed - House (95 - 39) |
| May 14, 2009 | MO | SB 291 | Education Provision Modifications | Bill Passed - House (110 - 46) |
| May 13, 2009 | AZ | HB 2028 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (33 - 25) |
| May 8, 2009 | FL | SB 788 | Gambling Expansion | Conference Report Adopted - House (82 - 35) |
| May 7, 2009 | TN | SB 433 | Homeschool Diplomas | Bill Passed - House (61 - 27) |
| May 7, 2009 | ID | H 374 | Allowing Diversion of Funds to Virtual Education | Bill Passed - House (49 - 15) |
| May 6, 2009 | MI | HB 4785 | Job Training Program Benefits and Security | Bill Passed - House (68 - 39) |
| May 4, 2009 | ND | SB 2003 | 2009-2011 Biennuim Higher Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (70 - 24) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |
| 7/24 | ABX4 2 | Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Revisions: Education Revisions | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 18) |
| 7/13 | HB 1 | 2009-2011 Biennium Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (54 - 44) |
| 6/29 | SB 767 | Virtual Charter Schools | Conference Report Adopted - House (31 - 29) |
| 6/25 | S 1175 | Requiring an After School Activity Plan for School Districts with At-Risk Pupils | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (56 - 18) |
| 6/25 | HB 4787 | Restructure and Redefine Failing Schools | Bill Passed - House (70 - 38) |
| 6/25 | A4141 | Eliminating Non-Operating School Districts | Bill Passed - House (63 - 14) |
| 6/25 | A 4048 | 2009 Economic Package | Bill Passed - House (50 - 27) |
| 6/23 | SB 526 | Prevention of Bullying and Violence in Schools | Bill Passed - House (58 - 57) |
| 6/22 | SB 5520 | 2009-2011 Supplemental Biennium Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (42 - 17) |
| 6/18 | SB 2133 | Charter School Access Expansion | Bill Passed - House (79 - 15) |
| 6/18 | HCR 2019 | Ends Affirmative Action | Amendment Adopted - House (32 - 18) |
| 6/17 | A 8903-A | Extending City Board Jurisdiction Over New York City Schools | Bill Passed - House (129 - 18) |
| 6/16 | HB 495 | Aiken Optional School | Bill Passed - House (72 - 23) |
| 6/12 | LD 977 | Repealing School District Consolidation | "Ought Not to Pass" Report Adopted - House (74 - 69) |
| 6/09 | LD 285 | Delay of School District Consolidation Penalties | Bill Passed - House (110 - 36) |
| 6/09 | HB 117 | School Board Elections | Bill Passed - House (23 - 17) |
| 6/08 | HB 872 | Graduate School Tuition Increase | Bill Failed - House (51 - 33) |
| 6/05 | LD 1438 | Allowing Charter Schools | "Ought Not to Pass" Report Rejected - House (65 - 72) |
| 6/04 | HB 687 | Dentistry in Schools | Bill Passed - House (64 - 31) |
| 6/03 | HB 531 | Allowing Home-Schooled Students to Participate in Public School Sports | Bill Passed - House (65 - 35) |
| 6/02 | HB 851 | School Board Operations | Bill Failed - House (46 - 51) |
| 5/31 | SB 956 | Establishing a Public Law School in Dallas | Conference Report Adopted - House (112 - 24) |
| 5/30 | AB 458 | Establishing the K-12 Public Education Stabilization Account | Veto Override Passed - House (36 - 5) |
| 5/29 | HB 2834 | Funding School for Blind | Bill Passed - House (41 - 18) |
| 5/28 | HB 834 | Education Requirements for Marriage and Family Therapists | Bill Passed - House (53 - 40) |
| 5/27 | HB 689 | Louisiana Statewide Education Facilities Fund | Bill Passed - House (60 - 24) |
| 5/27 | HB 2001 | Scholarships for Disabled or Displaced Students | Bill Passed - House (35 - 25) |
| 5/26 | SB 175 | Capping Automatic College Admissions | Bill Passed - House (123 - 20) |
| 5/19 | HB 504 | Jefferson Parish School Board Elections | Bill Passed - House (63 - 26) |
| 5/18 | SF 971 | School Anti-Bullying Policy Requirements | Bill Passed - House (95 - 39) |
| 5/14 | SB 291 | Education Provision Modifications | Bill Passed - House (110 - 46) |
| 5/13 | HB 2028 | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (33 - 25) |
| 5/08 | SB 788 | Gambling Expansion | Conference Report Adopted - House (82 - 35) |
| 5/07 | SB 433 | Homeschool Diplomas | Bill Passed - House (61 - 27) |
| 5/07 | H 374 | Allowing Diversion of Funds to Virtual Education | Bill Passed - House (49 - 15) |
| 5/06 | HB 4785 | Job Training Program Benefits and Security | Bill Passed - House (68 - 39) |
| 5/04 | SB 2003 | 2009-2011 Biennuim Higher Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (70 - 24) |