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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 17, 2009 | MN | Limit of 3 Percent on Tuition Increases | Amendment Rejected - Senate (32 - 33) | |
| April 17, 2009 | MN | SF 971 | School Anti-Bullying Policy Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 22) |
| April 17, 2009 | MN | SF 2083 | 2009-2011 Biennium Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 23) |
| April 16, 2009 | MN | Limmer Amdt | Homosexuality in Education | Amendment Rejected - Senate (24 - 37) |
| April 16, 2009 | WA | HB 2261 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
| April 7, 2009 | MN | SF 1328 | 2009-2011 Biennium Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 29) |
| April 6, 2009 | CO | SB 170 | Expanding In-State Tuition Eligibility | Motion Rejected - Senate (16 - 18) |
| April 6, 2009 | ND | HB 1171 | Home School Deregulation | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20) |
| April 6, 2009 | MN | SF 10 | Sharing Services For Schools Districts | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 33) |
| April 3, 2009 | GA | HB 243 | Ending New Enrollment in Bonus Program for Teachers' National Certification | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| March 25, 2009 | TX | SB 175 | Capping Automatic College Admissions | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 7) |
| March 11, 2009 | UT | HB 2 | 2009-2010 Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 9) |
| March 10, 2009 | NV | IP 1 | Lodging Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 5) |
| March 10, 2009 | OK | SB 834 | Increased Local School Board Control | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 21) |
| March 9, 2009 | UT | SB 241 | Instructional Spending Requirements for School Districts | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 17) |
| March 6, 2009 | UT | HB 100 | Prison Education and Medical Financing Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 7) |
| March 4, 2009 | OK | SB 748 | Independent Performance Audit of State Department of Education | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 20) |
| March 4, 2009 | UT | SB 61 | Allowing Home-Schooled Students to Participate in Extracurricular Activities | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 16) |
| March 3, 2009 | OR | SB 581 | 2007-2008, 2008-2009, and 2009-2010 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| March 3, 2009 | OR | SB 5552 | 2007-2009 Biennium Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | VA | HB 1826 | Driver's License Suspension for Unexcused School Absences | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 3) |
| Feb. 24, 2009 | IA | SF 218 | Growth Percentage for State School Foundation Program | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| Feb. 23, 2009 | HI | SB 777 | Requiring Comprehensive Sex Education When Using State Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 3) |
| Feb. 18, 2009 | SD | HB 1171 | Exemptions from School District Minimum Size Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12) |
| Feb. 17, 2009 | SD | SB 106 | School Funding Formula Revision | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| Feb. 13, 2009 | UT | SB 48 | Amending Requirements for Obtaining Teaching Licenses | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10) |
| Feb. 12, 2009 | KS | SB 23 | 2008-2009, 2009-2010, and 2010-2011Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 11) |
| Feb. 10, 2009 | KY | SB 3 | Allowing Early High School Graduation | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| Feb. 9, 2009 | ND | SB 2238 | Higher Education Tuition Increase Limits | Bill Failed - Senate (21 - 22) |
| Feb. 2, 2009 | UT | SB 4 | 2008-2009 Education Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
| Feb. 2, 2009 | MT | SB 81 | Board of Public Education Elections | Bill Failed - Senate (21 - 29) |
| Feb. 2, 2009 | MT | SB 80 | Board of Regents Elections | Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 30) |
| Jan. 30, 2009 | ND | SB 2087 | Secrecy in Public University Hiring | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 15) |
| Jan. 29, 2009 | KS | SB 23 | 2008-2009, 2009-2010, and 2010-2011 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| Jan. 28, 2009 | OR | SB 338 | Authorizing Bonds for Public-Works Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| Jan. 26, 2009 | MS | SB 2664 | Dual Charter School System | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 11) |
| Jan. 14, 2009 | FL | SB 2-A | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 13) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/17 | Limit of 3 Percent on Tuition Increases | Amendment Rejected - Senate (32 - 33) | |
| 4/17 | SF 971 | School Anti-Bullying Policy Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 22) |
| 4/17 | SF 2083 | 2009-2011 Biennium Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 23) |
| 4/16 | Limmer Amdt | Homosexuality in Education | Amendment Rejected - Senate (24 - 37) |
| 4/16 | HB 2261 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
| 4/07 | SF 1328 | 2009-2011 Biennium Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 29) |
| 4/06 | SB 170 | Expanding In-State Tuition Eligibility | Motion Rejected - Senate (16 - 18) |
| 4/06 | HB 1171 | Home School Deregulation | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20) |
| 4/06 | SF 10 | Sharing Services For Schools Districts | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 33) |
| 4/03 | HB 243 | Ending New Enrollment in Bonus Program for Teachers' National Certification | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 17) |
| 3/25 | SB 175 | Capping Automatic College Admissions | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 7) |
| 3/11 | HB 2 | 2009-2010 Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 9) |
| 3/10 | IP 1 | Lodging Tax | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 5) |
| 3/10 | SB 834 | Increased Local School Board Control | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 21) |
| 3/09 | SB 241 | Instructional Spending Requirements for School Districts | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 17) |
| 3/06 | HB 100 | Prison Education and Medical Financing Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 7) |
| 3/04 | SB 748 | Independent Performance Audit of State Department of Education | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 20) |
| 3/04 | SB 61 | Allowing Home-Schooled Students to Participate in Extracurricular Activities | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 16) |
| 3/03 | SB 581 | 2007-2008, 2008-2009, and 2009-2010 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| 3/03 | SB 5552 | 2007-2009 Biennium Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| 2/24 | HB 1826 | Driver's License Suspension for Unexcused School Absences | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 3) |
| 2/24 | SF 218 | Growth Percentage for State School Foundation Program | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 18) |
| 2/23 | SB 777 | Requiring Comprehensive Sex Education When Using State Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 3) |
| 2/18 | HB 1171 | Exemptions from School District Minimum Size Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 12) |
| 2/17 | SB 106 | School Funding Formula Revision | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7) |
| 2/13 | SB 48 | Amending Requirements for Obtaining Teaching Licenses | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10) |
| 2/12 | SB 23 | 2008-2009, 2009-2010, and 2010-2011Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 11) |
| 2/10 | SB 3 | Allowing Early High School Graduation | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 12) |
| 2/09 | SB 2238 | Higher Education Tuition Increase Limits | Bill Failed - Senate (21 - 22) |
| 2/02 | SB 4 | 2008-2009 Education Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 5) |
| 2/02 | SB 81 | Board of Public Education Elections | Bill Failed - Senate (21 - 29) |
| 2/02 | SB 80 | Board of Regents Elections | Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 30) |
| 1/30 | SB 2087 | Secrecy in Public University Hiring | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 15) |
| 1/29 | SB 23 | 2008-2009, 2009-2010, and 2010-2011 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 14) |
| 1/28 | SB 338 | Authorizing Bonds for Public-Works Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
| 1/26 | SB 2664 | Dual Charter School System | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 11) |
| 1/14 | SB 2-A | 2008-2009 Budget Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 13) |