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 3, 2011 | TX | SB 1 | 2011-2013 Biennium Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
| June 1, 2011 | CT | SB 1152 | Funding for Construction at the University of Connecticut Health Center | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
| May 30, 2011 | NV | AB 136 | Governing Credits for Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10) |
| May 28, 2011 | TX | HB 1 | 2011-2013 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 11) |
| May 26, 2011 | MI | HB 4325 | Education Appropriations for 2011-2013 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 17) |
| May 25, 2011 | LA | SB 6 | Teacher Retirement | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 19) |
| May 24, 2011 | CT | HB 6390 | Access to Postsecondary Education | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| May 23, 2011 | TX | HB 359 | Corporal Punishment in Public Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 2) |
| May 20, 2011 | TN | SB 113 | Teachers' Unions Negotiations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 12) |
| May 20, 2011 | TN | SB 49 | Prohibits Instruction of Non-Heterosexual Human Sexuality in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 10) |
| May 12, 2011 | MI | HB 4481 | Public School Employees' Pension and Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 19) |
| May 11, 2011 | PA | SB 612 | Guidelines for Teacher Suspension | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 12) |
| May 10, 2011 | NV | AB 568 | 2011-2013 Education Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10) |
| May 9, 2011 | TX | SB 1581 | Concealed Handguns on Campus | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11) |
| May 5, 2011 | VT | H 436 | Tax Law Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 10) |
| May 4, 2011 | TX | HB 1 | 2011-2013 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
| May 4, 2011 | IL | SB 2185 | Establishes the DREAM Fund Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 11) |
| May 2, 2011 | TN | SB 113 | Teachers' Unions Negotiations | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
| April 28, 2011 | MT | SB 329 | Oil and Natural Gas Revenue for Schools | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 19) |
| April 21, 2011 | IN | HB 1003 | School Vouchers | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 22) |
| April 21, 2011 | TN | SB 485 | Equal Opportunity Scholarship Act | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10) |
| April 19, 2011 | IN | SB 575 | Collective Bargaining for School Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 19) |
| April 18, 2011 | CO | SB 126 | In-State Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| April 14, 2011 | CA | SB 48 | Requires Teaching Gay History | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| April 13, 2011 | AZ | HB 2415 | Punishment Guidelines for Bullying in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 8) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/03 | SB 1 | 2011-2013 Biennium Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
| 6/01 | SB 1152 | Funding for Construction at the University of Connecticut Health Center | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
| 5/30 | AB 136 | Governing Credits for Offenders | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10) |
| 5/28 | HB 1 | 2011-2013 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 11) |
| 5/26 | HB 4325 | Education Appropriations for 2011-2013 | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 17) |
| 5/25 | SB 6 | Teacher Retirement | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 19) |
| 5/24 | HB 6390 | Access to Postsecondary Education | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| 5/23 | HB 359 | Corporal Punishment in Public Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 2) |
| 5/20 | SB 113 | Teachers' Unions Negotiations | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (19 - 12) |
| 5/20 | SB 49 | Prohibits Instruction of Non-Heterosexual Human Sexuality in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 10) |
| 5/12 | HB 4481 | Public School Employees' Pension and Tax Exemption | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 19) |
| 5/11 | SB 612 | Guidelines for Teacher Suspension | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 12) |
| 5/10 | AB 568 | 2011-2013 Education Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (11 - 10) |
| 5/09 | SB 1581 | Concealed Handguns on Campus | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 11) |
| 5/05 | H 436 | Tax Law Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 10) |
| 5/04 | HB 1 | 2011-2013 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
| 5/04 | SB 2185 | Establishes the DREAM Fund Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 11) |
| 5/02 | SB 113 | Teachers' Unions Negotiations | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 14) |
| 4/28 | SB 329 | Oil and Natural Gas Revenue for Schools | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 19) |
| 4/21 | HB 1003 | School Vouchers | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 22) |
| 4/21 | SB 485 | Equal Opportunity Scholarship Act | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 10) |
| 4/19 | SB 575 | Collective Bargaining for School Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 19) |
| 4/18 | SB 126 | In-State Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 4/14 | SB 48 | Requires Teaching Gay History | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 14) |
| 4/13 | HB 2415 | Punishment Guidelines for Bullying in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 8) |