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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 10, 2011 | TN | SB 1528 | Amends Requirements for Teacher Tenure | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| March 10, 2011 | FL | SB 736 | Public School Evaluation Procedures | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| March 9, 2011 | UT | HB 183 | School District Leave Policies | Conference Report Adopted - House (42 - 28) |
| March 9, 2011 | UT | SB 73 | Public School Teacher Tenure Modifications | Bill Passed - House (45 - 28) |
| March 8, 2011 | UT | HB 183 | School District Leave Policies | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 7) |
| March 8, 2011 | NM | HB 172 | Prohibiting Corporal Punishment as School Discipline | Bill Passed - House (36 - 31) |
| March 7, 2011 | AZ | HB 2415 | Punishment Guidelines for Bullying in Schools | Bill Passed - House (38 - 21) |
| March 4, 2011 | ID | H 104a | Teacher Union Activities | Bill Passed - House (55 - 14) |
| March 3, 2011 | NV | AB 183 | Revising Payment for Outstanding Bonds in School Districts | Bill Passed - House (25 - 16) |
| March 3, 2011 | MN | SF 40 | Amends Licensing and Codes for Education | Conference Report Adopted - House (81 - 50) |
| March 3, 2011 | MN | SF 40 | Amends Licensing and Codes for Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (46 - 19) |
| March 3, 2011 | UT | HB 301 | School District Property Tax Revisions | Bill Passed - House (39 - 31) |
| March 2, 2011 | UT | SB 65 | Statewide Online Education Program | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12) |
| March 2, 2011 | WV | HB 2879 | One-Time Pay Raise for State Employees | Bill Passed - House (78 - 22) |
| March 1, 2011 | UT | SB 65 | Statewide Online Education Program | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 10) |
| Feb. 24, 2011 | NC | SB 8 | Repeal on the Number of Charter Schools Allowed | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| Feb. 24, 2011 | ID | S 1110 | Redistributing Public School Funds for Teachers | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| Feb. 24, 2011 | ID | S 1108 | Education Provisions and Teacher Entitlements | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| Feb. 23, 2011 | UT | SJR 9 | Supervision of Public Education | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (22 - 6) |
| Feb. 23, 2011 | UT | HB 183 | School District Leave Policies | Bill Passed - House (46 - 22) |
| Feb. 23, 2011 | SC | H 3241 | Funding for Charter Schools | Bill Passed - House (85 - 32) |
| Feb. 22, 2011 | IN | SB 1 | Evaluating and Licensing of Teachers | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 20) |
| Feb. 22, 2011 | MT | HB 456 | Sexual Education in K-12 Public Schools | Bill Passed - House (67 - 30) |
| Feb. 21, 2011 | OK | SB 435 | Modifying Board of Education Membership | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 16) |
| Feb. 18, 2011 | ND | HB 1258 | Contribution Retirement Plans for Teachers | Bill Failed - House (38 - 56) |
| Feb. 18, 2011 | ND | HB 1412 | Teaching Personal Finance in Middle Schools | Bill Failed - House (47 - 47) |
| Feb. 17, 2011 | IA | HF 260 | House Rule School Governance | Bill Passed - House (65 - 30) |
| Feb. 17, 2011 | IN | SB 575 | Collective Bargaining for School Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 19) |
| Feb. 16, 2011 | AR | HB 1049 | Prohibit Cell Phone Use in School Zones | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 9) |
| Feb. 16, 2011 | WY | SF 106 | School Finances | Bill Failed - House (20 - 35) |
| Feb. 16, 2011 | OH | HB 30 | Reduce Required School Funding | Bill Passed - House (59 - 36) |
| Feb. 16, 2011 | UT | HB 75 | Guns On School Premises | Bill Passed - House (58 - 15) |
| Feb. 8, 2011 | WY | SF 140 | Kindergarten Attendance | Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 15) |
| Feb. 8, 2011 | WY | SF 52 | Repealing Teacher Tenure | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 18) |
| Feb. 8, 2011 | IN | HB 1002 | Charter School Amendments | Bill Passed - House (59 - 37) |
| Feb. 3, 2011 | MN | SF 40 | Amends Licensing and Codes for Education | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 23) |
| Feb. 2, 2011 | WY | SF 106 | School Finances | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13) |
| Feb. 1, 2011 | VA | HJ 593 | Free Exercise of Religion | Amendment Adopted - House (61 - 33) |
| Feb. 1, 2011 | AR | HB 1049 | Prohibit Cell Phone Use in School Zones | Bill Passed - House (53 - 41) |
| Jan. 31, 2011 | AR | HB 1049 | Prohibit Cell Phone Use in School Zones | Bill Failed - House (46 - 47) |
| Jan. 31, 2011 | NY | S 2707 | Funding State Mandated Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 20) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/10 | SB 1528 | Amends Requirements for Teacher Tenure | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| 3/10 | SB 736 | Public School Evaluation Procedures | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| 3/09 | HB 183 | School District Leave Policies | Conference Report Adopted - House (42 - 28) |
| 3/09 | SB 73 | Public School Teacher Tenure Modifications | Bill Passed - House (45 - 28) |
| 3/08 | HB 183 | School District Leave Policies | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 7) |
| 3/08 | HB 172 | Prohibiting Corporal Punishment as School Discipline | Bill Passed - House (36 - 31) |
| 3/07 | HB 2415 | Punishment Guidelines for Bullying in Schools | Bill Passed - House (38 - 21) |
| 3/04 | H 104a | Teacher Union Activities | Bill Passed - House (55 - 14) |
| 3/03 | AB 183 | Revising Payment for Outstanding Bonds in School Districts | Bill Passed - House (25 - 16) |
| 3/03 | SF 40 | Amends Licensing and Codes for Education | Conference Report Adopted - House (81 - 50) |
| 3/03 | SF 40 | Amends Licensing and Codes for Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (46 - 19) |
| 3/03 | HB 301 | School District Property Tax Revisions | Bill Passed - House (39 - 31) |
| 3/02 | SB 65 | Statewide Online Education Program | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12) |
| 3/02 | HB 2879 | One-Time Pay Raise for State Employees | Bill Passed - House (78 - 22) |
| 3/01 | SB 65 | Statewide Online Education Program | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 10) |
| 2/24 | SB 8 | Repeal on the Number of Charter Schools Allowed | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 17) |
| 2/24 | S 1110 | Redistributing Public School Funds for Teachers | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 2/24 | S 1108 | Education Provisions and Teacher Entitlements | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 2/23 | SJR 9 | Supervision of Public Education | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (22 - 6) |
| 2/23 | HB 183 | School District Leave Policies | Bill Passed - House (46 - 22) |
| 2/23 | H 3241 | Funding for Charter Schools | Bill Passed - House (85 - 32) |
| 2/22 | SB 1 | Evaluating and Licensing of Teachers | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 20) |
| 2/22 | HB 456 | Sexual Education in K-12 Public Schools | Bill Passed - House (67 - 30) |
| 2/21 | SB 435 | Modifying Board of Education Membership | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 16) |
| 2/18 | HB 1258 | Contribution Retirement Plans for Teachers | Bill Failed - House (38 - 56) |
| 2/18 | HB 1412 | Teaching Personal Finance in Middle Schools | Bill Failed - House (47 - 47) |
| 2/17 | HF 260 | House Rule School Governance | Bill Passed - House (65 - 30) |
| 2/17 | SB 575 | Collective Bargaining for School Employees | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 19) |
| 2/16 | HB 1049 | Prohibit Cell Phone Use in School Zones | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 9) |
| 2/16 | SF 106 | School Finances | Bill Failed - House (20 - 35) |
| 2/16 | HB 30 | Reduce Required School Funding | Bill Passed - House (59 - 36) |
| 2/16 | HB 75 | Guns On School Premises | Bill Passed - House (58 - 15) |
| 2/08 | SF 140 | Kindergarten Attendance | Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 15) |
| 2/08 | SF 52 | Repealing Teacher Tenure | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 18) |
| 2/08 | HB 1002 | Charter School Amendments | Bill Passed - House (59 - 37) |
| 2/03 | SF 40 | Amends Licensing and Codes for Education | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 23) |
| 2/02 | SF 106 | School Finances | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 13) |
| 2/01 | HJ 593 | Free Exercise of Religion | Amendment Adopted - House (61 - 33) |
| 2/01 | HB 1049 | Prohibit Cell Phone Use in School Zones | Bill Passed - House (53 - 41) |
| 1/31 | HB 1049 | Prohibit Cell Phone Use in School Zones | Bill Failed - House (46 - 47) |
| 1/31 | S 2707 | Funding State Mandated Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 20) |