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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 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 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 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) |
| April 12, 2011 | IN | HB 1002 | Charter School Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 20) |
| April 6, 2011 | OR | SB 552 | Establishes the Governor as the Superintendent of Public Instruction | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 7) |
| March 24, 2011 | ID | S 1184 | Technology in the Classroom | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| March 23, 2011 | MT | SB 403 | Revised K-12 School Funding | Bill Failed - Senate (25 - 25) |
| March 18, 2011 | NM | HB 172 | Prohibiting Corporal Punishment as School Discipline | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| March 17, 2011 | AZ | SB 1611 | Requires Verification of Citizenship for Certain Benefits | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 19) |
| March 16, 2011 | NM | SB 427 | Rating System for Public Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| March 10, 2011 | FL | SB 736 | Public School Evaluation Procedures | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| March 10, 2011 | TN | SB 1528 | Amends Requirements for Teacher Tenure | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| March 8, 2011 | UT | HB 183 | School District Leave Policies | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 7) |
| March 3, 2011 | MN | SF 40 | Amends Licensing and Codes for Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (46 - 19) |
| March 2, 2011 | UT | SB 65 | Statewide Online Education Program | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |
| 5/05 | H 436 | Tax Law Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (17 - 10) |
| 5/04 | HB 1 | 2011-2013 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
| 5/02 | 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) |
| 4/14 | 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) |
| 4/12 | HB 1002 | Charter School Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 20) |
| 4/06 | SB 552 | Establishes the Governor as the Superintendent of Public Instruction | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 7) |
| 3/24 | S 1184 | Technology in the Classroom | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 3/23 | SB 403 | Revised K-12 School Funding | Bill Failed - Senate (25 - 25) |
| 3/18 | HB 172 | Prohibiting Corporal Punishment as School Discipline | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| 3/17 | SB 1611 | Requires Verification of Citizenship for Certain Benefits | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 19) |
| 3/16 | SB 427 | Rating System for Public Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| 3/10 | SB 736 | Public School Evaluation Procedures | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| 3/10 | SB 1528 | Amends Requirements for Teacher Tenure | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| 3/08 | HB 183 | School District Leave Policies | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 7) |
| 3/03 | SF 40 | Amends Licensing and Codes for Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (46 - 19) |
| 3/02 | SB 65 | Statewide Online Education Program | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12) |