Key Votes

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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:

  1. The vote should be helpful in portraying how a member stands on a particular issue
  2. The vote should be clear for any person to understand
  3. The vote has received media attention
  4. The vote was passed or defeated by a very close margin
  5. Occasionally, if a specific bill is consistently inquired about on the Voter's Research Hotline, the vote will be added

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.


results per page:
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)

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