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 4, 2012 | NC | SB 795 | Amends Teacher Tenure System | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 17) |
| June 3, 2012 | LA | SCR 99 | Funding for Public and Private Schools | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (24 - 15) |
| June 1, 2012 | MI | HB 5372 | School Aid Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (58 - 51) |
| June 1, 2012 | MI | HB 5372 | School Aid Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (58 - 51) |
| May 31, 2012 | IL | HB 5440 | Establishes a 5 Percent Fee on Satellite TV Companies | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 27) |
| May 31, 2012 | IL | SB 2621 | Amends the Department of Corrections' Early Release Program | Bill Passed - House (68 - 50) |
| May 31, 2012 | MI | HB 4513 | Increases Minimum Age for Beginning Kindergarten | Bill Passed - House (64 - 45) |
| May 31, 2012 | CA | SB 1525 | Establishes a Student Athlete Bill of Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| May 29, 2012 | IL | HB 5290 | Requires Schools to Establish Bullying Policies | Bill Failed - Senate (29 - 21) |
| May 24, 2012 | National | S 2343 | Extends Student Loan Interest Rates (Reid Bill) | Bill Failed - Senate (51 - 43) |
| May 24, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2153 | Prohibits Increase in Interest Rates for Student Loans (Lamar Bill) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (34 - 62) |
| May 22, 2012 | LA | HB 292 | School Board Member Term Limits | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| May 17, 2012 | MI | SB 1040 | Amends Teacher Pension Plans | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 18) |
| May 16, 2012 | AL | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (67 - 37) |
| May 16, 2012 | AL | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (67 - 37) |
| May 16, 2012 | NH | HB 1607 | Establishes a Tax Credit for Businesses that Donate to Certain Scholarship Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 7) |
| May 16, 2012 | AL | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
| May 16, 2012 | AL | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
| May 15, 2012 | MO | SB 576 | Authorizes the Expansion of Charter Schools | Bill Passed - House (99 - 54) |
| May 15, 2012 | MO | SB 576 | Authorizes the Expansion of Charter Schools | Bill Passed - House (99 - 54) |
| May 10, 2012 | AL | HB 360 | Requires Schools to Have a Longer Summer Vacation | Veto Override Passed - Senate (23 - 8) |
| May 8, 2012 | AL | HB 360 | Requires Schools to Have a Longer Summer Vacation | Veto Override Passed - House (71 - 21) |
| May 8, 2012 | IA | SF 2284 | Education Law Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - House (87 - 9) |
| May 8, 2012 | IA | SF 2284 | Education Law Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 15) |
| May 8, 2012 | National | S 2343 | Extends Student Loan Interest Rates (Reid Bill) | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 45) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/04 | SB 795 | Amends Teacher Tenure System | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 17) |
| 6/03 | SCR 99 | Funding for Public and Private Schools | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (24 - 15) |
| 6/01 | HB 5372 | School Aid Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (58 - 51) |
| 6/01 | HB 5372 | School Aid Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (58 - 51) |
| 5/31 | HB 5440 | Establishes a 5 Percent Fee on Satellite TV Companies | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 27) |
| 5/31 | SB 2621 | Amends the Department of Corrections' Early Release Program | Bill Passed - House (68 - 50) |
| 5/31 | HB 4513 | Increases Minimum Age for Beginning Kindergarten | Bill Passed - House (64 - 45) |
| 5/31 | SB 1525 | Establishes a Student Athlete Bill of Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
| 5/29 | HB 5290 | Requires Schools to Establish Bullying Policies | Bill Failed - Senate (29 - 21) |
| 5/24 | S 2343 | Extends Student Loan Interest Rates (Reid Bill) | Bill Failed - Senate (51 - 43) |
| 5/24 | S Amdt 2153 | Prohibits Increase in Interest Rates for Student Loans (Lamar Bill) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (34 - 62) |
| 5/22 | HB 292 | School Board Member Term Limits | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 16) |
| 5/17 | SB 1040 | Amends Teacher Pension Plans | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 18) |
| 5/16 | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (67 - 37) |
| 5/16 | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (67 - 37) |
| 5/16 | HB 1607 | Establishes a Tax Credit for Businesses that Donate to Certain Scholarship Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 7) |
| 5/16 | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
| 5/16 | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
| 5/15 | SB 576 | Authorizes the Expansion of Charter Schools | Bill Passed - House (99 - 54) |
| 5/15 | SB 576 | Authorizes the Expansion of Charter Schools | Bill Passed - House (99 - 54) |
| 5/10 | HB 360 | Requires Schools to Have a Longer Summer Vacation | Veto Override Passed - Senate (23 - 8) |
| 5/08 | HB 360 | Requires Schools to Have a Longer Summer Vacation | Veto Override Passed - House (71 - 21) |
| 5/08 | SF 2284 | Education Law Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - House (87 - 9) |
| 5/08 | SF 2284 | Education Law Amendments | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 15) |
| 5/08 | S 2343 | Extends Student Loan Interest Rates (Reid Bill) | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 45) |