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
March 15, 2012 MN HF 2083 Requires State Reserve Funds to be Used to Reduce School Debt Bill Passed - House (74 - 59)
March 14, 2012 MS HB 638 Authorizes Prayer in Schools Bill Passed - House (93 - 24)
March 13, 2012 WI SB 237 Amending Sexual Education Guidelines Bill Passed - House (60 - 34)
March 13, 2012 IA HF 2385 Authorizes Professionals to Teach Certain High School Courses Bill Passed - House (61 - 36)
March 13, 2012 IA HF 2380 Amends Education Provisions Bill Passed - House (53 - 46)
March 9, 2012 FL HB 5001 2012-2013 Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 8)
March 9, 2012 FL HB 5001 2012-2013 Budget Conference Report Adopted - House (80 - 37)
March 9, 2012 FL HB 859 School Voucher Program Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 8)
March 9, 2012 FL SB 1718 Authorizes Parent Involvement in School Turnaround Decisions Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 20)
March 8, 2012 AZ SB 1462 Expands Penalties for Bullying Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 12)
March 7, 2012 MI HB 4929 Prohibits Union Dues Deductions from School Employee Paychecks Concurrence Vote Passed - House (56 - 54)
March 7, 2012 MI HB 4929 Prohibits Union Dues Deductions from School Employee Paychecks Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 18)
March 7, 2012 NH HB 1146 Requires Students to Stand for the Pledge of Allegiance Bill Failed - House (155 - 170)
March 7, 2012 FL HB 859 School Voucher Program Bill Passed - House (92 - 24)
March 6, 2012 UT SB 223 Requires Public School Students to Recite Pledge of Allegiance Bill Passed - House (48 - 25)
March 6, 2012 UT HB 363 Requires Abstinence-Only Sexual Education in Public Schools Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 10)
March 5, 2012 GA SB 410 Requires Numerical School Ratings Based on Student Performance Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 13)
March 1, 2012 FL SB 98 Authorizes Student-Led Prayer in School Bill Passed - House (88 - 27)
March 1, 2012 VT S 199 Repeals Philosophical Exemption to Immunization Motion Agreed - Senate (25 - 4)
March 1, 2012 OR SB 1594 Prohibits weapons on school grounds Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 15)
Feb. 29, 2012 SD HB 1234 Eliminates Teacher Tenure Concurrence Vote Passed - House (36 - 33)
Feb. 29, 2012 WA SB 5895 Authorizes the Use of Student Test Scores in Teacher Evaluations Bill Passed - House (82 - 16)
Feb. 28, 2012 AZ SB 1202 Prohibits Partisan Instruction in Classrooms Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 16)
Feb. 28, 2012 AZ SB 1205 Requires Public School Teachers to Adhere to FCC Regulations Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 16)
Feb. 27, 2012 SD HB 1234 Eliminates Teacher Tenure Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12)
Date No. Title Outcome
3/15 HF 2083 Requires State Reserve Funds to be Used to Reduce School Debt Bill Passed - House (74 - 59)
3/14 HB 638 Authorizes Prayer in Schools Bill Passed - House (93 - 24)
3/13 SB 237 Amending Sexual Education Guidelines Bill Passed - House (60 - 34)
3/13 HF 2385 Authorizes Professionals to Teach Certain High School Courses Bill Passed - House (61 - 36)
3/13 HF 2380 Amends Education Provisions Bill Passed - House (53 - 46)
3/09 HB 5001 2012-2013 Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 8)
3/09 HB 5001 2012-2013 Budget Conference Report Adopted - House (80 - 37)
3/09 HB 859 School Voucher Program Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 8)
3/09 SB 1718 Authorizes Parent Involvement in School Turnaround Decisions Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 20)
3/08 SB 1462 Expands Penalties for Bullying Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 12)
3/07 HB 4929 Prohibits Union Dues Deductions from School Employee Paychecks Concurrence Vote Passed - House (56 - 54)
3/07 HB 4929 Prohibits Union Dues Deductions from School Employee Paychecks Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 18)
3/07 HB 1146 Requires Students to Stand for the Pledge of Allegiance Bill Failed - House (155 - 170)
3/07 HB 859 School Voucher Program Bill Passed - House (92 - 24)
3/06 SB 223 Requires Public School Students to Recite Pledge of Allegiance Bill Passed - House (48 - 25)
3/06 HB 363 Requires Abstinence-Only Sexual Education in Public Schools Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 10)
3/05 SB 410 Requires Numerical School Ratings Based on Student Performance Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 13)
3/01 SB 98 Authorizes Student-Led Prayer in School Bill Passed - House (88 - 27)
3/01 S 199 Repeals Philosophical Exemption to Immunization Motion Agreed - Senate (25 - 4)
3/01 SB 1594 Prohibits weapons on school grounds Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 15)
2/29 HB 1234 Eliminates Teacher Tenure Concurrence Vote Passed - House (36 - 33)
2/29 SB 5895 Authorizes the Use of Student Test Scores in Teacher Evaluations Bill Passed - House (82 - 16)
2/28 SB 1202 Prohibits Partisan Instruction in Classrooms Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 16)
2/28 SB 1205 Requires Public School Teachers to Adhere to FCC Regulations Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 16)
2/27 HB 1234 Eliminates Teacher Tenure Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12)

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