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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 10, 2012 | CO | SB 68 | Prohibits Food with Trans Fat in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| April 9, 2012 | IA | SF 2284 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| April 4, 2012 | LA | HB 976 | Amends School Voucher Program | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| April 4, 2012 | LA | HB 974 | Amends Teacher Tenure Policy | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 16) |
| April 2, 2012 | MN | HF 2083 | Requires State Reserve Funds to be Used to Reduce School Debt | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 28) |
| March 29, 2012 | GA | SB 410 | Requires Numerical School Ratings Based on Student Performance | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 16) |
| March 28, 2012 | AK | SB 9 | Extends Cumpulsory School Attendance | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 7) |
| March 26, 2012 | GA | HB 797 | Establishes a State Charter School Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 14) |
| March 19, 2012 | GA | HR 1162 | Authorizes the State to Approve Charter Schools | Amendment Adopted - Senate (40 - 16) |
| March 19, 2012 | TN | HB 368 | Scientific Theories in the Classroom | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| March 19, 2012 | ID | H 426 | Establishes a Program for High School Students to Obtain an Associate's Degree | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| March 15, 2012 | ID | H 481 | Repeals Limit on Charter Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| March 9, 2012 | FL | HB 5001 | 2012-2013 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 8) |
| 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 | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 18) |
| 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 | 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. 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) |
| Feb. 27, 2012 | MN | HF 1870 | Authorizes School Districts to Dismiss Teachers Based on Performance | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 26) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/10 | SB 68 | Prohibits Food with Trans Fat in Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 17) |
| 4/09 | SF 2284 | Education Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| 4/04 | HB 976 | Amends School Voucher Program | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| 4/04 | HB 974 | Amends Teacher Tenure Policy | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 16) |
| 4/02 | HF 2083 | Requires State Reserve Funds to be Used to Reduce School Debt | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (35 - 28) |
| 3/29 | SB 410 | Requires Numerical School Ratings Based on Student Performance | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 16) |
| 3/28 | SB 9 | Extends Cumpulsory School Attendance | Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 7) |
| 3/26 | HB 797 | Establishes a State Charter School Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 14) |
| 3/19 | HR 1162 | Authorizes the State to Approve Charter Schools | Amendment Adopted - Senate (40 - 16) |
| 3/19 | HB 368 | Scientific Theories in the Classroom | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| 3/19 | H 426 | Establishes a Program for High School Students to Obtain an Associate's Degree | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| 3/15 | H 481 | Repeals Limit on Charter Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| 3/09 | HB 5001 | 2012-2013 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 8) |
| 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 | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 18) |
| 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 | 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) |
| 2/28 | 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) |
| 2/27 | HF 1870 | Authorizes School Districts to Dismiss Teachers Based on Performance | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 26) |