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
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)

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