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.


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Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
Dec. 11, 2013 MI HB 4369 Expands the Education Achievement Authority Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 18)
Dec. 3, 2013 IL SB 1 Amends State Employee Pension Plans Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 24)
Nov. 5, 2013 WI AB 297 Amends Laws Concerning the Use of Race-Based Nicknames, Logos, Mascots, and Team Names Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 16)
Sept. 12, 2013 CA AB 375 Amends Teacher Dismissal Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13)
Sept. 10, 2013 CA AB 484 Amends State School Testing Programs Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7)
July 24, 2013 National HR 1911 Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act of 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 18)
July 24, 2013 National S Amdt 1778 Limits Interest Rates for Certain Federal Student Loans Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53)
July 23, 2013 NC SB 337 Establishes the North Carolina Charter School Advisory Board Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 11)
July 23, 2013 NC HB 937 Amends Firearm Laws Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 14)
July 16, 2013 NC HB 250 Amends Charter School Laws Conference Report Adopted - Senate (40 - 9)
July 3, 2013 CA AB 1266 Amends Sex-Segregated School Programs and Activities Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9)
July 2, 2013 NC SB 132 Requires Certain Reproductive Health and Safety Education for Schools Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 12)
July 2, 2013 OR HB 2456 Appropriates Increased Tax Funds to Schools and Health Services Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 15)
July 2, 2013 OR HB 2456 Appropriates Increased Tax Funds to Schools and Health Services Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 15)
July 1, 2013 OR SB 215 Authorizes Schools to Use Native American Mascots Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 5)
June 18, 2013 ME LD 1540 Amends Public School Assessment System "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 14)
June 6, 2013 National S 953 Student Loan Affordability Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 46)
June 6, 2013 National S 1003 Comprehensive Student Loan Protection Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (40 - 57)
May 29, 2013 MI HB 4228 2013-2014 Education Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 12)
May 29, 2013 MI HB 4228 2013-2014 Education Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 12)
May 22, 2013 IL HB 2675 Expands Sex Education Curriculum Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 21)
May 22, 2013 TX HB 1009 Establishes "School Marshal" as a New Category of Law Enforcement for Schools Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4)
May 19, 2013 MN HF 630 2013-2015 Biennium K-12 Education Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 26)
May 17, 2013 MN SF 1236 Increases Funds for Higher Education Conference Report Adopted - Senate (44 - 22)
May 16, 2013 CA SB 552 Authorizes a Violence Awareness Component of School Curriculum Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 7)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/11 HB 4369 Expands the Education Achievement Authority Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 18)
12/03 SB 1 Amends State Employee Pension Plans Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 24)
11/05 AB 297 Amends Laws Concerning the Use of Race-Based Nicknames, Logos, Mascots, and Team Names Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 16)
9/12 AB 375 Amends Teacher Dismissal Requirements Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13)
9/10 AB 484 Amends State School Testing Programs Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 7)
7/24 HR 1911 Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act of 2013 Bill Passed - Senate (81 - 18)
7/24 S Amdt 1778 Limits Interest Rates for Certain Federal Student Loans Amendment Rejected - Senate (46 - 53)
7/23 SB 337 Establishes the North Carolina Charter School Advisory Board Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 11)
7/23 HB 937 Amends Firearm Laws Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 14)
7/16 HB 250 Amends Charter School Laws Conference Report Adopted - Senate (40 - 9)
7/03 AB 1266 Amends Sex-Segregated School Programs and Activities Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 9)
7/02 SB 132 Requires Certain Reproductive Health and Safety Education for Schools Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 12)
7/02 HB 2456 Appropriates Increased Tax Funds to Schools and Health Services Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 15)
7/02 HB 2456 Appropriates Increased Tax Funds to Schools and Health Services Bill Failed - Senate (15 - 15)
7/01 SB 215 Authorizes Schools to Use Native American Mascots Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 5)
6/18 LD 1540 Amends Public School Assessment System "Ought to Pass" Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 14)
6/06 S 953 Student Loan Affordability Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (51 - 46)
6/06 S 1003 Comprehensive Student Loan Protection Act Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (40 - 57)
5/29 HB 4228 2013-2014 Education Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 12)
5/29 HB 4228 2013-2014 Education Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (25 - 12)
5/22 HB 2675 Expands Sex Education Curriculum Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 21)
5/22 HB 1009 Establishes "School Marshal" as a New Category of Law Enforcement for Schools Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 4)
5/19 HF 630 2013-2015 Biennium K-12 Education Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (41 - 26)
5/17 SF 1236 Increases Funds for Higher Education Conference Report Adopted - Senate (44 - 22)
5/16 SB 552 Authorizes a Violence Awareness Component of School Curriculum Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 7)

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