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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec. 16, 2014 | MI | HB 6074 | Prohibits Student Athletes from Collective Bargaining | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| Sept. 23, 2014 | PA | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (39 - 11) |
| Sept. 10, 2014 | MO | SB 656 | Authorizes School Employees to Carry Firearms on School Property | Veto Override Passed - Senate (23 - 8) |
| Aug. 26, 2014 | CA | SB 1174 | Repeals Prohibition on Bilingual Education | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
| Aug. 19, 2014 | CA | AB 420 | Prohibits Student Suspensions for Certain Actions and Misconduct | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
| July 31, 2014 | MA | H 4278 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 3) |
| July 30, 2014 | NC | HB 1133 | Amends Technical Language in Education, Firearm, and Economic Statutes | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 10) |
| July 16, 2014 | MA | H 4108 | Amends Charter School Laws | Bill Failed - Senate (9 - 30) |
| July 10, 2014 | NC | SB 812 | Repeals Common Core Standards | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (33 - 12) |
| July 8, 2014 | PA | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette and Hotel Taxes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (43 - 5) |
| July 2, 2014 | AR | HB 1003 | Limits Eligibility for School Employee Health Insurance Program | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 8) |
| July 2, 2014 | AR | HB 1004 | Amends the Public School Health Insurance Program | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6) |
| July 1, 2014 | PA | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette and Hotel Taxes | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 12) |
| June 26, 2014 | NJ | S 2264 | Authorizes Additional Teacher Pension Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| June 11, 2014 | National | S 2432 | Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 38) |
| June 3, 2014 | OH | HB 171 | Authorizes Off-Campus Religious Courses for High School Credit | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| May 30, 2014 | IL | HB 105 | Authorizes Election Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 17) |
| May 29, 2014 | CA | SB 837 | Establishes the California Prekindergarten Program | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
| May 28, 2014 | LA | HB 953 | Extends Timeline for Implementation of Common Core Standards | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8) |
| May 27, 2014 | CA | SB 1174 | Repeals Prohibition on Bilingual Education | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| May 27, 2014 | IL | SB 16 | Amends Formula for School Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 19) |
| May 23, 2014 | OK | HJR 1092 | Authorizes School Districts To Issue Bonds For Improvements in Building Safety | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (16 - 25) |
| May 23, 2014 | OK | HB 3399 | Repeals Common Core Standards | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 10) |
| May 23, 2014 | IL | HB 5707 | Amends Bullying Prevention Measures in the School Code | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 18) |
| May 15, 2014 | MO | HB 1490 | Establishes Work Groups to Develop Academic Standards | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 6) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/16 | HB 6074 | Prohibits Student Athletes from Collective Bargaining | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| 9/23 | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (39 - 11) |
| 9/10 | SB 656 | Authorizes School Employees to Carry Firearms on School Property | Veto Override Passed - Senate (23 - 8) |
| 8/26 | SB 1174 | Repeals Prohibition on Bilingual Education | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
| 8/19 | AB 420 | Prohibits Student Suspensions for Certain Actions and Misconduct | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
| 7/31 | H 4278 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 3) |
| 7/30 | HB 1133 | Amends Technical Language in Education, Firearm, and Economic Statutes | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 10) |
| 7/16 | H 4108 | Amends Charter School Laws | Bill Failed - Senate (9 - 30) |
| 7/10 | SB 812 | Repeals Common Core Standards | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (33 - 12) |
| 7/08 | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette and Hotel Taxes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (43 - 5) |
| 7/02 | HB 1003 | Limits Eligibility for School Employee Health Insurance Program | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 8) |
| 7/02 | HB 1004 | Amends the Public School Health Insurance Program | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6) |
| 7/01 | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette and Hotel Taxes | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 12) |
| 6/26 | S 2264 | Authorizes Additional Teacher Pension Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| 6/11 | S 2432 | Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 38) |
| 6/03 | HB 171 | Authorizes Off-Campus Religious Courses for High School Credit | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
| 5/30 | HB 105 | Authorizes Election Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 17) |
| 5/29 | SB 837 | Establishes the California Prekindergarten Program | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
| 5/28 | HB 953 | Extends Timeline for Implementation of Common Core Standards | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8) |
| 5/27 | SB 1174 | Repeals Prohibition on Bilingual Education | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| 5/27 | SB 16 | Amends Formula for School Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 19) |
| 5/23 | HJR 1092 | Authorizes School Districts To Issue Bonds For Improvements in Building Safety | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (16 - 25) |
| 5/23 | HB 3399 | Repeals Common Core Standards | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 10) |
| 5/23 | HB 5707 | Amends Bullying Prevention Measures in the School Code | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 18) |
| 5/15 | HB 1490 | Establishes Work Groups to Develop Academic Standards | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 6) |