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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 28, 2013 | ID | H 221 | Amends Public Charter School Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| March 5, 2013 | ID | HB 206 | Appropriates Funding for Charter Schools | Bill Passed - House (42 - 27) |
| Feb. 26, 2013 | ID | S 1089 | Amends Early Teacher Retirement Program | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 6) |
| March 23, 2012 | ID | H 426 | Establishes a Program for High School Students to Obtain an Associate's Degree | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 6) |
| March 23, 2012 | ID | H 426 | Establishes a Program for High School Students to Obtain an Associate's Degree | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 6) |
| 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 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 15, 2012 | ID | S 1358 | Amends Bullying Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| Feb. 27, 2012 | ID | H 481 | Repeals Limit on Charter Schools | Bill Passed - House (49 - 19) |
| April 1, 2011 | ID | S 1184 | Technology in the Classroom | Bill Passed - House (44 - 26) |
| March 31, 2011 | ID | S 1181 | Post-Secondary Education Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (47 - 21) |
| March 24, 2011 | ID | S 1181 | Post-Secondary Education Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| March 24, 2011 | ID | S 1184 | Technology in the Classroom | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| March 16, 2011 | ID | H 222 | Authorizes Guns on Campus | Bill Passed - House (41 - 28) |
| March 4, 2011 | ID | H 104a | Teacher Union Activities | Bill Passed - House (55 - 14) |
| Feb. 24, 2011 | ID | S 1110 | Redistributing Public School Funds for Teachers | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| Feb. 24, 2011 | ID | S 1108 | Education Provisions and Teacher Entitlements | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| Feb. 7, 2011 | ID | HJM 1 | Parental Rights Amendment | Joint Resolution Passed - House (49 - 20) |
| March 24, 2010 | ID | S 1419 | 2010-2011 Higher Education Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
| March 22, 2010 | ID | S 1418 | 2010-2011 Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| May 8, 2009 | ID | H 374 | Allowing Diversion of Funds to Virtual Education | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9) |
| May 7, 2009 | ID | H 374 | Allowing Diversion of Funds to Virtual Education | Bill Passed - House (49 - 15) |
| April 21, 2009 | ID | H 262 | Teacher Compensation Adjustments | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| April 14, 2009 | ID | H 303 | Online Public Education | Bill Passed - House (51 - 19) |
| March 26, 2009 | ID | H 262 | Teacher Compensation Adjustments | Bill Passed - House (49 - 20) |
| Feb. 29, 2008 | ID | S 1436 | Teacher Pay-for-Performance Plan | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 19) |
| Feb. 26, 2008 | ID | H 503 | Scholarships for Drug-Free Students | Bill Passed - House (55 - 14) |
| March 5, 2007 | ID | HCR 18 | Early Childhood Learning Standards | Resolution Failed - House (27 - 43) |
| April 5, 2006 | ID | H 876 | Property Tax Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (44 - 26) |
| March 28, 2006 | ID | H 630 | School Grounds - Violence | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 4) |
| March 23, 2006 | ID | H 743 | School Facilities Improvement Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| March 20, 2006 | ID | H 768 | Public Charter Schools | Bill Failed - House (18 - 46) |
| March 10, 2006 | ID | H 751 | Math & Science Teacher Loan Program Bill | Bill Failed - House (31 - 34) |
| March 10, 2006 | ID | H 703 | College Loan Program | Bill Failed - House (27 - 38) |
| March 6, 2006 | ID | H 630 | School Grounds - Violence | Bill Passed - House (49 - 12) |
| March 3, 2006 | ID | S 1382 | Idaho Mathematics, Science and Engineering Scholarship Act | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 18) |
| Feb. 27, 2006 | ID | H 624 | School Property Disposal | Bill Passed - House (48 - 18) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/28 | H 221 | Amends Public Charter School Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| 3/05 | HB 206 | Appropriates Funding for Charter Schools | Bill Passed - House (42 - 27) |
| 2/26 | S 1089 | Amends Early Teacher Retirement Program | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 6) |
| 3/23 | H 426 | Establishes a Program for High School Students to Obtain an Associate's Degree | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 6) |
| 3/23 | H 426 | Establishes a Program for High School Students to Obtain an Associate's Degree | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 6) |
| 3/19 | H 426 | Establishes a Program for High School Students to Obtain an Associate's Degree | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| 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) |
| 3/15 | S 1358 | Amends Bullying Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 8) |
| 2/27 | H 481 | Repeals Limit on Charter Schools | Bill Passed - House (49 - 19) |
| 4/01 | S 1184 | Technology in the Classroom | Bill Passed - House (44 - 26) |
| 3/31 | S 1181 | Post-Secondary Education Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (47 - 21) |
| 3/24 | S 1181 | Post-Secondary Education Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| 3/24 | S 1184 | Technology in the Classroom | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 3/16 | H 222 | Authorizes Guns on Campus | Bill Passed - House (41 - 28) |
| 3/04 | H 104a | Teacher Union Activities | Bill Passed - House (55 - 14) |
| 2/24 | S 1110 | Redistributing Public School Funds for Teachers | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 2/24 | S 1108 | Education Provisions and Teacher Entitlements | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 2/07 | HJM 1 | Parental Rights Amendment | Joint Resolution Passed - House (49 - 20) |
| 3/24 | S 1419 | 2010-2011 Higher Education Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 9) |
| 3/22 | S 1418 | 2010-2011 Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
| 5/08 | H 374 | Allowing Diversion of Funds to Virtual Education | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 9) |
| 5/07 | H 374 | Allowing Diversion of Funds to Virtual Education | Bill Passed - House (49 - 15) |
| 4/21 | H 262 | Teacher Compensation Adjustments | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 8) |
| 4/14 | H 303 | Online Public Education | Bill Passed - House (51 - 19) |
| 3/26 | H 262 | Teacher Compensation Adjustments | Bill Passed - House (49 - 20) |
| 2/29 | S 1436 | Teacher Pay-for-Performance Plan | Bill Failed - Senate (16 - 19) |
| 2/26 | H 503 | Scholarships for Drug-Free Students | Bill Passed - House (55 - 14) |
| 3/05 | HCR 18 | Early Childhood Learning Standards | Resolution Failed - House (27 - 43) |
| 4/05 | H 876 | Property Tax Act of 2006 | Bill Passed - House (44 - 26) |
| 3/28 | H 630 | School Grounds - Violence | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 4) |
| 3/23 | H 743 | School Facilities Improvement Requirements | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
| 3/20 | H 768 | Public Charter Schools | Bill Failed - House (18 - 46) |
| 3/10 | H 751 | Math & Science Teacher Loan Program Bill | Bill Failed - House (31 - 34) |
| 3/10 | H 703 | College Loan Program | Bill Failed - House (27 - 38) |
| 3/06 | H 630 | School Grounds - Violence | Bill Passed - House (49 - 12) |
| 3/03 | S 1382 | Idaho Mathematics, Science and Engineering Scholarship Act | Bill Failed - Senate (17 - 18) |
| 2/27 | H 624 | School Property Disposal | Bill Passed - House (48 - 18) |