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 12, 2011 | IN | HB 1002 | Charter School Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 20) |
| April 11, 2011 | MD | SB 167 | In-State Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 19) |
| April 6, 2011 | OR | SB 552 | Establishes the Governor as the Superintendent of Public Instruction | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 7) |
| April 1, 2011 | AZ | SB 1618 | 2011-2012 Budget Reconciliation for Higher Education | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| April 1, 2011 | AZ | SB 1617 | K-12 Education Budget for 2011-2012 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| March 30, 2011 | NY | S 2808 | Implementing the Education, Labor, and Family Assistance Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 13) |
| March 29, 2011 | OR | SB 742 | Resident Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
| March 27, 2011 | MS | SB 3100 | Issuance of State Bonds for Improvements in Higher Learning Institutions | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (36 - 10) |
| March 24, 2011 | ID | S 1184 | Technology in the Classroom | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| March 24, 2011 | ID | S 1181 | Post-Secondary Education Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| March 23, 2011 | MT | SB 403 | Revised K-12 School Funding | Bill Failed - Senate (25 - 25) |
| March 18, 2011 | NM | HB 172 | Prohibiting Corporal Punishment as School Discipline | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| March 17, 2011 | CA | SB 70 | Education Budget Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| March 17, 2011 | AZ | SB 1611 | Requires Verification of Citizenship for Certain Benefits | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 19) |
| March 17, 2011 | AZ | SB 1611 | Requires Verification of Citizenship for Certain Benefits | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 19) |
| March 16, 2011 | NM | SB 427 | Rating System for Public Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| March 15, 2011 | IA | SF 328 | Funding for Education and Employment Training | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| March 14, 2011 | AZ | SB 1467 | Concealed Weapons on College Campuses | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 7) |
| March 11, 2011 | ND | HB 1263 | Athletic Nickname and Logo of the University of North Dakota | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 15) |
| March 10, 2011 | FL | SB 736 | Public School Evaluation Procedures | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| March 10, 2011 | TN | SB 1528 | Amends Requirements for Teacher Tenure | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| March 8, 2011 | UT | HB 183 | School District Leave Policies | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 7) |
| March 8, 2011 | GA | HB 326 | Amends the HOPE Scholarship Program | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 20) |
| March 3, 2011 | MN | SF 40 | Amends Licensing and Codes for Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (46 - 19) |
| March 2, 2011 | UT | SB 65 | Statewide Online Education Program | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/12 | HB 1002 | Charter School Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 20) |
| 4/11 | SB 167 | In-State Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (27 - 19) |
| 4/06 | SB 552 | Establishes the Governor as the Superintendent of Public Instruction | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 7) |
| 4/01 | SB 1618 | 2011-2012 Budget Reconciliation for Higher Education | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| 4/01 | SB 1617 | K-12 Education Budget for 2011-2012 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (21 - 8) |
| 3/30 | S 2808 | Implementing the Education, Labor, and Family Assistance Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 13) |
| 3/29 | SB 742 | Resident Tuition for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 11) |
| 3/27 | SB 3100 | Issuance of State Bonds for Improvements in Higher Learning Institutions | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (36 - 10) |
| 3/24 | S 1184 | Technology in the Classroom | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15) |
| 3/24 | S 1181 | Post-Secondary Education Appropriations | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
| 3/23 | SB 403 | Revised K-12 School Funding | Bill Failed - Senate (25 - 25) |
| 3/18 | HB 172 | Prohibiting Corporal Punishment as School Discipline | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| 3/17 | SB 70 | Education Budget Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 17) |
| 3/17 | SB 1611 | Requires Verification of Citizenship for Certain Benefits | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 19) |
| 3/17 | SB 1611 | Requires Verification of Citizenship for Certain Benefits | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 19) |
| 3/16 | SB 427 | Rating System for Public Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 11) |
| 3/15 | SF 328 | Funding for Education and Employment Training | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| 3/14 | SB 1467 | Concealed Weapons on College Campuses | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 7) |
| 3/11 | HB 1263 | Athletic Nickname and Logo of the University of North Dakota | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 15) |
| 3/10 | SB 736 | Public School Evaluation Procedures | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| 3/10 | SB 1528 | Amends Requirements for Teacher Tenure | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12) |
| 3/08 | HB 183 | School District Leave Policies | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (20 - 7) |
| 3/08 | HB 326 | Amends the HOPE Scholarship Program | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 20) |
| 3/03 | SF 40 | Amends Licensing and Codes for Education | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (46 - 19) |
| 3/02 | SB 65 | Statewide Online Education Program | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 12) |