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. 19, 2008 MI SB 861 Tuition Assistance for Students in High Poverty Areas Bill Passed - House (61 - 34)
Dec. 18, 2008 CA ABx1 4 Reducing Education Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8)
Dec. 15, 2008 NJ A 3373 Amending NJ STARS/NJ STARS II Scholarship Eligibility Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 4)
Dec. 15, 2008 NJ A 3373 Amending NJ STARS/NJ STARS II Scholarship Eligibility Bill Passed - House (63 - 10)
Dec. 11, 2008 MI HB 4141 Expanding the Use of School Sinking Funds Bill Passed - House (71 - 28)
Dec. 10, 2008 MI SB 861 Tuition Assistance for Students in High Poverty Areas Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13)
Dec. 4, 2008 MI HB 5765 Reducing Pupil Count for First Class School Districts Bill Passed - House (59 - 42)
Sept. 26, 2008 National HR 7060 Renewable Energy Credits and Other Business and Individual Credits Bill Passed - House (257 - 166)
Sept. 10, 2008 MO SB 873 Voting Student Curator on the University of Missouri Board of Curators Veto Override Failed - Senate (16 - 17)
Aug. 31, 2008 CA SB 1301 Extending Student Financial Aid Eligibility Bill Passed - House (46 - 29)
Aug. 13, 2008 CA AB 86 Cyber-Bullying Enforcement Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 22)
Aug. 11, 2008 CA AB 86 Cyber-Bullying Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12)
Aug. 8, 2008 NY S 8736 School District Property Tax Cap Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 20)
Aug. 7, 2008 CA AB 2567 Creation of "Harvey Milk Day" Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 27)
Aug. 5, 2008 CA AB 2567 Creation of "Harvey Milk Day" Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)
July 31, 2008 National HR 4137 Higher Education Act Amendments and Extensions Conference Report Adopted - House (380 - 49)
July 31, 2008 National HR 4137 Higher Education Act Amendments and Extensions Conference Report Adopted - Senate (83 - 8)
July 8, 2008 NC HB 2436 2008-2009 Budget Conference Report Adopted - House (97 - 20)
July 8, 2008 NC HB 2436 2008-2009 Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 14)
July 4, 2008 PA HB 1067 Omnibus Education Bill Concurrence Vote Passed - House (191 - 11)
July 1, 2008 DE SB 300 2008-2009 Budget Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 6)
July 1, 2008 DE SB 300 2008-2009 Budget Bill Passed - House (33 - 7)
June 30, 2008 CA SB 823 Private Postsecondary Education Regulation Bill Failed - House (41 - 33)
June 27, 2008 NV SB 5 2008-2009 Education Budget Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9)
June 26, 2008 AZ HB 2713 Student's Religious Liberties Act Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 10)
June 23, 2008 CA SB 606 'No Child Left Behind' Implementation Bill Passed - House (54 - 24)
June 23, 2008 NJ S 1962 State Worker Retirement and Health Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 8)
June 23, 2008 NJ A 2873 School Construction Bonds Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18)
June 23, 2008 NJ A 2873 School Construction Bonds Bill Passed - House (42 - 36)
June 23, 2008 NJ S 1962 State Worker Retirement and Health Benefits Bill Passed - House (52 - 13)
June 19, 2008 NC HB 2436 2008-2009 Budget Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 14)
June 18, 2008 LA HB 734 Tuition Increase Bill Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8)
June 11, 2008 LA SB 733 Supplemental Science Teaching Materials Bill Passed - House (94 - 3)
June 11, 2008 LA HB 1347 Vouchers Bill Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
June 9, 2008 CA SB 606 'No Child Left Behind' Implementation Bill Failed - House (49 - 26)
June 9, 2008 LA HB 734 Tuition Increase Bill Bill Passed - House (84 - 18)
June 4, 2008 NH SSHB 1 Education Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 9)
June 4, 2008 AZ HB 2475 Bonds for School Computers Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 13)
May 31, 2008 AL SB 51 2008-2009 Education Budget Bill Passed - House (98 - 4)
May 29, 2008 SC H 4400 Immigration Bill Concurrence Vote Passed - House (94 - 16)
May 29, 2008 AL SB 51 2008-2009 Education Budget Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 1)
May 28, 2008 WI AB 1 Education Line Item Veto Override Veto Override Failed - House (60 - 36)
May 28, 2008 WI AB 1 Education Line Item Veto Override Veto Override Failed - House (57 - 39)
May 22, 2008 National S Amdt 4803 GI Bill and Other Domestic Provisions Amendment Adopted - Senate (75 - 22)
May 22, 2008 IL HB 2310 Truancy, Information Sharing, and Fines Bill Passed - House (85 - 25)
May 19, 2008 CA AB 2567 Creation of "Harvey Milk Day" Bill Passed - House (45 - 28)
May 15, 2008 National HR 2642 Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques Concurrence Vote Passed - House (256 - 166)
May 15, 2008 CA SB 1322 Communist Party Membership Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16)
May 14, 2008 AZ HB 2557 Fine Arts and Physical Education in School Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 9)
May 14, 2008 LA HB 1347 Vouchers Bill Bill Passed - House (60 - 42)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/19 SB 861 Tuition Assistance for Students in High Poverty Areas Bill Passed - House (61 - 34)
12/18 ABx1 4 Reducing Education Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8)
12/15 A 3373 Amending NJ STARS/NJ STARS II Scholarship Eligibility Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 4)
12/15 A 3373 Amending NJ STARS/NJ STARS II Scholarship Eligibility Bill Passed - House (63 - 10)
12/11 HB 4141 Expanding the Use of School Sinking Funds Bill Passed - House (71 - 28)
12/10 SB 861 Tuition Assistance for Students in High Poverty Areas Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 13)
12/04 HB 5765 Reducing Pupil Count for First Class School Districts Bill Passed - House (59 - 42)
9/26 HR 7060 Renewable Energy Credits and Other Business and Individual Credits Bill Passed - House (257 - 166)
9/10 SB 873 Voting Student Curator on the University of Missouri Board of Curators Veto Override Failed - Senate (16 - 17)
8/31 SB 1301 Extending Student Financial Aid Eligibility Bill Passed - House (46 - 29)
8/13 AB 86 Cyber-Bullying Enforcement Concurrence Vote Passed - House (52 - 22)
8/11 AB 86 Cyber-Bullying Enforcement Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 12)
8/08 S 8736 School District Property Tax Cap Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 20)
8/07 AB 2567 Creation of "Harvey Milk Day" Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 27)
8/05 AB 2567 Creation of "Harvey Milk Day" Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)
7/31 HR 4137 Higher Education Act Amendments and Extensions Conference Report Adopted - House (380 - 49)
7/31 HR 4137 Higher Education Act Amendments and Extensions Conference Report Adopted - Senate (83 - 8)
7/08 HB 2436 2008-2009 Budget Conference Report Adopted - House (97 - 20)
7/08 HB 2436 2008-2009 Budget Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 14)
7/04 HB 1067 Omnibus Education Bill Concurrence Vote Passed - House (191 - 11)
7/01 SB 300 2008-2009 Budget Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 6)
7/01 SB 300 2008-2009 Budget Bill Passed - House (33 - 7)
6/30 SB 823 Private Postsecondary Education Regulation Bill Failed - House (41 - 33)
6/27 SB 5 2008-2009 Education Budget Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 9)
6/26 HB 2713 Student's Religious Liberties Act Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 10)
6/23 SB 606 'No Child Left Behind' Implementation Bill Passed - House (54 - 24)
6/23 S 1962 State Worker Retirement and Health Benefits Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 8)
6/23 A 2873 School Construction Bonds Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 18)
6/23 A 2873 School Construction Bonds Bill Passed - House (42 - 36)
6/23 S 1962 State Worker Retirement and Health Benefits Bill Passed - House (52 - 13)
6/19 HB 2436 2008-2009 Budget Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 14)
6/18 HB 734 Tuition Increase Bill Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8)
6/11 SB 733 Supplemental Science Teaching Materials Bill Passed - House (94 - 3)
6/11 HB 1347 Vouchers Bill Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
6/09 SB 606 'No Child Left Behind' Implementation Bill Failed - House (49 - 26)
6/09 HB 734 Tuition Increase Bill Bill Passed - House (84 - 18)
6/04 SSHB 1 Education Appropriations Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 9)
6/04 HB 2475 Bonds for School Computers Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 13)
5/31 SB 51 2008-2009 Education Budget Bill Passed - House (98 - 4)
5/29 H 4400 Immigration Bill Concurrence Vote Passed - House (94 - 16)
5/29 SB 51 2008-2009 Education Budget Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 1)
5/28 AB 1 Education Line Item Veto Override Veto Override Failed - House (60 - 36)
5/28 AB 1 Education Line Item Veto Override Veto Override Failed - House (57 - 39)
5/22 S Amdt 4803 GI Bill and Other Domestic Provisions Amendment Adopted - Senate (75 - 22)
5/22 HB 2310 Truancy, Information Sharing, and Fines Bill Passed - House (85 - 25)
5/19 AB 2567 Creation of "Harvey Milk Day" Bill Passed - House (45 - 28)
5/15 HR 2642 Iraq Related Provisions such as a Troop Withdrawal, a Permanent Base Ban, and Limiting Interrogation Techniques Concurrence Vote Passed - House (256 - 166)
5/15 SB 1322 Communist Party Membership Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 16)
5/14 HB 2557 Fine Arts and Physical Education in School Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 9)
5/14 HB 1347 Vouchers Bill Bill Passed - House (60 - 42)

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