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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Aug. 29, 2012 | CA | AB 2132 | Encourages State Universities to Include Public Service in Tenure Policy | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 27) |
Aug. 28, 2012 | CA | AB 2132 | Encourages State Universities to Include Public Service in Tenure Policy | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
June 18, 2012 | NC | HB 7 | Authorizes Community Colleges to Opt Out of Federal Loan Program | Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 16) |
June 14, 2012 | NC | HB 7 | Authorizes Community Colleges to Opt Out of Federal Loan Program | Veto Override Passed - House (71 - 46) |
June 5, 2012 | MI | HB 5372 | School Aid Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 17) |
June 1, 2012 | MI | HB 5372 | School Aid Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (58 - 51) |
May 31, 2012 | CA | SB 1525 | Establishes a Student Athlete Bill of Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
May 24, 2012 | National | S 2343 | Extends Student Loan Interest Rates (Reid Bill) | Bill Failed - Senate (51 - 43) |
May 24, 2012 | National | S Amdt 2153 | Prohibits Increase in Interest Rates for Student Loans (Lamar Bill) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (34 - 62) |
May 16, 2012 | AL | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (67 - 37) |
May 16, 2012 | AL | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
May 16, 2012 | NH | HB 1607 | Establishes a Tax Credit for Businesses that Donate to Certain Scholarship Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 7) |
May 8, 2012 | National | S 2343 | Extends Student Loan Interest Rates (Reid Bill) | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 45) |
May 3, 2012 | KS | King Amendment | Amends the State Retirement System for New Public Employees | Amendment Rejected - Senate (20 - 20) |
May 2, 2012 | NH | HB 1383 | Prohibits In-State Tuition for Non-US Residents | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 5) |
April 30, 2012 | TN | SB 3597 | Prohibits Discrimination Against Religious Student Groups at Public Universities | Bill Passed - House (61 - 22) |
April 30, 2012 | TN | SB 3597 | Prohibits Discrimination Against Religious Student Groups at Public Universities | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
April 27, 2012 | National | HR 4628 | Extending Student Loan Interest Rates | Bill Passed - House (215 - 195) |
April 19, 2012 | AL | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Bill Passed - House (64 - 34) |
April 16, 2012 | TN | SB 2514 | Amends Eligibility Requirements for the Tennessee HOPE Scholarship | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
April 9, 2012 | CO | SB 15 | College Tuition Rates for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14) |
March 29, 2012 | IL | HB 5531 | Limits Tuition Waivers for State University Employees | Bill Failed - House (26 - 75) |
March 29, 2012 | NH | HB 1607 | Establishes a Tax Credit for Businesses that Donate to Certain Scholarship Funds | Bill Passed - House (173 - 127) |
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 21, 2012 | IL | HB 3810 | Eliminates General Assembly Scholarships | Bill Passed - House (79 - 25) |
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 13, 2012 | IA | HF 2380 | Amends Education Provisions | Bill Passed - House (53 - 46) |
March 9, 2012 | FL | HB 5001 | 2012-2013 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 8) |
March 9, 2012 | FL | HB 5001 | 2012-2013 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (80 - 37) |
March 5, 2012 | GA | SB 458 | Repeals Certain Public Benefits for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 19) |
Feb. 29, 2012 | SD | HB 1234 | Eliminates Teacher Tenure | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (36 - 33) |
Feb. 28, 2012 | National | HR 2117 | Repeals Department of Education Regulations | Bill Passed - House (303 - 114) |
Feb. 27, 2012 | SD | HB 1234 | Eliminates Teacher Tenure | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
Feb. 24, 2012 | UT | SB 44 | Providing Tuition Assistance for Military Veterans | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 14) |
Feb. 23, 2012 | FL | HB 5001 | 2012-2013 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 6) |
Feb. 22, 2012 | MI | SB 971 | Repeals Collective Bargaining Rights for Graduate Research Assistants | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
Feb. 17, 2012 | VA | SB 131 | Establishes Tax Deductions for Corporations | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 20) |
Feb. 13, 2012 | SD | HB 1234 | Eliminates Teacher Tenure | Bill Passed - House (41 - 28) |
Feb. 9, 2012 | FL | HB 5001 | 2012-2013 Budget | Bill Passed - House (79 - 38) |
Feb. 1, 2012 | NH | HB 1383 | Prohibits In-State Tuition for Non-US Residents | Bill Passed - House (250 - 88) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
8/29 | AB 2132 | Encourages State Universities to Include Public Service in Tenure Policy | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 27) |
8/28 | AB 2132 | Encourages State Universities to Include Public Service in Tenure Policy | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
6/18 | HB 7 | Authorizes Community Colleges to Opt Out of Federal Loan Program | Veto Override Passed - Senate (31 - 16) |
6/14 | HB 7 | Authorizes Community Colleges to Opt Out of Federal Loan Program | Veto Override Passed - House (71 - 46) |
6/05 | HB 5372 | School Aid Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 17) |
6/01 | HB 5372 | School Aid Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (58 - 51) |
5/31 | SB 1525 | Establishes a Student Athlete Bill of Rights | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
5/24 | S 2343 | Extends Student Loan Interest Rates (Reid Bill) | Bill Failed - Senate (51 - 43) |
5/24 | S Amdt 2153 | Prohibits Increase in Interest Rates for Student Loans (Lamar Bill) | Amendment Rejected - Senate (34 - 62) |
5/16 | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (67 - 37) |
5/16 | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 7) |
5/16 | HB 1607 | Establishes a Tax Credit for Businesses that Donate to Certain Scholarship Funds | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 7) |
5/08 | S 2343 | Extends Student Loan Interest Rates (Reid Bill) | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (52 - 45) |
5/03 | King Amendment | Amends the State Retirement System for New Public Employees | Amendment Rejected - Senate (20 - 20) |
5/02 | HB 1383 | Prohibits In-State Tuition for Non-US Residents | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 5) |
4/30 | SB 3597 | Prohibits Discrimination Against Religious Student Groups at Public Universities | Bill Passed - House (61 - 22) |
4/30 | SB 3597 | Prohibits Discrimination Against Religious Student Groups at Public Universities | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 12) |
4/27 | HR 4628 | Extending Student Loan Interest Rates | Bill Passed - House (215 - 195) |
4/19 | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Bill Passed - House (64 - 34) |
4/16 | SB 2514 | Amends Eligibility Requirements for the Tennessee HOPE Scholarship | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
4/09 | SB 15 | College Tuition Rates for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14) |
3/29 | HB 5531 | Limits Tuition Waivers for State University Employees | Bill Failed - House (26 - 75) |
3/29 | HB 1607 | Establishes a Tax Credit for Businesses that Donate to Certain Scholarship Funds | Bill Passed - House (173 - 127) |
3/23 | H 426 | Establishes a Program for High School Students to Obtain an Associate's Degree | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (59 - 6) |
3/21 | HB 3810 | Eliminates General Assembly Scholarships | Bill Passed - House (79 - 25) |
3/19 | H 426 | Establishes a Program for High School Students to Obtain an Associate's Degree | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 7) |
3/13 | HF 2380 | Amends Education Provisions | Bill Passed - House (53 - 46) |
3/09 | HB 5001 | 2012-2013 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (32 - 8) |
3/09 | HB 5001 | 2012-2013 Budget | Conference Report Adopted - House (80 - 37) |
3/05 | SB 458 | Repeals Certain Public Benefits for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 19) |
2/29 | HB 1234 | Eliminates Teacher Tenure | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (36 - 33) |
2/28 | HR 2117 | Repeals Department of Education Regulations | Bill Passed - House (303 - 114) |
2/27 | HB 1234 | Eliminates Teacher Tenure | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 12) |
2/24 | SB 44 | Providing Tuition Assistance for Military Veterans | Bill Failed - Senate (11 - 14) |
2/23 | HB 5001 | 2012-2013 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 6) |
2/22 | SB 971 | Repeals Collective Bargaining Rights for Graduate Research Assistants | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
2/17 | SB 131 | Establishes Tax Deductions for Corporations | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 20) |
2/13 | HB 1234 | Eliminates Teacher Tenure | Bill Passed - House (41 - 28) |
2/09 | HB 5001 | 2012-2013 Budget | Bill Passed - House (79 - 38) |
2/01 | HB 1383 | Prohibits In-State Tuition for Non-US Residents | Bill Passed - House (250 - 88) |