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.


results per page:
Date State Bill No. Title Outcome
June 8, 2016 MI HB 5384 Appropriates Funds for New Detroit School District Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 18)
May 26, 2016 CA SB 1146 Amends Religious Exemption Requirements for Universities Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13)
May 19, 2016 IL HB 4167 Appropriates Funds for Monetary Award Program Grants Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 15)
May 10, 2016 IL SB 231 Appropriates Funds for Education Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 21)
May 4, 2016 AK HB 156 Amends Certain Public Education Regulations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 4)
April 21, 2016 TN HB 2248 Rescinds Funding for the University of Tennessee's Diversity Office Conference Report Adopted - Senate (22 - 3)
April 20, 2016 CT SB 147 Authorizes Students Qualifying for In-State Tuition to Receive Financial Assistance Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
April 19, 2016 TN SB 2376 Authorizes University of Tennessee Employees to Carry a Handgun on Campus Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 5)
April 19, 2016 IA SF 2323 Appropriates Funds for Higher Education Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23)
April 17, 2016 AK HB 156 Amends Certain Public Education Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 5)
April 7, 2016 MO HB 2003 Appropriates Funds to the Department of Higher Education Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8)
April 7, 2016 AK SB 174 Prohibits the University of Alaska from Regulating Firearms Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 5)
April 7, 2016 MA S 2220 Increases Spending Cap on Charter School Tuition Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)
March 31, 2016 MD SB 1052 Establishes Consolidated University of Maryland Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 13)
March 23, 2016 KS SB 469 Amends Labor Union Procedures Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18)
March 23, 2016 KS SB 469 Amends Labor Union Procedures Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18)
March 22, 2016 AL SB 205 Prohibits Abortion Clinics from being Located Near Schools Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6)
March 22, 2016 MI SB 710 Amends the Detroit Public School System Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
March 16, 2016 KY SB 253 Establishes Public Charter School Pilot Project Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9)
March 16, 2016 MD SB 706 Establishes Education Credit Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 19)
March 11, 2016 VA HB 8 Establishes Virtual Public School Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 17)
March 11, 2016 GA HB 859 Authorizes Concealed Carry of Firearms at Institutions of Higher Education Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17)
March 10, 2016 IN HB 1005 Establishes Regulations Regarding Education Conference Report Adopted - Senate (33 - 17)
March 10, 2016 WA SB 6194 Authorizes Public Charter Schools Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 23)
March 9, 2016 FL HB 7029 Amends Charter School Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 12)
March 7, 2016 VA HB 389 Establishes School Choice Program for Children with Disabilities Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 19)
March 2, 2016 IL SB 2043 Appropriates Funds for Higher Education Veto Override Passed - Senate (37 - 17)
March 1, 2016 VA HB 516 Requires Parental Review of Explicit School Books Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17)
Feb. 29, 2016 AK SB 89 Prohibits Schools from Contracting with Abortion Services Providers Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 7)
Feb. 24, 2016 SD SB 159 Authorizes Education Tax Credit for Insurance Companies Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11)
Feb. 23, 2016 IN HB 1395 Repeals ISTEP Test Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 10)
Feb. 22, 2016 ID S 1248 Repeals the Requirement that Charter Schools Use State Contracts Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)
Feb. 22, 2016 AZ SB 1402 Amends Tax Rate for Property Belonging to Institutions of Higher Education Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 14)
Feb. 17, 2016 KY SB 1 Amends Public Education Standard Review Processes Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
Feb. 16, 2016 SD HB 1008 Prohibits Students from Using School Restrooms Designated for the Opposite Biological Sex Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
Feb. 16, 2016 WA SB 6195 Amends Education Funding System Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23)
Feb. 15, 2016 VA SJ 6 Authorizes the Board of Education to Establish Charter Schools Bill Failed - Senate (19 - 21)
Feb. 10, 2016 WA SB 6443 Repeals Rule Authorizing Use of Bathrooms Consistent with Gender Identity Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 25)
Jan. 20, 2016 NE LB 18 Requires a Meningitis Immunization Before Entering Seventh Grade Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (29 - 14)
Jan. 20, 2016 WA SB 6194 Authorizes Commission Oversight for Public Charter Schools Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20)
Date No. Title Outcome
6/08 HB 5384 Appropriates Funds for New Detroit School District Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 18)
5/26 SB 1146 Amends Religious Exemption Requirements for Universities Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13)
5/19 HB 4167 Appropriates Funds for Monetary Award Program Grants Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 15)
5/10 SB 231 Appropriates Funds for Education Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 21)
5/04 HB 156 Amends Certain Public Education Regulations Conference Report Adopted - Senate (14 - 4)
4/21 HB 2248 Rescinds Funding for the University of Tennessee's Diversity Office Conference Report Adopted - Senate (22 - 3)
4/20 SB 147 Authorizes Students Qualifying for In-State Tuition to Receive Financial Assistance Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13)
4/19 SB 2376 Authorizes University of Tennessee Employees to Carry a Handgun on Campus Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 5)
4/19 SF 2323 Appropriates Funds for Higher Education Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 23)
4/17 HB 156 Amends Certain Public Education Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (15 - 5)
4/07 HB 2003 Appropriates Funds to the Department of Higher Education Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8)
4/07 SB 174 Prohibits the University of Alaska from Regulating Firearms Bill Passed - Senate (13 - 5)
4/07 S 2220 Increases Spending Cap on Charter School Tuition Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)
3/31 SB 1052 Establishes Consolidated University of Maryland Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 13)
3/23 SB 469 Amends Labor Union Procedures Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18)
3/23 SB 469 Amends Labor Union Procedures Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 18)
3/22 SB 205 Prohibits Abortion Clinics from being Located Near Schools Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6)
3/22 SB 710 Amends the Detroit Public School System Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 16)
3/16 SB 253 Establishes Public Charter School Pilot Project Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 9)
3/16 SB 706 Establishes Education Credit Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 19)
3/11 HB 8 Establishes Virtual Public School Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 17)
3/11 HB 859 Authorizes Concealed Carry of Firearms at Institutions of Higher Education Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 17)
3/10 HB 1005 Establishes Regulations Regarding Education Conference Report Adopted - Senate (33 - 17)
3/10 SB 6194 Authorizes Public Charter Schools Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (26 - 23)
3/09 HB 7029 Amends Charter School Regulations Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 12)
3/07 HB 389 Establishes School Choice Program for Children with Disabilities Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 19)
3/02 SB 2043 Appropriates Funds for Higher Education Veto Override Passed - Senate (37 - 17)
3/01 HB 516 Requires Parental Review of Explicit School Books Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 17)
2/29 SB 89 Prohibits Schools from Contracting with Abortion Services Providers Bill Passed - Senate (12 - 7)
2/24 SB 159 Authorizes Education Tax Credit for Insurance Companies Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11)
2/23 HB 1395 Repeals ISTEP Test Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 10)
2/22 S 1248 Repeals the Requirement that Charter Schools Use State Contracts Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13)
2/22 SB 1402 Amends Tax Rate for Property Belonging to Institutions of Higher Education Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 14)
2/17 SB 1 Amends Public Education Standard Review Processes Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12)
2/16 HB 1008 Prohibits Students from Using School Restrooms Designated for the Opposite Biological Sex Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 15)
2/16 SB 6195 Amends Education Funding System Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23)
2/15 SJ 6 Authorizes the Board of Education to Establish Charter Schools Bill Failed - Senate (19 - 21)
2/10 SB 6443 Repeals Rule Authorizing Use of Bathrooms Consistent with Gender Identity Bill Failed - Senate (24 - 25)
1/20 LB 18 Requires a Meningitis Immunization Before Entering Seventh Grade Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (29 - 14)
1/20 SB 6194 Authorizes Commission Oversight for Public Charter Schools Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 20)

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