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. 14, 2011 MI SB618 Repeals Limit on Number of Charter Schools Bill Passed - House (58 - 49)
Dec. 14, 2011 PA H Amdt 7732 Tuition Vouchers for Charter Schools Amendment Rejected - House (90 - 105)
Nov. 30, 2011 NH CACR 14 Constitutional Amendment Authorizing the Legislature to Set Standards for Public Education Amendment Rejected - House (114 - 264)
Nov. 17, 2011 National HR 2112 Appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Food and Drug Administration Conference Report Adopted - Senate (70 - 30)
Nov. 17, 2011 National HR 2112 Appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Food and Drug Administration Conference Report Adopted - House (298 - 121)
Nov. 10, 2011 IL SB 2147 Paying Regional Superintendents Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 16)
Nov. 9, 2011 MI HB 4005 School Board Election Dates Concurrence Vote Passed - House (69 - 39)
Nov. 9, 2011 IL SB 2147 Paying Regional Superintendents Bill Failed - House (70 - 43)
Nov. 9, 2011 ND SB 2370 Authorizes Changing the Nickname and Logo of the University of North Dakota Bill Passed - House (63 - 31)
Nov. 9, 2011 IL SB 2147 Paying Regional Superintendents Bill Passed - House (74 - 36)
Nov. 8, 2011 ND SB 2370 Authorizes Changing the Nickname and Logo of the University of North Dakota Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 7)
Nov. 3, 2011 MI HB 4005 School Board Election Dates Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14)
Nov. 2, 2011 MI SB 137 Bullying Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11)
Nov. 2, 2011 WI SB 237 Amending Sexual Education Guidelines Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15)
Nov. 1, 2011 WI SB 45 Administration of Medications to Students Bill Passed - House (63 - 32)
Oct. 27, 2011 MI SB 619 Cyber Schools Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 18)
Oct. 26, 2011 PA SB 1 Charter School Guidelines Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22)
Oct. 25, 2011 WI SB 45 Administration of Medications to Students Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15)
Oct. 20, 2011 WI SB 95 Evaluating Teacher Performance Using Standardized Test Scores Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 16)
Oct. 11, 2011 National S 1660 American Jobs Act of 2011 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49)
Sept. 26, 2011 NJ A 2806 Conversion of Certain Private Schools to Charter Schools Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13)
Sept. 6, 2011 CA AB 165 Prohibits Public Schools from Charging Fees for Educational Activities Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 24)
Sept. 1, 2011 CA SB 185 Considering Race, Ethnicity and Gender in College Admissions Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 15)
Sept. 1, 2011 CA AB 165 Prohibits Public Schools from Charging Fees for Educational Activities Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15)
Aug. 30, 2011 CA SB 161 Administration of Epilepsy Medication in Schools Bill Passed - House (46 - 21)
Date No. Title Outcome
12/14 SB618 Repeals Limit on Number of Charter Schools Bill Passed - House (58 - 49)
12/14 H Amdt 7732 Tuition Vouchers for Charter Schools Amendment Rejected - House (90 - 105)
11/30 CACR 14 Constitutional Amendment Authorizing the Legislature to Set Standards for Public Education Amendment Rejected - House (114 - 264)
11/17 HR 2112 Appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Food and Drug Administration Conference Report Adopted - Senate (70 - 30)
11/17 HR 2112 Appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Food and Drug Administration Conference Report Adopted - House (298 - 121)
11/10 SB 2147 Paying Regional Superintendents Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 16)
11/09 HB 4005 School Board Election Dates Concurrence Vote Passed - House (69 - 39)
11/09 SB 2147 Paying Regional Superintendents Bill Failed - House (70 - 43)
11/09 SB 2370 Authorizes Changing the Nickname and Logo of the University of North Dakota Bill Passed - House (63 - 31)
11/09 SB 2147 Paying Regional Superintendents Bill Passed - House (74 - 36)
11/08 SB 2370 Authorizes Changing the Nickname and Logo of the University of North Dakota Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 7)
11/03 HB 4005 School Board Election Dates Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14)
11/02 SB 137 Bullying Law Amendments Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11)
11/02 SB 237 Amending Sexual Education Guidelines Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 15)
11/01 SB 45 Administration of Medications to Students Bill Passed - House (63 - 32)
10/27 SB 619 Cyber Schools Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 18)
10/26 SB 1 Charter School Guidelines Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 22)
10/25 SB 45 Administration of Medications to Students Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 15)
10/20 SB 95 Evaluating Teacher Performance Using Standardized Test Scores Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 16)
10/11 S 1660 American Jobs Act of 2011 Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (50 - 49)
9/26 A 2806 Conversion of Certain Private Schools to Charter Schools Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13)
9/06 AB 165 Prohibits Public Schools from Charging Fees for Educational Activities Concurrence Vote Passed - House (51 - 24)
9/01 SB 185 Considering Race, Ethnicity and Gender in College Admissions Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (23 - 15)
9/01 AB 165 Prohibits Public Schools from Charging Fees for Educational Activities Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 15)
8/30 SB 161 Administration of Epilepsy Medication in Schools Bill Passed - House (46 - 21)

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