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 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dec. 16, 2014 | MI | HB 6074 | Prohibits Student Athletes from Collective Bargaining | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
Sept. 23, 2014 | PA | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (39 - 11) |
Sept. 10, 2014 | MO | SB 656 | Authorizes School Employees to Carry Firearms on School Property | Veto Override Passed - Senate (23 - 8) |
Aug. 26, 2014 | CA | SB 1174 | Repeals Prohibition on Bilingual Education | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
Aug. 19, 2014 | CA | AB 420 | Prohibits Student Suspensions for Certain Actions and Misconduct | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 8) |
July 31, 2014 | MA | H 4278 | Amends Firearm Laws | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (37 - 3) |
July 30, 2014 | NC | HB 1133 | Amends Technical Language in Education, Firearm, and Economic Statutes | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 10) |
July 16, 2014 | MA | H 4108 | Amends Charter School Laws | Bill Failed - Senate (9 - 30) |
July 10, 2014 | NC | SB 812 | Repeals Common Core Standards | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (33 - 12) |
July 8, 2014 | PA | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette and Hotel Taxes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (43 - 5) |
July 2, 2014 | AR | HB 1003 | Limits Eligibility for School Employee Health Insurance Program | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 8) |
July 2, 2014 | AR | HB 1004 | Amends the Public School Health Insurance Program | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 6) |
July 1, 2014 | PA | HB 1177 | Authorizes Cigarette and Hotel Taxes | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 12) |
June 26, 2014 | NJ | S 2264 | Authorizes Additional Teacher Pension Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
June 11, 2014 | National | S 2432 | Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act | Cloture Not Invoked - Senate (56 - 38) |
June 3, 2014 | OH | HB 171 | Authorizes Off-Campus Religious Courses for High School Credit | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 9) |
May 30, 2014 | IL | HB 105 | Authorizes Election Day Voter Registration | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 17) |
May 29, 2014 | CA | SB 837 | Establishes the California Prekindergarten Program | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 10) |
May 28, 2014 | LA | HB 953 | Extends Timeline for Implementation of Common Core Standards | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 8) |
May 27, 2014 | IL | SB 16 | Amends Formula for School Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 19) |
May 27, 2014 | CA | SB 1174 | Repeals Prohibition on Bilingual Education | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 8) |
May 23, 2014 | OK | HJR 1092 | Authorizes School Districts To Issue Bonds For Improvements in Building Safety | Conference Report Rejected - Senate (16 - 25) |
May 23, 2014 | OK | HB 3399 | Repeals Common Core Standards | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (31 - 10) |
May 23, 2014 | IL | HB 5707 | Amends Bullying Prevention Measures in the School Code | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 18) |
May 15, 2014 | MO | HB 1490 | Establishes Work Groups to Develop Academic Standards | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (23 - 6) |
May 15, 2014 | MO | SB 656 | Authorizes School Employees to Carry Firearms on School Property | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (21 - 8) |
May 14, 2014 | MO | SB 493 | Amends School Transfer Laws | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 3) |
May 14, 2014 | RI | S 2059 | Prohibits State Assessments for Graduation Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (29 - 5) |
May 8, 2014 | DE | SB 209 | Amends Charter School Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (14 - 7) |
May 2, 2014 | FL | SB 850 | Establishes the Florida Personal Learning Scholarship Accounts Program | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 11) |
May 1, 2014 | FL | HB 851 | Authorizes In-State Tuition for Non-Citizen Individuals | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 13) |
April 30, 2014 | NY | A 9206 | Authorizes Traffic Cameras on Long Island | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 11) |
April 25, 2014 | AK | HB 278 | Increases Base Student Allocation | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (15 - 3) |
April 24, 2014 | FL | HB 7029 | Prohibits Administrators From Punishing Simulation Of Weapon Play | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 6) |
April 23, 2014 | IA | SF 2347 | 2014-2015 Higher Education Budget | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (28 - 21) |
April 23, 2014 | CO | HB 1288 | Amends Student Immunization Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 16) |
April 21, 2014 | AK | HB 278 | Increases Local Contributions for Public School Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 4) |
April 21, 2014 | AZ | HB 2316 | Prohibits Adoption of Federal Education Standards | Bill Passed - Senate (16 - 7) |
April 10, 2014 | TN | SB 196 | Establishes the Tennessee Choice and Opportunity Scholarship Program | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 10) |
April 6, 2014 | KS | HB 2506 | Appropriates Funds to Certain School Districts | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (22 - 16) |
April 3, 2014 | MN | HF 826 | Requires Schools to Establish Bullying Policies | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 31) |
April 3, 2014 | KS | Knox Amdt | Prohibits Implementation of Common Core Standards Using Certain State Funds | Amendment Adopted - Senate (27 - 12) |
April 2, 2014 | MD | HB 727 | Expands Prevailing Wage Requirements for Certain School Projects | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 15) |
April 1, 2014 | OK | HB 3399 | Repeals Common Core Standards | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 10) |
March 25, 2014 | KY | SB 211 | Authorizes the Formation of Charter Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 14) |
March 24, 2014 | TN | SB 2115 | Authorizes In-State Tuition for Certain Students | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 10) |
March 18, 2014 | IA | SF 2318 | Amends School Harassment and Bullying Policies | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 19) |
March 13, 2014 | IN | HB 1321 | Authorizes Certain School Corporations to Establish Innovation Network Schools | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 18) |
March 13, 2014 | IN | HB 1036 | Expands Voucher Eligibility Requirements for Child Care Providers | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (40 - 6) |
March 13, 2014 | NY | S 2031A | Amends the Board of Regents Appointment Process | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 19) |
March 13, 2014 | TN | SJR 626 | Authorizes Individuals Paying School Fees to Determine Allocation of Fees to Student Organizations | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (23 - 6) |
March 12, 2014 | IN | SB 91 | Repeals Common Core Standards | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 13) |
March 12, 2014 | UT | HB 96 | Establishes a School Readiness Board | Bill Passed - Senate (17 - 10) |
March 5, 2014 | AZ | SB 1310 | Prohibits the Implementation of Common Core Standards | Bill Failed - Senate (12 - 18) |
March 4, 2014 | IN | HB 1036 | Expands Voucher Eligibility Requirements for Child Care Providers | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 12) |
Feb. 25, 2014 | GA | SB 167 | Prohibits Common Core Curriculum Standards | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 16) |
Feb. 18, 2014 | NM | SB 347 | Appropriates Funds to the Lottery Tuition Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 11) |
Feb. 18, 2014 | NM | SB 347 | Appropriates Funds to the Lottery Tuition Fund | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 11) |
Feb. 18, 2014 | ID | S 1254 | Authorizes the Concealed Carry of Firearms on College or University Campuses | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
Feb. 13, 2014 | AL | SB 18 | Authorizes a School District to Educate on Traditional Winter Celebrations | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 7) |
Feb. 13, 2014 | MS | SB 2325 | Establishes Individualized Education Funds for Certain Individuals | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
Feb. 12, 2014 | MS | S Amdt 2 | Repeals August School Start Date Requirement | Amendment Adopted - Senate (31 - 15) |
Feb. 11, 2014 | MS | S Amdt 7 | Prohibits Abortion Counseling in Pregnancy Prevention Programs | Amendment Rejected - Senate (22 - 23) |
Feb. 11, 2014 | MS | SB 2563 | Requires Universities to Develop a Plan of Action for Unplanned Pregnancies | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 11) |
Feb. 5, 2014 | IA | SF 2079 | Increases School Funding | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 23) |
Feb. 4, 2014 | VA | SB 324 | Extends Deadline for Implementation of a School Performance Grading System | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 17) |
Feb. 4, 2014 | IN | SB 264 | Authorizes Annual Stipends for Certain Teachers | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 14) |
Feb. 4, 2014 | IN | SB 91 | Repeals Common Core Standards | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 12) |
Jan. 31, 2014 | WA | SB 6523 | Authorizes In-State Tuition for Non-Citizen Individuals | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 10) |
Jan. 28, 2014 | ME | LD 1254 | Requires State Institutions to Purchase Foods Produced in Maine | Veto Override Failed - Senate (20 - 13) |
Jan. 28, 2014 | ME | LD 1254 | Requires State Institutions to Purchase Foods Produced in Maine | Veto Override Failed - Senate (20 - 13) |
Jan. 23, 2014 | IN | SB 113 | Requires Cursive Writing to be Taught in School | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 9) |
Jan. 21, 2014 | VA | SB 236 | Authorizes Religious Expression in Public Schools | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 18) |