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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 17, 2016 | IL | SB 2059 | 2016 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 18) |
| March 3, 2016 | IL | HB 580 | Requires Mediation of Expired State Collective Bargaining Agreements | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 17) |
| March 3, 2016 | IL | HB 2990 | Appropriates Funds for Higher Education and Human Services | Bill Passed - House (70 - 43) |
| March 3, 2016 | IL | HB 648 | Repeals Requirement to Repay Special Funds | Bill Passed - House (61 - 52) |
| March 2, 2016 | IL | SB 2043 | Appropriates Funds for Higher Education | Veto Override Failed - House (69 - 48) |
| March 2, 2016 | IL | SB 2043 | Appropriates Funds for Higher Education | Veto Override Passed - Senate (37 - 17) |
| Feb. 16, 2016 | IL | HB 580 | Requires Mediation of Expired State Collective Bargaining Agreements | Bill Passed - House (67 - 46) |
| Jan. 28, 2016 | IL | SB 2043 | Appropriates Funds for Higher Education | Bill Passed - House (67 - 42) |
| Nov. 10, 2015 | IL | HB 2482 | Specifies Determination of Need Score to Qualify for Assistance | Veto Override Failed - House (70 - 38) |
| Nov. 10, 2015 | IL | SB 570 | Requires Child Care Benefits for Eligible Individuals | Bill Failed - House (70 - 35) |
| Sept. 9, 2015 | IL | HB 1 | Expands Heroin Abuse Treatment Programs | Veto Override Passed - Senate (44 - 11) |
| Sept. 9, 2015 | IL | SB 2046 | Appropriates Funds for the Department of Public Health | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 19) |
| Sept. 2, 2015 | IL | SB 1229 | Establishes Arbitration Procedure For Labor Disputes | Veto Override Failed - House (68 - 34) |
| Aug. 19, 2015 | IL | SB 1229 | Establishes Arbitration Procedure For Labor Disputes | Veto Override Passed - Senate (38 - 15) |
| July 9, 2015 | IL | HB 3593 | Limits Community College Severance Packages | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (73 - 34) |
| June 23, 2015 | IL | HB 3593 | Limits Community College Severance Packages | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (51 - 44) |
| June 16, 2015 | IL | HB 1336 | Establishes Immunity from Underage Drinking Charges in Certain Circumstances | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (74 - 34) |
| June 4, 2015 | IL | HB 1287 | Amends Certain Workers' Compensation Programs | Bill Passed - House (63 - 39) |
| May 31, 2015 | IL | HB 352 | Authorizes Bobcat Hunting | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 46) |
| May 31, 2015 | IL | HB 352 | Authorizes Bobcat Hunting | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (55 - 54) |
| May 30, 2015 | IL | SB 1229 | Establishes Arbitration Procedure For Labor Disputes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 17) |
| May 30, 2015 | IL | SB 33 | Authorizes Medical Marijuana for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder | Bill Passed - House (68 - 36) |
| May 29, 2015 | IL | HB 217 | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy for Minors | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 19) |
| May 29, 2015 | IL | HB 4151 | 2015-2016 Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 24) |
| May 27, 2015 | IL | HB 4151 | 2015-2016 Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (66 - 47) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/17 | SB 2059 | 2016 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 18) |
| 3/03 | HB 580 | Requires Mediation of Expired State Collective Bargaining Agreements | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 17) |
| 3/03 | HB 2990 | Appropriates Funds for Higher Education and Human Services | Bill Passed - House (70 - 43) |
| 3/03 | HB 648 | Repeals Requirement to Repay Special Funds | Bill Passed - House (61 - 52) |
| 3/02 | SB 2043 | Appropriates Funds for Higher Education | Veto Override Failed - House (69 - 48) |
| 3/02 | SB 2043 | Appropriates Funds for Higher Education | Veto Override Passed - Senate (37 - 17) |
| 2/16 | HB 580 | Requires Mediation of Expired State Collective Bargaining Agreements | Bill Passed - House (67 - 46) |
| 1/28 | SB 2043 | Appropriates Funds for Higher Education | Bill Passed - House (67 - 42) |
| 11/10 | HB 2482 | Specifies Determination of Need Score to Qualify for Assistance | Veto Override Failed - House (70 - 38) |
| 11/10 | SB 570 | Requires Child Care Benefits for Eligible Individuals | Bill Failed - House (70 - 35) |
| 9/09 | HB 1 | Expands Heroin Abuse Treatment Programs | Veto Override Passed - Senate (44 - 11) |
| 9/09 | SB 2046 | Appropriates Funds for the Department of Public Health | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 19) |
| 9/02 | SB 1229 | Establishes Arbitration Procedure For Labor Disputes | Veto Override Failed - House (68 - 34) |
| 8/19 | SB 1229 | Establishes Arbitration Procedure For Labor Disputes | Veto Override Passed - Senate (38 - 15) |
| 7/09 | HB 3593 | Limits Community College Severance Packages | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (73 - 34) |
| 6/23 | HB 3593 | Limits Community College Severance Packages | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (51 - 44) |
| 6/16 | HB 1336 | Establishes Immunity from Underage Drinking Charges in Certain Circumstances | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (74 - 34) |
| 6/04 | HB 1287 | Amends Certain Workers' Compensation Programs | Bill Passed - House (63 - 39) |
| 5/31 | HB 352 | Authorizes Bobcat Hunting | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (60 - 46) |
| 5/31 | HB 352 | Authorizes Bobcat Hunting | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (55 - 54) |
| 5/30 | SB 1229 | Establishes Arbitration Procedure For Labor Disputes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 17) |
| 5/30 | SB 33 | Authorizes Medical Marijuana for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder | Bill Passed - House (68 - 36) |
| 5/29 | HB 217 | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy for Minors | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 19) |
| 5/29 | HB 4151 | 2015-2016 Education Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 24) |
| 5/27 | HB 4151 | 2015-2016 Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (66 - 47) |