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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 9, 2013 | IL | HB 183 | Authorizes the Concealed Carry of Firearms | Veto Override Passed - Senate (41 - 17) |
| May 23, 2013 | IL | HB 3227 | Amends State Health Benefits Exchange | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 19) |
| May 23, 2013 | IL | HB 1247 | Prohibits Using a Hand-Held Cell Phone While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 20) |
| May 22, 2013 | IL | HB 2675 | Expands Sex Education Curriculum | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 21) |
| May 21, 2013 | IL | SB 9 | Increases Utility Rates | Veto Override Passed - Senate (44 - 11) |
| May 17, 2013 | IL | HB 1 | Authorizes the Use of Medical Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 21) |
| May 15, 2013 | IL | HB 226 | Authorizes 17 Year Olds to Vote in Primary Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 9) |
| May 1, 2013 | IL | SB 2202 | Prohibits Smoking on State-Funded University and Community College Campuses | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 22) |
| May 1, 2013 | IL | SB 1739 | Expands State Casino Development | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 20) |
| May 1, 2013 | IL | SB 1639 | Requires Reimbursement for the Sale of Unhealthy Pets | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18) |
| April 25, 2013 | IL | SB 2187 | Authorizes Psychologists to Prescribe Drugs | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 10) |
| April 24, 2013 | IL | SB 923 | Authorizes the Use of Traffic Cameras on School Buses | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 12) |
| March 20, 2013 | IL | SB 1 | Amends State Employee Pension Plans | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 22) |
| March 14, 2013 | IL | SB 9 | Increases Utility Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 9) |
| Feb. 28, 2013 | IL | SB 26 | Expands Medicaid Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 19) |
| Feb. 14, 2013 | IL | SB 10 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 21) |
| Feb. 14, 2013 | IL | SB 622 | Increases Physician License Fees | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 19) |
| Dec. 4, 2012 | IL | SB 957 | Authorizes Temporary Driver's Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 14) |
| May 31, 2012 | IL | SB 1849 | Expands Gambling | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 26) |
| May 31, 2012 | IL | SB 1566 | Increases License Plate Fees | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (33 - 21) |
| May 31, 2012 | IL | SB 3442 | Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 15) |
| May 31, 2012 | IL | HB 1447 | Pension Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24) |
| May 31, 2012 | IL | HB 5440 | Establishes a 5 Percent Fee on Satellite TV Companies | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 27) |
| May 29, 2012 | IL | SB 2194 | Increases Cigarette Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 27) |
| May 29, 2012 | IL | HB 5290 | Requires Schools to Establish Bullying Policies | Bill Failed - Senate (29 - 21) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/09 | HB 183 | Authorizes the Concealed Carry of Firearms | Veto Override Passed - Senate (41 - 17) |
| 5/23 | HB 3227 | Amends State Health Benefits Exchange | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 19) |
| 5/23 | HB 1247 | Prohibits Using a Hand-Held Cell Phone While Driving | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 20) |
| 5/22 | HB 2675 | Expands Sex Education Curriculum | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 21) |
| 5/21 | SB 9 | Increases Utility Rates | Veto Override Passed - Senate (44 - 11) |
| 5/17 | HB 1 | Authorizes the Use of Medical Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 21) |
| 5/15 | HB 226 | Authorizes 17 Year Olds to Vote in Primary Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 9) |
| 5/01 | SB 2202 | Prohibits Smoking on State-Funded University and Community College Campuses | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 22) |
| 5/01 | SB 1739 | Expands State Casino Development | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 20) |
| 5/01 | SB 1639 | Requires Reimbursement for the Sale of Unhealthy Pets | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18) |
| 4/25 | SB 2187 | Authorizes Psychologists to Prescribe Drugs | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 10) |
| 4/24 | SB 923 | Authorizes the Use of Traffic Cameras on School Buses | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 12) |
| 3/20 | SB 1 | Amends State Employee Pension Plans | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 22) |
| 3/14 | SB 9 | Increases Utility Rates | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 9) |
| 2/28 | SB 26 | Expands Medicaid Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 19) |
| 2/14 | SB 10 | Authorizes Same-Sex Marriage | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 21) |
| 2/14 | SB 622 | Increases Physician License Fees | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 19) |
| 12/04 | SB 957 | Authorizes Temporary Driver's Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 14) |
| 5/31 | SB 1849 | Expands Gambling | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 26) |
| 5/31 | SB 1566 | Increases License Plate Fees | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (33 - 21) |
| 5/31 | SB 3442 | Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 15) |
| 5/31 | HB 1447 | Pension Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24) |
| 5/31 | HB 5440 | Establishes a 5 Percent Fee on Satellite TV Companies | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 27) |
| 5/29 | SB 2194 | Increases Cigarette Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 27) |
| 5/29 | HB 5290 | Requires Schools to Establish Bullying Policies | Bill Failed - Senate (29 - 21) |