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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 25, 2012 | IL | SB 2194 | Increases Cigarette Tax | Bill Passed - House (60 - 52) |
| May 24, 2012 | IL | SB 2840 | Limits Medicaid Funding | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 13) |
| May 24, 2012 | IL | SB 2840 | Limits Medicaid Funding | Bill Passed - House (94 - 22) |
| May 15, 2012 | IL | HB 3859 | Requires Publication of Reduced Tax Rates under the EDGE Program | Bill Passed - House (84 - 26) |
| March 26, 2012 | IL | HB 5789 | Establishes State Park Fees | Bill Passed - House (81 - 29) |
| Dec. 13, 2011 | IL | SB 397 | Tax Code Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 9) |
| Dec. 13, 2011 | IL | SB 400 | Amends State Income Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (48 - 4) |
| Dec. 12, 2011 | IL | SB 400 | Amends State Income Tax | Bill Passed - House (67 - 49) |
| Dec. 12, 2011 | IL | SB 397 | Tax Code Amendments | Bill Passed - House (81 - 28) |
| Nov. 29, 2011 | IL | HB 1883 | Property Tax Amendments | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (8 - 99) |
| Nov. 29, 2011 | IL | HB 1883 | Property Tax Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 18) |
| Jan. 11, 2011 | IL | SB 2505 | Amends Property Tax Code | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 29) |
| Jan. 11, 2011 | IL | SB 2505 | Amends Property Tax Code | Bill Passed - House (60 - 57) |
| May 27, 2010 | IL | SB 3658 | Temporary Sales Tax Holiday | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (42 - 8) |
| May 27, 2010 | IL | SB 3660 | Emergency Budget Act of Fiscal Year 2011 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 23) |
| May 25, 2010 | IL | HB 859 | 2010-2011 Budget | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (66 - 50) |
| May 25, 2010 | IL | SB 3514 | Amending State Pension Laws and Limiting Pension Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (71 - 44) |
| May 25, 2010 | IL | SB 3660 | Emergency Budget Act of Fiscal Year 2011 | Bill Passed - House (67 - 50) |
| May 7, 2010 | IL | HB 859 | 2010-2011 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 26) |
| May 7, 2010 | IL | SB 3739 | Establishing a Foreclosure Prevention Program | Bill Passed - House (87 - 26) |
| May 6, 2010 | IL | SB 642 | Public University Borrowing | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (43 - 11) |
| May 6, 2010 | IL | SB 642 | Public University Borrowing | Bill Passed - House (87 - 28) |
| May 6, 2010 | IL | SB 3658 | Temporary Sales Tax Holiday | Bill Passed - House (65 - 51) |
| May 5, 2010 | IL | SB 3695 | Streetgang-Related Crime Fund Changes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 20) |
| May 4, 2010 | IL | HB 2360 | Homeowner's Emergency Assistance Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/25 | SB 2194 | Increases Cigarette Tax | Bill Passed - House (60 - 52) |
| 5/24 | SB 2840 | Limits Medicaid Funding | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 13) |
| 5/24 | SB 2840 | Limits Medicaid Funding | Bill Passed - House (94 - 22) |
| 5/15 | HB 3859 | Requires Publication of Reduced Tax Rates under the EDGE Program | Bill Passed - House (84 - 26) |
| 3/26 | HB 5789 | Establishes State Park Fees | Bill Passed - House (81 - 29) |
| 12/13 | SB 397 | Tax Code Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 9) |
| 12/13 | SB 400 | Amends State Income Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (48 - 4) |
| 12/12 | SB 400 | Amends State Income Tax | Bill Passed - House (67 - 49) |
| 12/12 | SB 397 | Tax Code Amendments | Bill Passed - House (81 - 28) |
| 11/29 | HB 1883 | Property Tax Amendments | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (8 - 99) |
| 11/29 | HB 1883 | Property Tax Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 18) |
| 1/11 | SB 2505 | Amends Property Tax Code | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 29) |
| 1/11 | SB 2505 | Amends Property Tax Code | Bill Passed - House (60 - 57) |
| 5/27 | SB 3658 | Temporary Sales Tax Holiday | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (42 - 8) |
| 5/27 | SB 3660 | Emergency Budget Act of Fiscal Year 2011 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 23) |
| 5/25 | HB 859 | 2010-2011 Budget | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (66 - 50) |
| 5/25 | SB 3514 | Amending State Pension Laws and Limiting Pension Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (71 - 44) |
| 5/25 | SB 3660 | Emergency Budget Act of Fiscal Year 2011 | Bill Passed - House (67 - 50) |
| 5/07 | HB 859 | 2010-2011 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 26) |
| 5/07 | SB 3739 | Establishing a Foreclosure Prevention Program | Bill Passed - House (87 - 26) |
| 5/06 | SB 642 | Public University Borrowing | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (43 - 11) |
| 5/06 | SB 642 | Public University Borrowing | Bill Passed - House (87 - 28) |
| 5/06 | SB 3658 | Temporary Sales Tax Holiday | Bill Passed - House (65 - 51) |
| 5/05 | SB 3695 | Streetgang-Related Crime Fund Changes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 20) |
| 5/04 | HB 2360 | Homeowner's Emergency Assistance Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15) |