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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 25, 2017 | IL | HB 40 | Amends Restrictions on Publicly Funded Abortions | Bill Passed - House (62 - 55) |
| March 3, 2016 | IL | HB 580 | Requires Mediation of Expired State Collective Bargaining Agreements | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 17) |
| Feb. 16, 2016 | IL | HB 580 | Requires Mediation of Expired State Collective Bargaining Agreements | Bill Passed - House (67 - 46) |
| Nov. 10, 2015 | IL | SB 570 | Requires Child Care Benefits for Eligible Individuals | Bill Failed - House (70 - 35) |
| 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) |
| May 30, 2015 | IL | SB 1229 | Establishes Arbitration Procedure For Labor Disputes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 17) |
| May 29, 2015 | IL | HB 217 | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy for Minors | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 19) |
| May 19, 2015 | IL | HB 217 | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy for Minors | Bill Passed - House (68 - 43) |
| Feb. 5, 2015 | IL | SB 11 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 18) |
| May 30, 2014 | IL | SB 274 | Requires Salary Payments to State Legislators | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (39 - 18) |
| May 30, 2014 | IL | SB 274 | Requires Salary Payments to State Legislators | Bill Passed - House (65 - 48) |
| May 27, 2014 | IL | HB 1154 | Amends Cook County Pension Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 16) |
| May 22, 2014 | IL | SJRCA 75 | Ratifies the Equal Rights Amendment | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 11) |
| April 10, 2014 | IL | HB 8 | Requires Accommodations for Pregnant Workers | Bill Passed - House (65 - 36) |
| April 8, 2014 | IL | SB 1922 | Amends the City of Chicago Employee Pensions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 23) |
| April 8, 2014 | IL | SB 1922 | Amends the City of Chicago Employee Pensions | Bill Passed - House (73 - 41) |
| Feb. 5, 2014 | IL | SB 1227 | Extends the Date for the Governor to Submit the State Budget | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 15) |
| Feb. 4, 2014 | IL | SB 1227 | Extends the Date for the Governor to Submit the State Budget | Bill Passed - House (62 - 48) |
| Dec. 3, 2013 | IL | SB 1 | Amends State Employee Pension Plans | Conference Report Adopted - House (62 - 53) |
| Dec. 3, 2013 | IL | SB 1 | Amends State Employee Pension Plans | Conference Report Adopted - House (62 - 53) |
| Dec. 3, 2013 | IL | SB 1 | Amends State Employee Pension Plans | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 24) |
| Dec. 3, 2013 | IL | SB 1 | Amends State Employee Pension Plans | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 24) |
| Nov. 6, 2013 | IL | SB 1523 | Amends Pension Code | Bill Passed - House (87 - 26) |
| Nov. 6, 2013 | IL | SB 1523 | Amends Pension Code | Bill Passed - House (87 - 26) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4/25 | HB 40 | Amends Restrictions on Publicly Funded Abortions | Bill Passed - House (62 - 55) |
| 3/03 | HB 580 | Requires Mediation of Expired State Collective Bargaining Agreements | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 17) |
| 2/16 | HB 580 | Requires Mediation of Expired State Collective Bargaining Agreements | Bill Passed - House (67 - 46) |
| 11/10 | SB 570 | Requires Child Care Benefits for Eligible Individuals | Bill Failed - House (70 - 35) |
| 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) |
| 5/30 | SB 1229 | Establishes Arbitration Procedure For Labor Disputes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 17) |
| 5/29 | HB 217 | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy for Minors | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 19) |
| 5/19 | HB 217 | Prohibits Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy for Minors | Bill Passed - House (68 - 43) |
| 2/05 | SB 11 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 18) |
| 5/30 | SB 274 | Requires Salary Payments to State Legislators | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (39 - 18) |
| 5/30 | SB 274 | Requires Salary Payments to State Legislators | Bill Passed - House (65 - 48) |
| 5/27 | HB 1154 | Amends Cook County Pension Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 16) |
| 5/22 | SJRCA 75 | Ratifies the Equal Rights Amendment | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 11) |
| 4/10 | HB 8 | Requires Accommodations for Pregnant Workers | Bill Passed - House (65 - 36) |
| 4/08 | SB 1922 | Amends the City of Chicago Employee Pensions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 23) |
| 4/08 | SB 1922 | Amends the City of Chicago Employee Pensions | Bill Passed - House (73 - 41) |
| 2/05 | SB 1227 | Extends the Date for the Governor to Submit the State Budget | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (37 - 15) |
| 2/04 | SB 1227 | Extends the Date for the Governor to Submit the State Budget | Bill Passed - House (62 - 48) |
| 12/03 | SB 1 | Amends State Employee Pension Plans | Conference Report Adopted - House (62 - 53) |
| 12/03 | SB 1 | Amends State Employee Pension Plans | Conference Report Adopted - House (62 - 53) |
| 12/03 | SB 1 | Amends State Employee Pension Plans | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 24) |
| 12/03 | SB 1 | Amends State Employee Pension Plans | Conference Report Adopted - Senate (30 - 24) |
| 11/06 | SB 1523 | Amends Pension Code | Bill Passed - House (87 - 26) |
| 11/06 | SB 1523 | Amends Pension Code | Bill Passed - House (87 - 26) |