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 21, 2012 | IL | HB 3944 | Authorizing the Recording of Police | Bill Failed - House (45 - 59) |
| May 31, 2011 | IL | HB 1698 | Amends Workers' Compensation | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (62 - 43) |
| May 30, 2011 | IL | SB 145 | Nursing Home Infection Control | Bill Passed - House (69 - 45) |
| May 30, 2011 | IL | SB 2185 | Establishes the DREAM Fund Commission | Bill Passed - House (61 - 53) |
| Jan. 10, 2011 | IL | SB 3644 | Labor Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (64 - 49) |
| Jan. 4, 2011 | IL | SB 3976 | Rules to Govern the Redistricting Process | Bill Passed - House (67 - 46) |
| Nov. 30, 2010 | IL | SB 1716 | Authorizing Civil Unions | Bill Passed - House (61 - 52) |
| May 25, 2010 | IL | SB 3514 | Amending State Pension Laws and Limiting Pension Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (71 - 44) |
| 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 6, 2010 | IL | SB 3658 | Temporary Sales Tax Holiday | Bill Passed - House (65 - 51) |
| April 29, 2010 | IL | SJR 121 | Redistricting Process Modifications | Bill Failed - House (69 - 47) |
| April 27, 2010 | IL | SB 615 | Local Food, Farms and Jobs Act | Bill Passed - House (73 - 41) |
| March 26, 2010 | IL | HB 5109 | Prohibiting Public Funding of Portraits of Governors Removed From Office | Bill Passed - House (85 - 23) |
| March 22, 2010 | IL | HB 4886 | Authorizing 4-Day School Week | Bill Passed - House (81 - 21) |
| March 18, 2010 | IL | HB 5428 | Limiting Adoption Records Disclosure Restrictions for Adoptees | Bill Passed - House (74 - 39) |
| March 3, 2010 | IL | HB 4685 | Eliminating General Assembly Scholarship Program | Bill Passed - House (80 - 36) |
| Feb. 24, 2010 | IL | HB 4654 | Limiting Free Mass Transit for Seniors | Bill Passed - House (83 - 27) |
| Feb. 24, 2010 | IL | HB 4654 | Limiting Free Mass Transit for Seniors | Bill Passed - House (83 - 27) |
| Jan. 13, 2010 | IL | HB 1188 | Increasing Cemetery Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (85 - 30) |
| Jan. 12, 2010 | IL | SB 315 | Teacher Evaluation Amendments | Bill Passed - House (74 - 37) |
| May 30, 2009 | IL | HJRCA 31 | Authorizing Governor Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - House (109 - 6) |
| Jan. 14, 2009 | IL | HR 5 | Impeachment of Governor Rod R. Blagojevich | Resolution Passed - House (117 - 1) |
| Jan. 9, 2009 | IL | HR 1671 | Impeachment of Governor Rod R. Blagojevich | Resolution Passed - House (114 - 1) |
| Aug. 13, 2008 | IL | HB 4201 | Property Tax Exemption for Disabled Veterans | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (78 - 12) |
| Aug. 13, 2008 | IL | HB 5285 | Extending Parental Health Insurance to Unmarried Dependents | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (70 - 21) |
| Aug. 13, 2008 | IL | HB 5285 | Extending Parental Health Insurance to Unmarried Dependents | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (70 - 21) |
| May 22, 2008 | IL | HB 2310 | Truancy, Information Sharing, and Fines | Bill Passed - House (85 - 25) |
| May 7, 2008 | IL | HJR 132 | Legislative Salaries | Joint Resolution Passed - House (94 - 8) |
| April 8, 2008 | IL | HJRCA 28 | Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - House (75 - 33) |
| April 1, 2008 | IL | HB 4232 | State Board of Education Selection Process | Bill Passed - House (86 - 21) |
| Jan. 17, 2008 | IL | HB 656 | Providing Free Public Transportation for Senior Citizens | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (61 - 47) |
| Jan. 10, 2008 | IL | HB 656 | Transportation Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (62 - 51) |
| July 6, 2007 | IL | HB 2055 | State Lottery Privatization | Bill Failed - House (6 - 78) |
| June 7, 2007 | IL | HR 25 | State Constitutional Convention Awareness | Resolution Passed - House (48 - 47) |
| May 1, 2007 | IL | SB 500 | Smoke Free Illinois Act | Bill Passed - House (73 - 42) |
| April 27, 2007 | IL | HB 1798 | Wrongful Death Damages | Bill Passed - House (63 - 52) |
| April 26, 2007 | IL | HB 317 | Abortion Notification Bill | Bill Failed - House (55 - 62) |
| March 29, 2007 | IL | HB 1769 | Smoking Ban in Vehicles | Bill Failed - House (18 - 91) |
| March 28, 2007 | IL | HB 1100 | Driver's Certificates for Non-Citizens | Bill Passed - House (60 - 56) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/21 | HB 3944 | Authorizing the Recording of Police | Bill Failed - House (45 - 59) |
| 5/31 | HB 1698 | Amends Workers' Compensation | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (62 - 43) |
| 5/30 | SB 145 | Nursing Home Infection Control | Bill Passed - House (69 - 45) |
| 5/30 | SB 2185 | Establishes the DREAM Fund Commission | Bill Passed - House (61 - 53) |
| 1/10 | SB 3644 | Labor Law Amendments | Bill Passed - House (64 - 49) |
| 1/04 | SB 3976 | Rules to Govern the Redistricting Process | Bill Passed - House (67 - 46) |
| 11/30 | SB 1716 | Authorizing Civil Unions | Bill Passed - House (61 - 52) |
| 5/25 | SB 3514 | Amending State Pension Laws and Limiting Pension Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (71 - 44) |
| 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) |
| 5/06 | SB 3658 | Temporary Sales Tax Holiday | Bill Passed - House (65 - 51) |
| 4/29 | SJR 121 | Redistricting Process Modifications | Bill Failed - House (69 - 47) |
| 4/27 | SB 615 | Local Food, Farms and Jobs Act | Bill Passed - House (73 - 41) |
| 3/26 | HB 5109 | Prohibiting Public Funding of Portraits of Governors Removed From Office | Bill Passed - House (85 - 23) |
| 3/22 | HB 4886 | Authorizing 4-Day School Week | Bill Passed - House (81 - 21) |
| 3/18 | HB 5428 | Limiting Adoption Records Disclosure Restrictions for Adoptees | Bill Passed - House (74 - 39) |
| 3/03 | HB 4685 | Eliminating General Assembly Scholarship Program | Bill Passed - House (80 - 36) |
| 2/24 | HB 4654 | Limiting Free Mass Transit for Seniors | Bill Passed - House (83 - 27) |
| 2/24 | HB 4654 | Limiting Free Mass Transit for Seniors | Bill Passed - House (83 - 27) |
| 1/13 | HB 1188 | Increasing Cemetery Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (85 - 30) |
| 1/12 | SB 315 | Teacher Evaluation Amendments | Bill Passed - House (74 - 37) |
| 5/30 | HJRCA 31 | Authorizing Governor Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - House (109 - 6) |
| 1/14 | HR 5 | Impeachment of Governor Rod R. Blagojevich | Resolution Passed - House (117 - 1) |
| 1/09 | HR 1671 | Impeachment of Governor Rod R. Blagojevich | Resolution Passed - House (114 - 1) |
| 8/13 | HB 4201 | Property Tax Exemption for Disabled Veterans | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (78 - 12) |
| 8/13 | HB 5285 | Extending Parental Health Insurance to Unmarried Dependents | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (70 - 21) |
| 8/13 | HB 5285 | Extending Parental Health Insurance to Unmarried Dependents | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (70 - 21) |
| 5/22 | HB 2310 | Truancy, Information Sharing, and Fines | Bill Passed - House (85 - 25) |
| 5/07 | HJR 132 | Legislative Salaries | Joint Resolution Passed - House (94 - 8) |
| 4/08 | HJRCA 28 | Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - House (75 - 33) |
| 4/01 | HB 4232 | State Board of Education Selection Process | Bill Passed - House (86 - 21) |
| 1/17 | HB 656 | Providing Free Public Transportation for Senior Citizens | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (61 - 47) |
| 1/10 | HB 656 | Transportation Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (62 - 51) |
| 7/06 | HB 2055 | State Lottery Privatization | Bill Failed - House (6 - 78) |
| 6/07 | HR 25 | State Constitutional Convention Awareness | Resolution Passed - House (48 - 47) |
| 5/01 | SB 500 | Smoke Free Illinois Act | Bill Passed - House (73 - 42) |
| 4/27 | HB 1798 | Wrongful Death Damages | Bill Passed - House (63 - 52) |
| 4/26 | HB 317 | Abortion Notification Bill | Bill Failed - House (55 - 62) |
| 3/29 | HB 1769 | Smoking Ban in Vehicles | Bill Failed - House (18 - 91) |
| 3/28 | HB 1100 | Driver's Certificates for Non-Citizens | Bill Passed - House (60 - 56) |