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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 27, 2011 | IL | SB 1701 | Legal Immunity for Individuals Seeking Treatment for Drug Overdose | Bill Passed - House (61 - 53) |
| April 13, 2011 | IL | HB 203 | Limit on Sale of Firearms Within a Certain Time Period | Bill Failed - House (47 - 68) |
| April 12, 2011 | IL | HB 3499 | Firearm Waiting Period Exemptions | Bill Passed - House (78 - 34) |
| Jan. 11, 2011 | IL | SB 3539 | Abolishing the Death Penalty | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 25) |
| Jan. 6, 2011 | IL | SB 3539 | Abolishing the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - House (60 - 54) |
| Dec. 1, 2010 | IL | SB 1716 | Authorizing Civil Unions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 24) |
| Nov. 30, 2010 | IL | SB 1716 | Authorizing Civil Unions | Bill Passed - House (61 - 52) |
| May 5, 2010 | IL | SB 3695 | Streetgang-Related Crime Fund Changes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 20) |
| April 21, 2010 | IL | HB 5428 | Limiting Adoption Records Disclosure Restrictions for Adoptees | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 16) |
| March 18, 2010 | IL | HB 5428 | Limiting Adoption Records Disclosure Restrictions for Adoptees | Bill Passed - House (74 - 39) |
| April 1, 2009 | IL | HB | Text Messaging while Driving Ban | Bill Passed - House (89 - 27) |
| April 1, 2009 | IL | HB 71 | Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving | Bill Passed - House (89 - 27) |
| March 18, 2009 | IL | HB 442 | Expanding Red-Light Traffic Camera Enforcement | Bill Passed - House (68 - 47) |
| March 18, 2009 | IL | HB 442 | Expanding Red-Light Traffic Camera Enforcement | Bill Passed - House (68 - 47) |
| May 27, 2008 | IL | HB 5288 | Expand Use of Red Light Cameras | Bill Failed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| May 7, 2008 | IL | HB 4139 | Peace Officer Firearms | Bill Passed - House (91 - 18) |
| April 30, 2008 | IL | HB 5191 | Parental Responsibility for Gun Accessibility | Bill Passed - House (74 - 36) |
| April 1, 2008 | IL | SB 1997 | Interscholastic Event Image Release | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 5) |
| March 4, 2008 | IL | HB 4180 | Allowing Teachers to Conduct a Silent Reflection | Bill Passed - House (72 - 31) |
| Oct. 11, 2007 | IL | SB 1463 | Silent Reflection and Student Prayer | Veto Override Passed - House (74 - 37) |
| Oct. 3, 2007 | IL | SB 1463 | Silent Reflection and Student Prayer | Veto Override Passed - Senate (42 - 9) |
| May 9, 2007 | IL | SB 1007 | Large Capacity Firearm Magazine Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 26) |
| May 2, 2007 | IL | HB 1727 | Internet Screening in Public Libraries | Bill Passed - House (63 - 51) |
| May 1, 2007 | IL | SB 500 | Smoke Free Illinois Act | Bill Passed - House (73 - 42) |
| March 29, 2007 | IL | SB 500 | Smoke Free Illinois Act | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 23) |
| Feb. 28, 2007 | IL | HB 408 | Mandating New Driver Signs For Minors | Bill Passed - House (74 - 39) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10/27 | SB 1701 | Legal Immunity for Individuals Seeking Treatment for Drug Overdose | Bill Passed - House (61 - 53) |
| 4/13 | HB 203 | Limit on Sale of Firearms Within a Certain Time Period | Bill Failed - House (47 - 68) |
| 4/12 | HB 3499 | Firearm Waiting Period Exemptions | Bill Passed - House (78 - 34) |
| 1/11 | SB 3539 | Abolishing the Death Penalty | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 25) |
| 1/06 | SB 3539 | Abolishing the Death Penalty | Bill Passed - House (60 - 54) |
| 12/01 | SB 1716 | Authorizing Civil Unions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 24) |
| 11/30 | SB 1716 | Authorizing Civil Unions | Bill Passed - House (61 - 52) |
| 5/05 | SB 3695 | Streetgang-Related Crime Fund Changes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 20) |
| 4/21 | HB 5428 | Limiting Adoption Records Disclosure Restrictions for Adoptees | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 16) |
| 3/18 | HB 5428 | Limiting Adoption Records Disclosure Restrictions for Adoptees | Bill Passed - House (74 - 39) |
| 4/01 | HB | Text Messaging while Driving Ban | Bill Passed - House (89 - 27) |
| 4/01 | HB 71 | Prohibiting Text Messaging While Driving | Bill Passed - House (89 - 27) |
| 3/18 | HB 442 | Expanding Red-Light Traffic Camera Enforcement | Bill Passed - House (68 - 47) |
| 3/18 | HB 442 | Expanding Red-Light Traffic Camera Enforcement | Bill Passed - House (68 - 47) |
| 5/27 | HB 5288 | Expand Use of Red Light Cameras | Bill Failed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| 5/07 | HB 4139 | Peace Officer Firearms | Bill Passed - House (91 - 18) |
| 4/30 | HB 5191 | Parental Responsibility for Gun Accessibility | Bill Passed - House (74 - 36) |
| 4/01 | SB 1997 | Interscholastic Event Image Release | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 5) |
| 3/04 | HB 4180 | Allowing Teachers to Conduct a Silent Reflection | Bill Passed - House (72 - 31) |
| 10/11 | SB 1463 | Silent Reflection and Student Prayer | Veto Override Passed - House (74 - 37) |
| 10/03 | SB 1463 | Silent Reflection and Student Prayer | Veto Override Passed - Senate (42 - 9) |
| 5/09 | SB 1007 | Large Capacity Firearm Magazine Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 26) |
| 5/02 | HB 1727 | Internet Screening in Public Libraries | Bill Passed - House (63 - 51) |
| 5/01 | SB 500 | Smoke Free Illinois Act | Bill Passed - House (73 - 42) |
| 3/29 | SB 500 | Smoke Free Illinois Act | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 23) |
| 2/28 | HB 408 | Mandating New Driver Signs For Minors | Bill Passed - House (74 - 39) |