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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 9, 2011 | IL | SB 2147 | Paying Regional Superintendents | Bill Failed - House (70 - 43) |
| Nov. 9, 2011 | IL | SB 2147 | Paying Regional Superintendents | Bill Passed - House (74 - 36) |
| May 30, 2011 | IL | SB 2185 | Establishes the DREAM Fund Commission | Bill Passed - House (61 - 53) |
| May 4, 2011 | IL | SB 2185 | Establishes the DREAM Fund Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 11) |
| 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) |
| March 25, 2010 | IL | SB 2494 | Funding for School Vouchers | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 20) |
| March 22, 2010 | IL | HB 4886 | Authorizing 4-Day School Week | Bill Passed - House (81 - 21) |
| March 3, 2010 | IL | HB 4685 | Eliminating General Assembly Scholarship Program | Bill Passed - House (80 - 36) |
| Jan. 13, 2010 | IL | SB 315 | Teacher Evaluation Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (48 - 4) |
| Jan. 12, 2010 | IL | SB 315 | Teacher Evaluation Amendments | Bill Passed - House (74 - 37) |
| May 31, 2009 | IL | SB 612 | Raising the Cap on Charter Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (45 - 10) |
| May 22, 2008 | IL | HB 2310 | Truancy, Information Sharing, and Fines | Bill Passed - House (85 - 25) |
| April 17, 2008 | IL | SB 2858 | Public School Trans Fat Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 19) |
| April 1, 2008 | IL | SB 1997 | Interscholastic Event Image Release | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 5) |
| April 1, 2008 | IL | HB 4232 | State Board of Education Selection Process | Bill Passed - House (86 - 21) |
| 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) |
| Sept. 18, 2007 | IL | HB 2035 | Gaming Expansion to Fund Infrastructure and Social Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 15) |
| March 29, 2007 | IL | HB 414 | Community College Student Housing | Bill Passed - House (82 - 32) |
| April 6, 2006 | IL | SB 668 | Funding for Schools, Universities, and Roads | Bill Failed - Senate (32 - 26) |
| April 6, 2006 | IL | SB 3053 | Bond Authorization | Bill Failed - Senate (32 - 26) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11/09 | SB 2147 | Paying Regional Superintendents | Bill Failed - House (70 - 43) |
| 11/09 | SB 2147 | Paying Regional Superintendents | Bill Passed - House (74 - 36) |
| 5/30 | SB 2185 | Establishes the DREAM Fund Commission | Bill Passed - House (61 - 53) |
| 5/04 | SB 2185 | Establishes the DREAM Fund Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 11) |
| 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) |
| 3/25 | SB 2494 | Funding for School Vouchers | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 20) |
| 3/22 | HB 4886 | Authorizing 4-Day School Week | Bill Passed - House (81 - 21) |
| 3/03 | HB 4685 | Eliminating General Assembly Scholarship Program | Bill Passed - House (80 - 36) |
| 1/13 | SB 315 | Teacher Evaluation Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (48 - 4) |
| 1/12 | SB 315 | Teacher Evaluation Amendments | Bill Passed - House (74 - 37) |
| 5/31 | SB 612 | Raising the Cap on Charter Schools | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (45 - 10) |
| 5/22 | HB 2310 | Truancy, Information Sharing, and Fines | Bill Passed - House (85 - 25) |
| 4/17 | SB 2858 | Public School Trans Fat Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 19) |
| 4/01 | SB 1997 | Interscholastic Event Image Release | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 5) |
| 4/01 | HB 4232 | State Board of Education Selection Process | Bill Passed - House (86 - 21) |
| 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) |
| 9/18 | HB 2035 | Gaming Expansion to Fund Infrastructure and Social Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 15) |
| 3/29 | HB 414 | Community College Student Housing | Bill Passed - House (82 - 32) |
| 4/06 | SB 668 | Funding for Schools, Universities, and Roads | Bill Failed - Senate (32 - 26) |
| 4/06 | SB 3053 | Bond Authorization | Bill Failed - Senate (32 - 26) |