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 3, 2010 | IL | HB 2360 | Homeowner's Emergency Assistance Plan | Bill Passed - House (73 - 38) |
| 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) |
| July 15, 2009 | IL | SB 1292 | Issuing of Bonds for Revenue | Bill Passed - House (88 - 24) |
| July 15, 2009 | IL | SB 1216 | 2009-2010 Budget | Bill Passed - House (90 - 22) |
| May 31, 2009 | IL | HB 7 | Campaign Contribution Limits | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (64 - 46) |
| May 31, 2009 | IL | SB 2252 | Temporary Income Tax Increase and Tax Credit for Green Businesses | Bill Failed - House (42 - 74) |
| May 30, 2009 | IL | HJRCA 31 | Authorizing Governor Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - House (109 - 6) |
| May 30, 2009 | IL | HJRCA 31 | Authorizing Governor Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - House (109 - 6) |
| May 22, 2009 | IL | HB 255 | Video Gambling in Various Establishments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (86 - 30) |
| 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) |
| May 22, 2008 | IL | HB 2310 | Truancy, Information Sharing, and Fines | Bill Passed - House (85 - 25) |
| May 15, 2008 | IL | HB 4758 | Fairgrounds Racetrack Authority | Bill Passed - House (83 - 28) |
| May 15, 2008 | IL | SB 2052 | Taxes for Levee Repair | Bill Passed - House (64 - 44) |
| May 7, 2008 | IL | HJR 132 | Legislative Salaries | Joint Resolution Passed - House (94 - 8) |
| May 7, 2008 | IL | HJR 132 | Legislative Salaries | Joint Resolution Passed - House (94 - 8) |
| April 30, 2008 | IL | HB 5278 | Limiting County Clerk and Election Board Members' Endorsements | Bill Passed - House (63 - 48) |
| April 8, 2008 | IL | HJRCA 28 | Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - House (75 - 33) |
| 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) |
| Jan. 9, 2008 | IL | HB 1685 | National Popular Vote Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (64 - 50) |
| Nov. 28, 2007 | IL | SB 307 | Regional Transportation Authority Funding | Bill Failed - House (57 - 53) |
| Oct. 3, 2007 | IL | HB 664 | Homeowner Tax Exemption | Veto Override Passed - House (92 - 19) |
| Aug. 10, 2007 | IL | HB 3866 | 2007-2008 Budget | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (98 - 8) |
| 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 2, 2007 | IL | HB 858 | Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote | Bill Passed - House (65 - 50) |
| 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) |
| May 3, 2006 | IL | SB 1520 | 2006-2007 Budget | Bill Passed - House (64 - 49) |
| May 2, 2006 | IL | SB 2872 | Local Government Facility Lease Act | Bill Passed - House (65 - 46) |
| May 1, 2006 | IL | SB 1445 | Election Code Revisions | Bill Passed - House (61 - 40) |
| April 26, 2006 | IL | HB 1918 | Support Horseracing Through Riverboat Casinos in Chicago | Bill Passed - House (70 - 32) |
| March 29, 2006 | IL | HB 1917 | Support Horseracing Through Riverboat Gambling | Bill Failed - House (58 - 52) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/03 | HB 2360 | Homeowner's Emergency Assistance Plan | Bill Passed - House (73 - 38) |
| 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) |
| 7/15 | SB 1292 | Issuing of Bonds for Revenue | Bill Passed - House (88 - 24) |
| 7/15 | SB 1216 | 2009-2010 Budget | Bill Passed - House (90 - 22) |
| 5/31 | HB 7 | Campaign Contribution Limits | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (64 - 46) |
| 5/31 | SB 2252 | Temporary Income Tax Increase and Tax Credit for Green Businesses | Bill Failed - House (42 - 74) |
| 5/30 | HJRCA 31 | Authorizing Governor Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - House (109 - 6) |
| 5/30 | HJRCA 31 | Authorizing Governor Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - House (109 - 6) |
| 5/22 | HB 255 | Video Gambling in Various Establishments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (86 - 30) |
| 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) |
| 5/22 | HB 2310 | Truancy, Information Sharing, and Fines | Bill Passed - House (85 - 25) |
| 5/15 | HB 4758 | Fairgrounds Racetrack Authority | Bill Passed - House (83 - 28) |
| 5/15 | SB 2052 | Taxes for Levee Repair | Bill Passed - House (64 - 44) |
| 5/07 | HJR 132 | Legislative Salaries | Joint Resolution Passed - House (94 - 8) |
| 5/07 | HJR 132 | Legislative Salaries | Joint Resolution Passed - House (94 - 8) |
| 4/30 | HB 5278 | Limiting County Clerk and Election Board Members' Endorsements | Bill Passed - House (63 - 48) |
| 4/08 | HJRCA 28 | Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - House (75 - 33) |
| 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) |
| 1/09 | HB 1685 | National Popular Vote Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (64 - 50) |
| 11/28 | SB 307 | Regional Transportation Authority Funding | Bill Failed - House (57 - 53) |
| 10/03 | HB 664 | Homeowner Tax Exemption | Veto Override Passed - House (92 - 19) |
| 8/10 | HB 3866 | 2007-2008 Budget | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (98 - 8) |
| 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) |
| 5/02 | HB 858 | Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote | Bill Passed - House (65 - 50) |
| 4/27 | HB 1798 | Wrongful Death Damages | Bill Passed - House (63 - 52) |
| 4/26 | HB 317 | Abortion Notification Bill | Bill Failed - House (55 - 62) |
| 5/03 | SB 1520 | 2006-2007 Budget | Bill Passed - House (64 - 49) |
| 5/02 | SB 2872 | Local Government Facility Lease Act | Bill Passed - House (65 - 46) |
| 5/01 | SB 1445 | Election Code Revisions | Bill Passed - House (61 - 40) |
| 4/26 | HB 1918 | Support Horseracing Through Riverboat Casinos in Chicago | Bill Passed - House (70 - 32) |
| 3/29 | HB 1917 | Support Horseracing Through Riverboat Gambling | Bill Failed - House (58 - 52) |