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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |
| May 23, 2013 | IL | HB 3227 | Amends State Health Benefits Exchange | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 19) |
| May 23, 2013 | IL | HB 3227 | Amends State Health Benefits Exchange | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 19) |
| May 15, 2013 | IL | HB 226 | Authorizes 17 Year Olds to Vote in Primary Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 9) |
| Feb. 28, 2013 | IL | SB 26 | Expands Medicaid Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 19) |
| May 31, 2012 | IL | SB 3442 | Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 15) |
| May 31, 2012 | IL | HB 1447 | Pension Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24) |
| May 10, 2012 | IL | SB 1313 | Limits Health Care Coverage for Retired State Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 20) |
| May 31, 2011 | IL | SB 1178 | Congressional Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 25) |
| May 31, 2011 | IL | SB 1178 | Congressional Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 25) |
| May 27, 2011 | IL | SB 1177 | General Assembly Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 22) |
| May 27, 2011 | IL | SB 1177 | General Assembly Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 22) |
| May 27, 2010 | IL | SB 3658 | Temporary Sales Tax Holiday | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (42 - 8) |
| May 27, 2010 | IL | SB 3660 | Emergency Budget Act of Fiscal Year 2011 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 23) |
| May 27, 2010 | IL | SB 3660 | Emergency Budget Act of Fiscal Year 2011 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 23) |
| May 7, 2010 | IL | HB 859 | 2010-2011 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 26) |
| May 6, 2010 | IL | SB 642 | Public University Borrowing | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (43 - 11) |
| May 5, 2010 | IL | SB 3695 | Streetgang-Related Crime Fund Changes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 20) |
| May 4, 2010 | IL | HB 2360 | Homeowner's Emergency Assistance Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15) |
| April 14, 2010 | IL | SJR 121 | Redistricting Process Modifications | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (36 - 22) |
| April 14, 2010 | IL | SJR 121 | Redistricting Process Modifications | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (36 - 22) |
| Jan. 12, 2010 | IL | HB 1188 | Increasing Cemetery Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24) |
| Oct. 15, 2009 | IL | HJRCA 31 | Authorizing Governor Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (56 - 1) |
| Oct. 15, 2009 | IL | HJRCA 31 | Authorizing Governor Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (56 - 1) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |
| 5/23 | HB 3227 | Amends State Health Benefits Exchange | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 19) |
| 5/23 | HB 3227 | Amends State Health Benefits Exchange | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 19) |
| 5/15 | HB 226 | Authorizes 17 Year Olds to Vote in Primary Elections | Bill Passed - Senate (43 - 9) |
| 2/28 | SB 26 | Expands Medicaid Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 19) |
| 5/31 | SB 3442 | Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 15) |
| 5/31 | HB 1447 | Pension Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24) |
| 5/10 | SB 1313 | Limits Health Care Coverage for Retired State Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 20) |
| 5/31 | SB 1178 | Congressional Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 25) |
| 5/31 | SB 1178 | Congressional Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 25) |
| 5/27 | SB 1177 | General Assembly Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 22) |
| 5/27 | SB 1177 | General Assembly Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 22) |
| 5/27 | SB 3658 | Temporary Sales Tax Holiday | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (42 - 8) |
| 5/27 | SB 3660 | Emergency Budget Act of Fiscal Year 2011 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 23) |
| 5/27 | SB 3660 | Emergency Budget Act of Fiscal Year 2011 | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 23) |
| 5/07 | HB 859 | 2010-2011 Budget | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 26) |
| 5/06 | SB 642 | Public University Borrowing | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (43 - 11) |
| 5/05 | SB 3695 | Streetgang-Related Crime Fund Changes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 20) |
| 5/04 | HB 2360 | Homeowner's Emergency Assistance Plan | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 15) |
| 4/14 | SJR 121 | Redistricting Process Modifications | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (36 - 22) |
| 4/14 | SJR 121 | Redistricting Process Modifications | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (36 - 22) |
| 1/12 | HB 1188 | Increasing Cemetery Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24) |
| 10/15 | HJRCA 31 | Authorizing Governor Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (56 - 1) |
| 10/15 | HJRCA 31 | Authorizing Governor Recall Elections | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (56 - 1) |