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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 14, 2013 | IL | SB 622 | Increases Physician License Fees | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 19) |
| May 31, 2012 | IL | SB 1566 | Increases License Plate Fees | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (33 - 21) |
| May 31, 2012 | IL | SB 3442 | Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 15) |
| May 31, 2012 | IL | SB 1566 | Increases License Plate Fees | Bill Passed - House (61 - 56) |
| May 31, 2012 | IL | HB 1447 | Pension Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24) |
| May 31, 2012 | IL | SB 2621 | Amends the Department of Corrections' Early Release Program | Bill Passed - House (68 - 50) |
| May 30, 2012 | IL | SB 3442 | Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags | Bill Passed - House (72 - 44) |
| May 29, 2012 | IL | SB 2194 | Increases Cigarette Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 27) |
| May 25, 2012 | IL | SB 2194 | Increases Cigarette Tax | Bill Passed - House (60 - 52) |
| May 24, 2012 | IL | SB 2840 | Limits Medicaid Funding | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 13) |
| May 24, 2012 | IL | SB 2840 | Limits Medicaid Funding | Bill Passed - House (94 - 22) |
| May 10, 2012 | IL | SB 1313 | Limits Health Care Coverage for Retired State Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 20) |
| May 9, 2012 | IL | SB 1313 | Limits Health Care Coverage for Retired State Employees | Bill Passed - House (74 - 43) |
| March 29, 2012 | IL | Amendment No. 4 | Requires Physicians to Provide Information About Side Effects of Erectile Dysfunction Drugs | Amendment Rejected - House (32 - 68) |
| March 26, 2012 | IL | HB 5789 | Establishes State Park Fees | Bill Passed - House (81 - 29) |
| Oct. 27, 2011 | IL | SB 1701 | Legal Immunity for Individuals Seeking Treatment for Drug Overdose | Bill Passed - House (61 - 53) |
| May 31, 2011 | IL | SB 145 | Nursing Home Infection Control | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 24) |
| May 30, 2011 | IL | SB 145 | Nursing Home Infection Control | Bill Passed - House (69 - 45) |
| May 26, 2011 | IL | HB 1600 | Limits Artificial Trans Fats | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 40) |
| April 13, 2011 | IL | HB 1600 | Limits Artificial Trans Fats | Bill Passed - House (73 - 43) |
| April 27, 2010 | IL | SB 615 | Local Food, Farms and Jobs Act | Bill Passed - House (73 - 41) |
| March 18, 2010 | IL | SB 615 | Local Food, Farms and Jobs Act | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 16) |
| Aug. 19, 2008 | IL | HB 5285 | Extending Parental Health Insurance to Unmarried Dependents | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 17) |
| Aug. 13, 2008 | IL | HB 5285 | Extending Parental Health Insurance to Unmarried Dependents | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (70 - 21) |
| May 15, 2008 | IL | SB 2052 | Taxes for Levee Repair | Bill Passed - House (64 - 44) |
| April 17, 2008 | IL | SB 2858 | Public School Trans Fat Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 19) |
| April 16, 2008 | IL | SB 2052 | Taxes for Levee Repair | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 15) |
| Aug. 9, 2007 | IL | HB 556 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 24) |
| May 31, 2007 | IL | SB 4 | Stem Cell Research and Human Cloning | Bill Passed - House (70 - 44) |
| May 1, 2007 | IL | SB 500 | Smoke Free Illinois Act | Bill Passed - House (73 - 42) |
| 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 29, 2007 | IL | SB 500 | Smoke Free Illinois Act | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 23) |
| March 1, 2007 | IL | HB 138 | Stem Cell Research and Human Cloning | Bill Passed - House (67 - 46) |
| Feb. 23, 2007 | IL | SB 9 | Illinois Climate Change Act | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 13) |
| Feb. 23, 2007 | IL | SB 4 | Stem Cell Research and Human Cloning | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 23) |
| March 30, 2006 | IL | HB 5284 | Carbon Monoxide Detector Act | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 22) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/14 | SB 622 | Increases Physician License Fees | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 19) |
| 5/31 | SB 1566 | Increases License Plate Fees | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (33 - 21) |
| 5/31 | SB 3442 | Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 15) |
| 5/31 | SB 1566 | Increases License Plate Fees | Bill Passed - House (61 - 56) |
| 5/31 | HB 1447 | Pension Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24) |
| 5/31 | SB 2621 | Amends the Department of Corrections' Early Release Program | Bill Passed - House (68 - 50) |
| 5/30 | SB 3442 | Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags | Bill Passed - House (72 - 44) |
| 5/29 | SB 2194 | Increases Cigarette Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 27) |
| 5/25 | SB 2194 | Increases Cigarette Tax | Bill Passed - House (60 - 52) |
| 5/24 | SB 2840 | Limits Medicaid Funding | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 13) |
| 5/24 | SB 2840 | Limits Medicaid Funding | Bill Passed - House (94 - 22) |
| 5/10 | SB 1313 | Limits Health Care Coverage for Retired State Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 20) |
| 5/09 | SB 1313 | Limits Health Care Coverage for Retired State Employees | Bill Passed - House (74 - 43) |
| 3/29 | Amendment No. 4 | Requires Physicians to Provide Information About Side Effects of Erectile Dysfunction Drugs | Amendment Rejected - House (32 - 68) |
| 3/26 | HB 5789 | Establishes State Park Fees | Bill Passed - House (81 - 29) |
| 10/27 | SB 1701 | Legal Immunity for Individuals Seeking Treatment for Drug Overdose | Bill Passed - House (61 - 53) |
| 5/31 | SB 145 | Nursing Home Infection Control | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 24) |
| 5/30 | SB 145 | Nursing Home Infection Control | Bill Passed - House (69 - 45) |
| 5/26 | HB 1600 | Limits Artificial Trans Fats | Bill Failed - Senate (13 - 40) |
| 4/13 | HB 1600 | Limits Artificial Trans Fats | Bill Passed - House (73 - 43) |
| 4/27 | SB 615 | Local Food, Farms and Jobs Act | Bill Passed - House (73 - 41) |
| 3/18 | SB 615 | Local Food, Farms and Jobs Act | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 16) |
| 8/19 | HB 5285 | Extending Parental Health Insurance to Unmarried Dependents | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 17) |
| 8/13 | HB 5285 | Extending Parental Health Insurance to Unmarried Dependents | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (70 - 21) |
| 5/15 | SB 2052 | Taxes for Levee Repair | Bill Passed - House (64 - 44) |
| 4/17 | SB 2858 | Public School Trans Fat Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 19) |
| 4/16 | SB 2052 | Taxes for Levee Repair | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 15) |
| 8/09 | HB 556 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 24) |
| 5/31 | SB 4 | Stem Cell Research and Human Cloning | Bill Passed - House (70 - 44) |
| 5/01 | SB 500 | Smoke Free Illinois Act | Bill Passed - House (73 - 42) |
| 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) |
| 3/29 | SB 500 | Smoke Free Illinois Act | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 23) |
| 3/01 | HB 138 | Stem Cell Research and Human Cloning | Bill Passed - House (67 - 46) |
| 2/23 | SB 9 | Illinois Climate Change Act | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 13) |
| 2/23 | SB 4 | Stem Cell Research and Human Cloning | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 23) |
| 3/30 | HB 5284 | Carbon Monoxide Detector Act | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 22) |