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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 23, 2012 | IL | SB 1849 | Expands Gambling | Bill Passed - House (69 - 47) |
| May 22, 2012 | IL | SB 1808 | Authorizes Individuals to Record Law Enforcement Officers | Bill Passed - House (71 - 45) |
| March 29, 2012 | IL | HB 4083 | Internet Dating Site Requirements | Bill Passed - House (83 - 26) |
| March 29, 2012 | IL | HB 5531 | Limits Tuition Waivers for State University Employees | Bill Failed - House (26 - 75) |
| March 21, 2012 | IL | HB 3944 | Authorizing the Recording of Police | Bill Failed - House (45 - 59) |
| March 21, 2012 | IL | HB 3944 | Authorizing the Recording of Police | Bill Failed - House (45 - 59) |
| 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 744 | Authorizes Gambling | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 27) |
| May 31, 2011 | IL | HB 1490 | Regulates Full-Contact Martial Arts Events | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (69 - 45) |
| May 30, 2011 | IL | SB 744 | Authorizes Gambling | Bill Passed - House (65 - 50) |
| May 30, 2011 | IL | SB 2185 | Establishes the DREAM Fund Commission | Bill Passed - House (61 - 53) |
| May 26, 2011 | IL | HB 1490 | Regulates Full-Contact Martial Arts Events | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 8) |
| May 4, 2011 | IL | SB 2185 | Establishes the DREAM Fund Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 11) |
| 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) |
| Dec. 1, 2010 | IL | SB 1716 | Authorizing Civil Unions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 24) |
| 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) |
| Nov. 30, 2010 | IL | SB 1716 | Authorizing Civil Unions | Bill Passed - House (61 - 52) |
| May 27, 2010 | IL | SB 3658 | Temporary Sales Tax Holiday | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (42 - 8) |
| May 26, 2010 | IL | HB 4927 | Video Gaming Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (81 - 26) |
| May 6, 2010 | IL | SB 3658 | Temporary Sales Tax Holiday | Bill Passed - House (65 - 51) |
| May 5, 2010 | IL | SB 3695 | Streetgang-Related Crime Fund Changes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 20) |
| May 5, 2010 | IL | HB 4927 | Video Gaming Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 11) |
| April 27, 2010 | IL | SB 615 | Local Food, Farms and Jobs Act | Bill Passed - House (73 - 41) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/23 | SB 1849 | Expands Gambling | Bill Passed - House (69 - 47) |
| 5/22 | SB 1808 | Authorizes Individuals to Record Law Enforcement Officers | Bill Passed - House (71 - 45) |
| 3/29 | HB 4083 | Internet Dating Site Requirements | Bill Passed - House (83 - 26) |
| 3/29 | HB 5531 | Limits Tuition Waivers for State University Employees | Bill Failed - House (26 - 75) |
| 3/21 | HB 3944 | Authorizing the Recording of Police | Bill Failed - House (45 - 59) |
| 3/21 | HB 3944 | Authorizing the Recording of Police | Bill Failed - House (45 - 59) |
| 10/27 | SB 1701 | Legal Immunity for Individuals Seeking Treatment for Drug Overdose | Bill Passed - House (61 - 53) |
| 5/31 | SB 744 | Authorizes Gambling | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 27) |
| 5/31 | HB 1490 | Regulates Full-Contact Martial Arts Events | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (69 - 45) |
| 5/30 | SB 744 | Authorizes Gambling | Bill Passed - House (65 - 50) |
| 5/30 | SB 2185 | Establishes the DREAM Fund Commission | Bill Passed - House (61 - 53) |
| 5/26 | HB 1490 | Regulates Full-Contact Martial Arts Events | Bill Passed - Senate (49 - 8) |
| 5/04 | SB 2185 | Establishes the DREAM Fund Commission | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 11) |
| 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) |
| 12/01 | SB 1716 | Authorizing Civil Unions | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 24) |
| 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) |
| 11/30 | SB 1716 | Authorizing Civil Unions | Bill Passed - House (61 - 52) |
| 5/27 | SB 3658 | Temporary Sales Tax Holiday | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (42 - 8) |
| 5/26 | HB 4927 | Video Gaming Law Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (81 - 26) |
| 5/06 | SB 3658 | Temporary Sales Tax Holiday | Bill Passed - House (65 - 51) |
| 5/05 | SB 3695 | Streetgang-Related Crime Fund Changes | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 20) |
| 5/05 | HB 4927 | Video Gaming Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (42 - 11) |
| 4/27 | SB 615 | Local Food, Farms and Jobs Act | Bill Passed - House (73 - 41) |