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 31, 2011 | IL | SB 744 | Authorizes Gambling | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 27) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| May 27, 2010 | IL | SB 3658 | Temporary Sales Tax Holiday | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (42 - 8) |
| 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 21, 2010 | IL | HB 5428 | Limiting Adoption Records Disclosure Restrictions for Adoptees | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 16) |
| April 21, 2010 | IL | HB 5428 | Limiting Adoption Records Disclosure Restrictions for Adoptees | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 16) |
| March 25, 2010 | IL | SB 2494 | Funding for School Vouchers | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 20) |
| March 18, 2010 | IL | SB 615 | Local Food, Farms and Jobs Act | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 16) |
| May 30, 2009 | IL | SB 744 | New Casino Authorization | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 28) |
| May 20, 2009 | IL | HB 255 | Video Gambling in Various Establishments | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 12) |
| Aug. 19, 2008 | IL | HB 5285 | Extending Parental Health Insurance to Unmarried Dependents | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 17) |
| May 27, 2008 | IL | HB 5288 | Expand Use of Red Light Cameras | Bill Failed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| April 1, 2008 | IL | SB 1997 | Interscholastic Event Image Release | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 5) |
| 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) |
| May 9, 2007 | IL | SB 1007 | Large Capacity Firearm Magazine Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 26) |
| March 29, 2007 | IL | SB 500 | Smoke Free Illinois Act | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 23) |
| Feb. 23, 2007 | IL | SB 4 | Stem Cell Research and Human Cloning | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 23) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/31 | SB 744 | Authorizes Gambling | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 27) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 5/27 | SB 3658 | Temporary Sales Tax Holiday | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (42 - 8) |
| 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) |
| 4/21 | HB 5428 | Limiting Adoption Records Disclosure Restrictions for Adoptees | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 16) |
| 4/21 | HB 5428 | Limiting Adoption Records Disclosure Restrictions for Adoptees | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 16) |
| 3/25 | SB 2494 | Funding for School Vouchers | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 20) |
| 3/18 | SB 615 | Local Food, Farms and Jobs Act | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 16) |
| 5/30 | SB 744 | New Casino Authorization | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 28) |
| 5/20 | HB 255 | Video Gambling in Various Establishments | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 12) |
| 8/19 | HB 5285 | Extending Parental Health Insurance to Unmarried Dependents | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 17) |
| 5/27 | HB 5288 | Expand Use of Red Light Cameras | Bill Failed - Senate (26 - 24) |
| 4/01 | SB 1997 | Interscholastic Event Image Release | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 5) |
| 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) |
| 5/09 | SB 1007 | Large Capacity Firearm Magazine Ban | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 26) |
| 3/29 | SB 500 | Smoke Free Illinois Act | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 23) |
| 2/23 | SB 4 | Stem Cell Research and Human Cloning | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 23) |