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. 13, 2011 | IL | SB 397 | Tax Code Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 9) |
| Dec. 13, 2011 | IL | SB 400 | Amends State Income Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (48 - 4) |
| Dec. 12, 2011 | IL | SB 400 | Amends State Income Tax | Bill Passed - House (67 - 49) |
| Dec. 12, 2011 | IL | SB 397 | Tax Code Amendments | Bill Passed - House (81 - 28) |
| Nov. 29, 2011 | IL | HB 1883 | Property Tax Amendments | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (8 - 99) |
| Nov. 29, 2011 | IL | HB 1883 | Property Tax Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 18) |
| Nov. 10, 2011 | IL | SB 2147 | Paying Regional Superintendents | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 16) |
| Nov. 9, 2011 | IL | SB 2147 | Paying Regional Superintendents | Bill Failed - House (70 - 43) |
| Nov. 9, 2011 | IL | SB 965 | Authorizing Speed Cameras in Certain Cities | Bill Passed - House (64 - 50) |
| Nov. 9, 2011 | IL | SB 2147 | Paying Regional Superintendents | Bill Passed - House (74 - 36) |
| Oct. 27, 2011 | IL | SB 1701 | Legal Immunity for Individuals Seeking Treatment for Drug Overdose | Bill Passed - House (61 - 53) |
| Oct. 26, 2011 | IL | SB 1652 | Smart Grid Technology | Veto Override Passed - House (74 - 42) |
| Oct. 26, 2011 | IL | SB 1652 | Smart Grid Technology | Veto Override Passed - Senate (36 - 19) |
| Oct. 26, 2011 | IL | SB 965 | Authorizing Speed Cameras in Certain Cities | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 24) |
| May 31, 2011 | IL | SB 145 | Nursing Home Infection Control | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 24) |
| May 31, 2011 | IL | HB 1723 | Amending The Illinois Nuclear Safety Preparedness Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (69 - 44) |
| May 31, 2011 | IL | SB 744 | Authorizes Gambling | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 27) |
| May 31, 2011 | IL | HB 1698 | Amends Workers' Compensation | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (62 - 43) |
| May 31, 2011 | IL | SB 1652 | Smart Grid Technology | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 24) |
| May 31, 2011 | IL | SB 1178 | Congressional Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 25) |
| 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 145 | Nursing Home Infection Control | Bill Passed - House (69 - 45) |
| May 30, 2011 | IL | SB 1652 | Smart Grid Technology | Bill Passed - House (67 - 47) |
| May 30, 2011 | IL | SB 2185 | Establishes the DREAM Fund Commission | Bill Passed - House (61 - 53) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12/13 | SB 397 | Tax Code Amendments | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 9) |
| 12/13 | SB 400 | Amends State Income Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (48 - 4) |
| 12/12 | SB 400 | Amends State Income Tax | Bill Passed - House (67 - 49) |
| 12/12 | SB 397 | Tax Code Amendments | Bill Passed - House (81 - 28) |
| 11/29 | HB 1883 | Property Tax Amendments | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (8 - 99) |
| 11/29 | HB 1883 | Property Tax Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 18) |
| 11/10 | SB 2147 | Paying Regional Superintendents | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 16) |
| 11/09 | SB 2147 | Paying Regional Superintendents | Bill Failed - House (70 - 43) |
| 11/09 | SB 965 | Authorizing Speed Cameras in Certain Cities | Bill Passed - House (64 - 50) |
| 11/09 | SB 2147 | Paying Regional Superintendents | Bill Passed - House (74 - 36) |
| 10/27 | SB 1701 | Legal Immunity for Individuals Seeking Treatment for Drug Overdose | Bill Passed - House (61 - 53) |
| 10/26 | SB 1652 | Smart Grid Technology | Veto Override Passed - House (74 - 42) |
| 10/26 | SB 1652 | Smart Grid Technology | Veto Override Passed - Senate (36 - 19) |
| 10/26 | SB 965 | Authorizing Speed Cameras in Certain Cities | Bill Passed - Senate (32 - 24) |
| 5/31 | SB 145 | Nursing Home Infection Control | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (33 - 24) |
| 5/31 | HB 1723 | Amending The Illinois Nuclear Safety Preparedness Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (69 - 44) |
| 5/31 | SB 744 | Authorizes Gambling | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 27) |
| 5/31 | HB 1698 | Amends Workers' Compensation | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (62 - 43) |
| 5/31 | SB 1652 | Smart Grid Technology | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 24) |
| 5/31 | SB 1178 | Congressional Redistricting | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (34 - 25) |
| 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 145 | Nursing Home Infection Control | Bill Passed - House (69 - 45) |
| 5/30 | SB 1652 | Smart Grid Technology | Bill Passed - House (67 - 47) |
| 5/30 | SB 2185 | Establishes the DREAM Fund Commission | Bill Passed - House (61 - 53) |