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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 3, 2016 | IL | HB 2990 | Appropriates Funds for Higher Education and Human Services | Bill Passed - House (70 - 43) |
| March 3, 2016 | IL | HB 648 | Repeals Requirement to Repay Special Funds | Bill Passed - House (61 - 52) |
| March 2, 2016 | IL | SB 2043 | Appropriates Funds for Higher Education | Veto Override Failed - House (69 - 48) |
| Jan. 28, 2016 | IL | SB 2043 | Appropriates Funds for Higher Education | Bill Passed - House (67 - 42) |
| Nov. 10, 2015 | IL | HB 2482 | Specifies Determination of Need Score to Qualify for Assistance | Veto Override Failed - House (70 - 38) |
| May 27, 2015 | IL | HB 4151 | 2015-2016 Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (66 - 47) |
| March 24, 2015 | IL | HB 317 | 2015-2016 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (72 - 45) |
| March 24, 2015 | IL | HB 318 | 2015-2016 Budget Reconciliation | Bill Passed - House (69 - 48) |
| May 30, 2014 | IL | SB 274 | Requires Salary Payments to State Legislators | Bill Passed - House (65 - 48) |
| May 28, 2014 | IL | SB 741 | Expands Medicaid Services | Bill Passed - House (75 - 37) |
| May 27, 2014 | IL | HB 6097 | 2014-2015 Department Budgets | Bill Passed - House (65 - 49) |
| May 27, 2014 | IL | HB 6093 | 2014-2015 K-12 Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (68 - 47) |
| May 27, 2014 | IL | HB 6095 | 2014-2015 Department Budgets | Bill Passed - House (68 - 47) |
| May 27, 2014 | IL | HB 6096 | 2014-2015 Department Budgets | Bill Passed - House (67 - 48) |
| May 27, 2014 | IL | HB 6094 | 2014-2015 Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (66 - 48) |
| May 15, 2014 | IL | HB 6021 | 2014-2015 Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (61 - 55) |
| May 15, 2014 | IL | HB 6021 | 2014-2015 Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (61 - 55) |
| April 8, 2014 | IL | SB 1922 | Amends the City of Chicago Employee Pensions | Bill Passed - House (73 - 41) |
| Feb. 4, 2014 | IL | SB 1227 | Extends the Date for the Governor to Submit the State Budget | Bill Passed - House (62 - 48) |
| Feb. 4, 2014 | IL | SB 1227 | Extends the Date for the Governor to Submit the State Budget | Bill Passed - House (62 - 48) |
| Dec. 3, 2013 | IL | SB 1 | Amends State Employee Pension Plans | Conference Report Adopted - House (62 - 53) |
| Nov. 6, 2013 | IL | SB 1523 | Amends Pension Code | Bill Passed - House (87 - 26) |
| May 27, 2013 | IL | SB 26 | Expands Medicaid Eligibility | Bill Passed - House (63 - 55) |
| May 2, 2013 | IL | SB 1 | Amends State Employee Pension Plans | Bill Passed - House (62 - 51) |
| March 21, 2013 | IL | HB 1165 | Establishes Cost of Living Adjustments in Pensions | Bill Passed - House (66 - 50) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3/03 | HB 2990 | Appropriates Funds for Higher Education and Human Services | Bill Passed - House (70 - 43) |
| 3/03 | HB 648 | Repeals Requirement to Repay Special Funds | Bill Passed - House (61 - 52) |
| 3/02 | SB 2043 | Appropriates Funds for Higher Education | Veto Override Failed - House (69 - 48) |
| 1/28 | SB 2043 | Appropriates Funds for Higher Education | Bill Passed - House (67 - 42) |
| 11/10 | HB 2482 | Specifies Determination of Need Score to Qualify for Assistance | Veto Override Failed - House (70 - 38) |
| 5/27 | HB 4151 | 2015-2016 Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (66 - 47) |
| 3/24 | HB 317 | 2015-2016 Budget Amendments | Bill Passed - House (72 - 45) |
| 3/24 | HB 318 | 2015-2016 Budget Reconciliation | Bill Passed - House (69 - 48) |
| 5/30 | SB 274 | Requires Salary Payments to State Legislators | Bill Passed - House (65 - 48) |
| 5/28 | SB 741 | Expands Medicaid Services | Bill Passed - House (75 - 37) |
| 5/27 | HB 6097 | 2014-2015 Department Budgets | Bill Passed - House (65 - 49) |
| 5/27 | HB 6093 | 2014-2015 K-12 Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (68 - 47) |
| 5/27 | HB 6095 | 2014-2015 Department Budgets | Bill Passed - House (68 - 47) |
| 5/27 | HB 6096 | 2014-2015 Department Budgets | Bill Passed - House (67 - 48) |
| 5/27 | HB 6094 | 2014-2015 Higher Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (66 - 48) |
| 5/15 | HB 6021 | 2014-2015 Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (61 - 55) |
| 5/15 | HB 6021 | 2014-2015 Education Budget | Bill Passed - House (61 - 55) |
| 4/08 | SB 1922 | Amends the City of Chicago Employee Pensions | Bill Passed - House (73 - 41) |
| 2/04 | SB 1227 | Extends the Date for the Governor to Submit the State Budget | Bill Passed - House (62 - 48) |
| 2/04 | SB 1227 | Extends the Date for the Governor to Submit the State Budget | Bill Passed - House (62 - 48) |
| 12/03 | SB 1 | Amends State Employee Pension Plans | Conference Report Adopted - House (62 - 53) |
| 11/06 | SB 1523 | Amends Pension Code | Bill Passed - House (87 - 26) |
| 5/27 | SB 26 | Expands Medicaid Eligibility | Bill Passed - House (63 - 55) |
| 5/02 | SB 1 | Amends State Employee Pension Plans | Bill Passed - House (62 - 51) |
| 3/21 | HB 1165 | Establishes Cost of Living Adjustments in Pensions | Bill Passed - House (66 - 50) |