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, 2012 | IL | SB 1566 | Increases License Plate Fees | Bill Passed - House (61 - 56) |
| May 25, 2012 | IL | SB 2194 | Increases Cigarette Tax | Bill Passed - House (60 - 52) |
| May 24, 2012 | IL | SB 2840 | Limits Medicaid Funding | Bill Passed - House (94 - 22) |
| May 15, 2012 | IL | HB 3859 | Requires Publication of Reduced Tax Rates under the EDGE Program | Bill Passed - House (84 - 26) |
| March 26, 2012 | IL | HB 5789 | Establishes State Park Fees | Bill Passed - House (81 - 29) |
| Dec. 12, 2011 | IL | SB 397 | Tax Code Amendments | Bill Passed - House (81 - 28) |
| Dec. 12, 2011 | IL | SB 400 | Amends State Income Tax | Bill Passed - House (67 - 49) |
| Nov. 29, 2011 | IL | HB 1883 | Property Tax Amendments | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (8 - 99) |
| Jan. 11, 2011 | IL | SB 2505 | Amends Property Tax Code | Bill Passed - House (60 - 57) |
| May 25, 2010 | IL | HB 859 | 2010-2011 Budget | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (66 - 50) |
| May 25, 2010 | IL | SB 3514 | Amending State Pension Laws and Limiting Pension Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (71 - 44) |
| May 25, 2010 | IL | SB 3660 | Emergency Budget Act of Fiscal Year 2011 | Bill Passed - House (67 - 50) |
| May 7, 2010 | IL | SB 3739 | Establishing a Foreclosure Prevention Program | Bill Passed - House (87 - 26) |
| May 6, 2010 | IL | SB 642 | Public University Borrowing | Bill Passed - House (87 - 28) |
| May 6, 2010 | IL | SB 3658 | Temporary Sales Tax Holiday | Bill Passed - House (65 - 51) |
| March 26, 2010 | IL | HB 5109 | Prohibiting Public Funding of Portraits of Governors Removed From Office | Bill Passed - House (85 - 23) |
| March 22, 2010 | IL | HB 4886 | Authorizing 4-Day School Week | Bill Passed - House (81 - 21) |
| March 3, 2010 | IL | HB 4685 | Eliminating General Assembly Scholarship Program | Bill Passed - House (80 - 36) |
| March 3, 2010 | IL | HB 2360 | Homeowner's Emergency Assistance Plan | Bill Passed - House (73 - 38) |
| Feb. 24, 2010 | IL | HB 4654 | Limiting Free Mass Transit for Seniors | Bill Passed - House (83 - 27) |
| July 15, 2009 | IL | SB 1292 | Issuing of Bonds for Revenue | Bill Passed - House (88 - 24) |
| July 15, 2009 | IL | SB 1216 | 2009-2010 Budget | Bill Passed - House (90 - 22) |
| May 31, 2009 | IL | SB 2252 | Temporary Income Tax Increase and Tax Credit for Green Businesses | Bill Failed - House (42 - 74) |
| May 22, 2009 | IL | HB 255 | Video Gambling in Various Establishments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (86 - 30) |
| Aug. 13, 2008 | IL | HB 4201 | Property Tax Exemption for Disabled Veterans | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (78 - 12) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/31 | SB 1566 | Increases License Plate Fees | Bill Passed - House (61 - 56) |
| 5/25 | SB 2194 | Increases Cigarette Tax | Bill Passed - House (60 - 52) |
| 5/24 | SB 2840 | Limits Medicaid Funding | Bill Passed - House (94 - 22) |
| 5/15 | HB 3859 | Requires Publication of Reduced Tax Rates under the EDGE Program | Bill Passed - House (84 - 26) |
| 3/26 | HB 5789 | Establishes State Park Fees | Bill Passed - House (81 - 29) |
| 12/12 | SB 397 | Tax Code Amendments | Bill Passed - House (81 - 28) |
| 12/12 | SB 400 | Amends State Income Tax | Bill Passed - House (67 - 49) |
| 11/29 | HB 1883 | Property Tax Amendments | Concurrence Vote Failed - House (8 - 99) |
| 1/11 | SB 2505 | Amends Property Tax Code | Bill Passed - House (60 - 57) |
| 5/25 | HB 859 | 2010-2011 Budget | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (66 - 50) |
| 5/25 | SB 3514 | Amending State Pension Laws and Limiting Pension Appropriations | Bill Passed - House (71 - 44) |
| 5/25 | SB 3660 | Emergency Budget Act of Fiscal Year 2011 | Bill Passed - House (67 - 50) |
| 5/07 | SB 3739 | Establishing a Foreclosure Prevention Program | Bill Passed - House (87 - 26) |
| 5/06 | SB 642 | Public University Borrowing | Bill Passed - House (87 - 28) |
| 5/06 | SB 3658 | Temporary Sales Tax Holiday | Bill Passed - House (65 - 51) |
| 3/26 | HB 5109 | Prohibiting Public Funding of Portraits of Governors Removed From Office | Bill Passed - House (85 - 23) |
| 3/22 | HB 4886 | Authorizing 4-Day School Week | Bill Passed - House (81 - 21) |
| 3/03 | HB 4685 | Eliminating General Assembly Scholarship Program | Bill Passed - House (80 - 36) |
| 3/03 | HB 2360 | Homeowner's Emergency Assistance Plan | Bill Passed - House (73 - 38) |
| 2/24 | HB 4654 | Limiting Free Mass Transit for Seniors | Bill Passed - House (83 - 27) |
| 7/15 | SB 1292 | Issuing of Bonds for Revenue | Bill Passed - House (88 - 24) |
| 7/15 | SB 1216 | 2009-2010 Budget | Bill Passed - House (90 - 22) |
| 5/31 | SB 2252 | Temporary Income Tax Increase and Tax Credit for Green Businesses | Bill Failed - House (42 - 74) |
| 5/22 | HB 255 | Video Gambling in Various Establishments | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (86 - 30) |
| 8/13 | HB 4201 | Property Tax Exemption for Disabled Veterans | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (78 - 12) |