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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 7, 2019 | IL | SB 1 | Increases Minimum Wage to $15 | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 18) |
| May 17, 2017 | IL | SB 7 | Establishes Gambling Industry Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 24) |
| May 10, 2017 | IL | SB 1351 | Establishes Laws Governing Student Loan Servicers | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 15) |
| Feb. 5, 2015 | IL | SB 11 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 18) |
| May 17, 2013 | IL | HB 1 | Authorizes the Use of Medical Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 21) |
| May 1, 2013 | IL | SB 1639 | Requires Reimbursement for the Sale of Unhealthy Pets | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18) |
| Feb. 28, 2013 | IL | SB 26 | Expands Medicaid Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 19) |
| Feb. 14, 2013 | IL | SB 622 | Increases Physician License Fees | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 19) |
| May 31, 2012 | IL | SB 3442 | Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 15) |
| May 31, 2012 | IL | HB 5440 | Establishes a 5 Percent Fee on Satellite TV Companies | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 27) |
| May 29, 2012 | IL | SB 2194 | Increases Cigarette Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 27) |
| Nov. 29, 2011 | IL | HB 1883 | Property Tax Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 18) |
| May 27, 2010 | IL | SB 3658 | Temporary Sales Tax Holiday | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (42 - 8) |
| May 5, 2010 | IL | SB 3267 | Elder Financial Exploitation | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (47 - 9) |
| March 24, 2010 | IL | SB 3267 | Elder Financial Exploitation | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
| March 18, 2010 | IL | SB 615 | Local Food, Farms and Jobs Act | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 16) |
| Jan. 12, 2010 | IL | HB 1188 | Increasing Cemetery Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24) |
| May 30, 2009 | IL | HB 174 | Income Tax Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 27) |
| Aug. 19, 2008 | IL | HB 5285 | Extending Parental Health Insurance to Unmarried Dependents | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 17) |
| April 1, 2008 | IL | SB 1997 | Interscholastic Event Image Release | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 5) |
| Sept. 18, 2007 | IL | HB 2035 | Gaming Expansion to Fund Infrastructure and Social Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 15) |
| Aug. 9, 2007 | IL | HB 556 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 24) |
| July 26, 2007 | IL | SB 1592 | Electricity Relief and Regulation | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (40 - 13) |
| April 20, 2007 | IL | S. Amdt. 3: Electric Rates Freeze | Amendment Adopted - Senate (33 - 24) | |
| April 20, 2007 | IL | SB 1592 | Electric Rates Freeze | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 20) |
| Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/07 | SB 1 | Increases Minimum Wage to $15 | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 18) |
| 5/17 | SB 7 | Establishes Gambling Industry Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 24) |
| 5/10 | SB 1351 | Establishes Laws Governing Student Loan Servicers | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 15) |
| 2/05 | SB 11 | Increases Minimum Wage | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 18) |
| 5/17 | HB 1 | Authorizes the Use of Medical Marijuana | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 21) |
| 5/01 | SB 1639 | Requires Reimbursement for the Sale of Unhealthy Pets | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 18) |
| 2/28 | SB 26 | Expands Medicaid Eligibility | Bill Passed - Senate (40 - 19) |
| 2/14 | SB 622 | Increases Physician License Fees | Bill Passed - Senate (38 - 19) |
| 5/31 | SB 3442 | Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 15) |
| 5/31 | HB 5440 | Establishes a 5 Percent Fee on Satellite TV Companies | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 27) |
| 5/29 | SB 2194 | Increases Cigarette Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 27) |
| 11/29 | HB 1883 | Property Tax Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (36 - 18) |
| 5/27 | SB 3658 | Temporary Sales Tax Holiday | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (42 - 8) |
| 5/05 | SB 3267 | Elder Financial Exploitation | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (47 - 9) |
| 3/24 | SB 3267 | Elder Financial Exploitation | Bill Passed - Senate (33 - 14) |
| 3/18 | SB 615 | Local Food, Farms and Jobs Act | Bill Passed - Senate (39 - 16) |
| 1/12 | HB 1188 | Increasing Cemetery Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24) |
| 5/30 | HB 174 | Income Tax Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 27) |
| 8/19 | HB 5285 | Extending Parental Health Insurance to Unmarried Dependents | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (35 - 17) |
| 4/01 | SB 1997 | Interscholastic Event Image Release | Bill Passed - Senate (47 - 5) |
| 9/18 | HB 2035 | Gaming Expansion to Fund Infrastructure and Social Programs | Bill Passed - Senate (37 - 15) |
| 8/09 | HB 556 | Cigarette Tax Increase | Bill Passed - Senate (34 - 24) |
| 7/26 | SB 1592 | Electricity Relief and Regulation | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (40 - 13) |
| 4/20 | S. Amdt. 3: Electric Rates Freeze | Amendment Adopted - Senate (33 - 24) | |
| 4/20 | SB 1592 | Electric Rates Freeze | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 20) |