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. 28, 2012 | IL | HB 1310 | Authorizes Certain Businesses to Permit Smoking | Bill Failed - House (30 - 82) |
March 9, 2012 | IL | HB 5099 | Prohibits the Use of Cell Phones Near Emergency Scenes | Bill Passed - House (62 - 38) |
March 21, 2012 | IL | HB 3944 | Authorizing the Recording of Police | Bill Failed - House (45 - 59) |
March 21, 2012 | IL | HB 3810 | Eliminates General Assembly Scholarships | Bill Passed - House (79 - 25) |
March 26, 2012 | IL | HB 5789 | Establishes State Park Fees | Bill Passed - House (81 - 29) |
March 29, 2012 | IL | HB 3782 | Prohibits Employers from Asking for Internet Login Information | Bill Passed - House (78 - 30) |
March 29, 2012 | IL | HB 5531 | Limits Tuition Waivers for State University Employees | Bill Failed - House (26 - 75) |
March 29, 2012 | IL | HB 4083 | Internet Dating Site Requirements | Bill Passed - House (83 - 26) |
March 29, 2012 | IL | Amendment No. 4 | Requires Physicians to Provide Information About Side Effects of Erectile Dysfunction Drugs | Amendment Rejected - House (32 - 68) |
May 29, 2012 | IL | HB 5290 | Requires Schools to Establish Bullying Policies | Bill Failed - Senate (29 - 21) |
March 28, 2012 | IL | HB 5290 | Requires Schools to Establish Bullying Policies | Bill Passed - House (61 - 49) |
May 10, 2012 | IL | SB 1313 | Limits Health Care Coverage for Retired State Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 20) |
May 9, 2012 | IL | SB 1313 | Limits Health Care Coverage for Retired State Employees | Bill Passed - House (74 - 43) |
May 31, 2012 | IL | SB 1064 | Prohibits Private Security Services in Detention Centers | Bill Failed - House (57 - 58) |
May 31, 2012 | IL | HB 1907 | Illinois Street Gang and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (93 - 18) |
May 31, 2012 | IL | SB 1566 | Increases License Plate Fees | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (33 - 21) |
May 31, 2012 | IL | SB 1566 | Increases License Plate Fees | Bill Passed - House (61 - 56) |
May 31, 2012 | IL | SB 1849 | Expands Gambling | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 26) |
May 23, 2012 | IL | SB 1849 | Expands Gambling | Bill Passed - House (69 - 47) |
May 31, 2012 | IL | SB 3442 | Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 15) |
May 30, 2012 | IL | SB 3442 | Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags | Bill Passed - House (72 - 44) |
May 31, 2012 | IL | SB 2621 | Amends the Department of Corrections' Early Release Program | Bill Passed - House (68 - 50) |
May 24, 2012 | IL | SB 2840 | Limits Medicaid Funding | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 13) |
May 24, 2012 | IL | SB 2840 | Limits Medicaid Funding | Bill Passed - House (94 - 22) |
May 29, 2012 | IL | SB 2194 | Increases Cigarette Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 27) |
May 25, 2012 | IL | SB 2194 | Increases Cigarette Tax | Bill Passed - House (60 - 52) |
May 15, 2012 | IL | HB 3859 | Requires Publication of Reduced Tax Rates under the EDGE Program | Bill Passed - House (84 - 26) |
May 31, 2012 | IL | HB 5440 | Establishes a 5 Percent Fee on Satellite TV Companies | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 27) |
May 31, 2012 | IL | HB 1447 | Pension Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24) |
May 22, 2012 | IL | SB 1808 | Authorizes Individuals to Record Law Enforcement Officers | Bill Passed - House (71 - 45) |
Dec. 4, 2012 | IL | SB 681 | Authorizes State Residents To Purchase Ammunition From In-State Companies | Veto Override Passed - House (78 - 28) |
Dec. 4, 2012 | IL | SB 957 | Authorizes Temporary Driver's Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 14) |
Date | No. | Title | Outcome |
---|---|---|---|
2/28 | HB 1310 | Authorizes Certain Businesses to Permit Smoking | Bill Failed - House (30 - 82) |
3/09 | HB 5099 | Prohibits the Use of Cell Phones Near Emergency Scenes | Bill Passed - House (62 - 38) |
3/21 | HB 3944 | Authorizing the Recording of Police | Bill Failed - House (45 - 59) |
3/21 | HB 3810 | Eliminates General Assembly Scholarships | Bill Passed - House (79 - 25) |
3/26 | HB 5789 | Establishes State Park Fees | Bill Passed - House (81 - 29) |
3/29 | HB 3782 | Prohibits Employers from Asking for Internet Login Information | Bill Passed - House (78 - 30) |
3/29 | HB 5531 | Limits Tuition Waivers for State University Employees | Bill Failed - House (26 - 75) |
3/29 | HB 4083 | Internet Dating Site Requirements | Bill Passed - House (83 - 26) |
3/29 | Amendment No. 4 | Requires Physicians to Provide Information About Side Effects of Erectile Dysfunction Drugs | Amendment Rejected - House (32 - 68) |
5/29 | HB 5290 | Requires Schools to Establish Bullying Policies | Bill Failed - Senate (29 - 21) |
3/28 | HB 5290 | Requires Schools to Establish Bullying Policies | Bill Passed - House (61 - 49) |
5/10 | SB 1313 | Limits Health Care Coverage for Retired State Employees | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 20) |
5/09 | SB 1313 | Limits Health Care Coverage for Retired State Employees | Bill Passed - House (74 - 43) |
5/31 | SB 1064 | Prohibits Private Security Services in Detention Centers | Bill Failed - House (57 - 58) |
5/31 | HB 1907 | Illinois Street Gang and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (93 - 18) |
5/31 | SB 1566 | Increases License Plate Fees | Concurrence Vote Failed - Senate (33 - 21) |
5/31 | SB 1566 | Increases License Plate Fees | Bill Passed - House (61 - 56) |
5/31 | SB 1849 | Expands Gambling | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (30 - 26) |
5/23 | SB 1849 | Expands Gambling | Bill Passed - House (69 - 47) |
5/31 | SB 3442 | Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (38 - 15) |
5/30 | SB 3442 | Requires Recycling of Plastic Bags | Bill Passed - House (72 - 44) |
5/31 | SB 2621 | Amends the Department of Corrections' Early Release Program | Bill Passed - House (68 - 50) |
5/24 | SB 2840 | Limits Medicaid Funding | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (44 - 13) |
5/24 | SB 2840 | Limits Medicaid Funding | Bill Passed - House (94 - 22) |
5/29 | SB 2194 | Increases Cigarette Tax | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (31 - 27) |
5/25 | SB 2194 | Increases Cigarette Tax | Bill Passed - House (60 - 52) |
5/15 | HB 3859 | Requires Publication of Reduced Tax Rates under the EDGE Program | Bill Passed - House (84 - 26) |
5/31 | HB 5440 | Establishes a 5 Percent Fee on Satellite TV Companies | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 27) |
5/31 | HB 1447 | Pension Law Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (30 - 24) |
5/22 | SB 1808 | Authorizes Individuals to Record Law Enforcement Officers | Bill Passed - House (71 - 45) |
12/04 | SB 681 | Authorizes State Residents To Purchase Ammunition From In-State Companies | Veto Override Passed - House (78 - 28) |
12/04 | SB 957 | Authorizes Temporary Driver's Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (41 - 14) |