Indiana Senate sends budget proposal to the House

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - The Indiana Senate approved their version of the state's next two-year budget.

The budget bill already passed the House, but the version the Senate approved on a 39-9 vote Thursday included significant changes.

The two GOP-controlled chambers have two weeks left in the session to strike a final agreement.

The $32.1 billion Senate plan would spend slightly more than the House proposal. It includes a $358 million increase for K-12 education. But it would provide $6 million less a year than the House and Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb wanted for the state's preschool program for needy kids.

It also sets aside $5 million in funding for Holcomb's new drug czar and would increase funding for special veterans' courts by $1 million.

All nine Senate Democrats voted against it.