Unlike the House proposal, the Senate's version does not include a cigarette tax increase.
It still does include money for police training to replace dollars that usually comes from the purchase of lifetime handgun carry permits. Senate president Pro Tempore Rodric Bray had promised to make the permit free when he killed a bill to completely nix any permit requirement.
On the mental health side, the Senate is dedicating $50 million for the Health Issues and Challenges Grant Program and $100 million to the Family and Social Services Administration to address mental health issues.
Cigarette tax
Bray said the Senate was not interested in the cigarette tax, partially because it is a regressive tax, meaning it impacts lower-income households at a disproportionate rate. He also argued it was not large enough to truly impact smoking rates in Indiana.