<p>INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana lawmakers were set to give final approval to a new two-year $37 billion state budget on Thursday as they wrapped up this year’s regular legislative session.</p>
<p>That <a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-state-budgets-business-government-and-politics-coronavirus-21deec0f4a0b63544c3f2c7433f2bebf">Republican-written budget plan</a> is highlighted by an <a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-legislature-school-vouchers-health-coronavirus-pandemic-639b6c909c0c183849396c297a35431a">overall school funding increase</a> of about 4.5% in each of the next two years while allowing a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/legislature-indiana-indianapolis-school-vouchers-f51a0bf34b9c419b4c5c248f04739156">contentious expansion</a> of the state’s private school voucher program. The funding increase is more than double what budget negotiators had proposed before new projections showed state tax collections should <a href="https://apnews.com/article/indiana-coronavirus-pandemic-state-budgets-e31655c2bba93441c600be10dc7dc26e">bounce back stronger than expected</a> from the pandemic recession.</p>
<p>The budget also includes money for numerous economic grant programs and construction projects drawing on $3 billion the state is receiving from the federal coronavirus relief program backed by President Joe Biden and pushed by Democrats through Congress without Republican support.</p>
<p>Members of the Indiana House are meeting in their traditional Statehouse chamber for the first time during 2021 after holding their meetings in large conference room of a state office building to allow more space for coronavirus precautions.</p>
<p>But having avoided any COVID-19 disruptions over the past four months, lawmakers will have a more ceremonial end to the session. </p>
