Highlights of what the Indiana Legislature achieved in 2016

The hottest debate heading into the session was whether to extend state anti-discrimination laws to include sexual orientation and gender identity following last year's national uproar over Indiana's new religious objections law.

The package draws down the state's $2 billion budget reserve and does not include an election-year increase in cigarette and gas taxes backed by House Republicans that was staunchly opposed by Gov. Mike Pence and the GOP-controlled Senate.

The plan also gives about $580 million to city and county governments for road projects, with much of that a one-time distribution from local income taxes held in reserve by the state.

The test faced a barrage of criticism from educators and parents over a big jump in testing time needed for the spring 2015 exam and dismal student results blamed on hastily rolled-out state standards following Indiana's withdrawal from the national Common Core standards.

Republican senators pulled a proposal extending state civil rights protections to gay, lesbian and bisexual people, saying it didn't have enough support to pass the Senate.

The bill faced criticism from both gay-rights activists for not including transgender people and religious conservatives who believed it still required services for same-sex marriages even if they had religious objections.

The Senate approved a bill creating a hate-crime designation allowing for tougher sentences by taking into account a victim's "perceived or actual race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, disability, national origin, ancestry or sexual orientation."