INDIANAPOLIS — After long discussions on its abortion bill, the Indiana Senate wasted little time in passing their version of an inflation relief plan.

The Senate approved Senate Bill 3 in a 40-4 vote Saturday. Discussion on the bill was brief.

The Senate plan is very different from the House version, which is virtually a mirror image of Governor Eric Holcomb’s plan to return $1 billion from the state’s surplus to Hoosier taxpayers through $225 payments.

The Senate proposed a six-month moratorium on the state’s utility tax along with a cap on the state’s gas tax. Those supporting the measure said it’s logistically smoother than the tax refund, which they say would take additional planning and funding to pull off.

The Senate version would suspend the 7% sales tax on electricity, water, gas, internet and phone bills for six billing cycles, providing an estimated savings of $260 million.

The measure would cap the sales tax on gas at 29.5 cents through June 30th of 2023.