Georgia legislature opens session focused on schools, health

ATLANTA (AP) Georgia's General Assembly gavels in a new legislative session at the Capitol in Atlanta.

The House and Senate plan to reconvene Monday at 10 a.m. The 40-day legislative session often gets a slow start, but before leaving the Capitol lawmakers are expected to consider changes affecting schools, gambling and health care in the state.

Legislative leaders do hope to act quickly on one issue. A tax on hospitals in the state is set to expire June 30. If lawmakers don't renew it this year, the state's Medicaid budget could lose more than $880 million in hospital taxes and matching federal support.

Gov. Nathan Deal has been tight-lipped about his priorities for the year but is set to deliver his State of the State address later this week.