Lawmakers returned to the Statehouse last week to prepare for the upcoming session of the Indiana General Assembly. The 2018 legislation session is set to begin Jan. 3 and conclude no later than March 14. After the successes of the 2017 session in which the legislature passed a bipartisan, long-term road infrastructure plan and another balanced state budget, the 2018 session may offer few concrete victories. That is due to some controversial topics that have the potential to occupy significant amounts of the legislature’s energy and focus. Legislators could face contentious debates over issues such as ending Indiana's longtime ban on Sunday carryout alcohol sales and repealing the state law requiring licenses to carry handguns in public. On the health care front, the issue of addiction remains one of Governor Holcomb’s top priorities. Republican House Speaker Brian Bosma echoed the Governor’s agenda priorities of gifting addiction and workforce improvements. For IHA and its members, prior authorization continues to be the number one priority in which a legislative solution is needed. For key dates and deadlines, view the 2018 session calendar here.​