Louisiana’s Three-Month Legislative Session Opening Monday

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A Louisiana Legislature packed with dozens of new members starts its first lawmaking session of the term Monday.

Lawmakers have a grab bag of topics for debate and none of the budget woes that preoccupied the last term.

They'll consider whether to legalize sports betting and recreational marijuana, whether to do away with Louisiana's use of the death penalty or change the means of execution, how to spend a multimillion-dollar surplus and what approach they'll try to combat high car insurance rates.

The 85-day session begins Monday at noon. More than 1,100 bills have been filed by lawmakers. Taxes can't be considered.