By TOM DAVIES
The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana lawmakers are returning to the Statehouse for the start of their 2020 session, with contentious debates over education matters looking likely again.

The Indiana House and Senate will meet Monday afternoon to begin a session that's scheduled to last until early March.

Their return comes seven weeks after several thousand teachers attended a rally, calling for better pay and more respect from the Republican-dominated Legislature.

But Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb and GOP legislative leaders aren’t planning to direct more money to school this year and have said they’ll wait until 2021 to consider suggestions from a teacher pay commission appointed by the governor. Democrats and teacher union leaders maintain the state has plenty of money to further boost teacher pay and that Republicans are too protective of the state’s more than $2 billion in cash reserves.

House Speaker Brian Bosma is set to discuss priorities for House Republicans.