The General Assembly returns from its April break today, and they enter the home stretch of the legislative session. 

Here are five things to watch (plus bonus questions) before House and Senate members head to the beach begin their reelection campaigns in the summer.

Judges
All eyes are on House Speaker Joe Shekarchi, who has until May 7 to decide if he wants to apply for the current vacancy on the Rhode Island Supreme Court. Shekarchi would likely step down as speaker if he submits an application, which would almost certainly result in current Majority Leader Chris Blazejewski becoming the new speaker heading into the final stretch of the legislative calendar. The other question is what the Senate will get for agreeing to make Shekarchi a judge.

Millionaire's tax
This is less about if taxes are going to increase on Rhode Island’s highest earners, it’s a matter of when, how much, and whether the threshold might be changed. Governor Dan McKee’s proposal would impose an 8.99 percent tax rate on personal income of more than $1 million — a 3 percentage point increase over the current top bracket. There are more progressive lawmakers who think the income level should be lowered, although that doesn’t appear likely. 

Budget
The millionaire's tax is a relatively small component of McKee’s $14.9 billion budget proposal, but there is still plenty of uncertainty about how much the House will change when it unveils the budget in the next six weeks. The Revenue & Caseload Estimating Conferences are underway, so that will give us a better picture of where things stand. The Supreme Court opening is also an undeniable factor when it comes to budget.

Energy bills
As he seeks reelection, McKee has crafted a plan to cut utility bills by $1 billion over five years, and that involves significant changes to the Renewable Energy Standard. McKee and other Democrats have blamed the Trump administration for disrupting the renewable energy industry, but there are plenty of state legislators who are urging McKee to keep pressing forward with the state’s existing policies.

Charter schools
McKee has long been the fire rail against a proposed moratorium on new charter schools, but he has said he’d be willing to sign the law if it is approved by the House and Senate this year. That has led a lot of pro-charter supporters to believe McKee is simply trying to appease the state’s teachers’ unions, who could play a crucial role in his reelection hopes. McKee, who has done more to expand charter schools in the state than any currently elected official, maintains that his views on those schools have not changed.

Other key questions
What will happen with the two state-run school districts (Providence and Central Falls)? Is there a deal to be made on data centers? Will there be an overhaul of the Coastal Resources Management Council?