HARRISBURG — There are plenty of reasons to be skeptical that the state Legislature will accomplish much in 2018 — it’s an election year and a yawning partisan gap has divided the Republican priorities of the General Assembly and the Democratic agenda of Gov. Tom Wolf during the past three years.

Here are some of the issues and proposals that could produce action in the General Assembly in the year ahead:

OPIOIDS

The impact of the opioid crisis has absorbed much of lawmakers’ time and attention in recent years, and it’s likely that topic will be back in the forefront in the coming year. Some of the proposals that have been floated include setting up a task force to examine the impact on children, regulating pain management clinics and changes to criminal sentencing guidelines. Wolf said in October he supports a Senate-passed proposal to limit opioid prescriptions in most cases to seven days.

REDISTRICTING

Decisions may soon be issued in two lawsuits that challenge the congressional district map approved in 2011 by the GOP majority and then-Gov. Tom Corbett, also a Republican. One case awaits a decision by a panel of three federal judges, while the other is set for oral argument before the state Supreme Court on Jan. 17. It’s possible lawmakers could be directed to redraw the lines in time for the May 15 primary election. Senate Republican leaders say they have put wider redistricting reforms on hold while the cases are pending.