RALEIGH, (SGRToday.com) - Legislators returning to Raleigh April 25 now have a good sense of where Gov. Pat McCrory would like budget reconciliations negotiations to begin. On Monday, the governor released his budget priorities.

From the governor's news release, the priorities are:

** Improving the lives of people with mental illness and substance use disorders

** Expanding Medicaid and state services for older adults, including those with Alzheimer’s

** Expanding Medicaid services for people with developmental disabilities and Autism

** Continuing Governor McCrory’s commitment to high quality early childhood programs by increasing Pre-K slots

** Keeping our children safe by strengthening the state’s child protection system

** Preparing North Carolina to respond to Zika Virus