By Marshall Griffin, KWMU
Jefferson City, MO – Missouri doesn't really have a budget surplus, according to the chairman of the State Senate's Appropriations Committee.
Republican Chuck Gross, of St. Charles, says the state does have $300 million more in the bank than they thought there'd be, but in his view there are several things that may eat away at that figure.
"Medicaid always - the, the one thing that almost now is a given is that Medicaid's gonna eat up a substantial amount of anything you might call a surplus or, or whatever the dollars that you might want to label them, in the budget," Gross said.
Gross says there are other expenses facing the state as well, including the next year of the state's school funding formula, paying for the Chilicothe Prison, and starting payments on an old lawsuit involving Southwestern Bell.