Throw a little extra money on the table in the legislature and all kinds of hands start grabbing for it. Some lawmakers want to cut some taxes–the Speaker of the House for one. Some people think all the people cut off the medicaid rolls in 2005 should be put back on. Advocates for education, social services, healthcare, public safety–you name it—want their cut. Senate appropriations chairman Chuck Gross warns that 300-million dollars can disappear pretty quickly. He says increased Medicaid costs will eat up much of that money. So will built-in increases in some other programs, and planned increases in school funding will consume tens of millions of dollars more. As for the Speaker’s proposed cut in taxes on social security benefits—Gross says a better discussion should be about a restructuring the whole system. He says that restructuring could mean some taxes would go down, but others would go up. Governor Blunt is dribbling out some of his smaller budget recommendations. He’ll announce all of his proposals next week. Then the legislature will decide what the state will actually get. As if often said at the Capitol, “The Governor proposes; the legislature disposes.”
