The high cost of two major lawsuits against the state are complicating the next state budget, and it's not the first time that's happened.
A settlement over mental health services will cost the state $24 million in the upcoming budget, and another suit over a hospital tax could take up to $80 million from the general fund. These costs won't be easily swallowed in an already tight budget of roughly $10.7 billion.
The lawsuits are the latest in a series of others that have hit the state's bottom line. The state recently spent $38 million to build a new women's prison, stemming from a lawsuit filed by female prisoners. Lawsuits over school funding have stretched out for decades, with the state continually changing how it funds local schools.
In 2014, the state had a financial stake in 28 lawsuits.
