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(AP) -- Missouri lawmakers will be trying to plug a half-billion-dollar gap in next year's budget when they convene their 2012 session on Wednesday.

State budget director Linda Luebbering says much of the hole is due to a reduction in federal money, such as stimulus funds and Medicaid payments.

Also straining the budget is the growth of health-care costs, including a rise in the number of Medicaid patients using home-based services.

House Budget Chairman Ryan Silvey says this is the year that Missouri's finances will "go over the cliff."

Silvey and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Kurt Schaefer both say they will make education funding the top priority in the budget. Schaefer says he hopes to focus cuts on social services and other state agencies.

(Copyright ©2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)