The COVID funny money is in the coffers until 2024 states can pass it around before elections to buy votes this year.
Republican governors like Kemp in Georgia and Brad Little in Idaho handing out inflation causing COVID money from Washington DC to bribe voters before the election as well.
You are right. The only reason these states have “surpluses” to give back is all that COVID printed money. If that hadn’t been done, so many states would have been in the red.