By AP/KWMU
Jefferson City, MO – The Missouri House gave first-round approval to a measure Wednesday that would fund Amtrak in Missouri until July.
The twice-daily trains from St. Louis and Kansas City got state funding for this current fiscal year, but not for all 12 months of the fiscal year.
Lawmakers on Wednesday added almost $900,000 to a supplemental spending measure.
Some lawmakers had balked at giving the train service even more money, saying the state has bailed out the carrier system for years.
Amtrak says it would have to make only one daily trip between St. Louis and Kansas City without the extra money.
The money was added to a $240 million supplemental spending bill for the fiscal year that ends June 30th.
A majority of the supplemental money is from the federal government.
Amtrak service has cost the state about $6.25 million a year. But for the past two years, the General Assembly has only reserved $5 million, resulting in the need for a mid-year infusion of cash.