A bill providing an additional $120 million dollars in general funds for the 2015 fiscal year is moving forward in the Missouri House.
The House gave first-round approval Thursday to the additional spending, which is driven primarily by higher drug costs in the state's Medicaid program ending June 30th. The bill faces another vote in the House before moving to the Senate.
The supplemental budget includes $82 million of general revenue for the Medicaid pharmacy program.
It also includes additional money for foster care for children due to larger caseloads, and overtime for mental health department workers.
House Budget Committee Chairman Tom Flanigan of Carthage says the need for more spending authority is partly the result of expected tobacco settlement money not coming in.
