The Missouri House voted to give Metro $12 million Wednesday

Intro: Controversy over stimulus money continued in the Missouri House Wednesday.

Lauren Stenzel has more from Jefferson City.

RunTime:0:41
OutCue: SOC

The House voted to put twelve million dollars of federal stimulus funds into the St. Louis Metro Wednesday.

St. Louis Democratic Representative Rachel Storch says the Metro really needed the cash.

Actuality: STORCH1.WAV

Run Time: 00:13

Description: "We're really in crisis mode in the St. Louis area. Our business organization such as St. Louis RCGA, which is our chamber of commerce in the regional business council had indicated that this could affect as many as 12,000 jobs."

Storch said the money would hold on to some Metro services which is the only way of transportation for many St. Louisans.

Opponents of the bill say they could not justify spending twenty million dollars on a service with cost over-runs.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Lauren Stenzel.

Intro: Although the House adopted an amendment to give Metro $12 million, one St. Louis representative says it is not enough.

Lauren Stenzel has more from Jefferson City.

RunTime:0:54
OutCue: SOC

The House adopted an amendment to the stimulus spending bill Wednesday giving twelve million dollars to the St. Louis Metro.

The House Budget Chairman previously endorsed twenty million for the transit system.

St. Louis City Democrat James Morris said this amount will not recover lost jobs, and explained his issues with the budget process.

Actuality: JMORRIS.WAV

Run Time: 00:08

Description: "The budget process to this point has been a sham. I think that, as one of my colleagues has said, it has changed from day to day."

St. Louis County Republican Representative Dwight Scharnhorst opposed the original amount.

Actuality: SHARN1.WAV

Run Time: 00:12

Description: "What the Republican side of the aisle is asking is that we receive some assurances of transparency and responsibility in spending the tax payers money. I don't think that's too much to ask. And I would like to talk to Representative Morris on the issue."

Proponents of the bill say they hope the Senate raises the amount back up to twenty million.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Lauren Stenzel.

Intro: The St. Louis Metro transit will receive twelve million dollars from the federal stimulus funds, but some say it will not be enough.

Lauren Stenzel has more from Jefferson City.

RunTime:0:43
OutCue: SOC

The Missouri House approved an amendment which will allocate twelve million dollars from federal stimulus funds to go toward the St. Louis Metro transit system.

The sponsor of the amendment, Democratic Representative Rachel Storch, said the money will be used to re-introduce jobs that were cut in March.

St. Louis Democratic Representative James Morris says he does not think this will be enough money, and was disappointed with the amount.

Actuality: JMORRIS2.WAV

Run Time: 00:08

Description: "The twelve million dollars is not going to be of great help. The Metro said they needed at least fifty million, and our compromise was twenty."

One Republican said he opposed the previous amount, and the Metro should be happy it at least got something.

Reporting from the State Capitol, I'm Lauren Stenzel.