Prior to spring break the Missouri House of Representatives attempted to hammer out a balanced budget. During this process the House Budget Committee was able to approve an amendment which would maintain twice-daily service of the Missouri River Runner Amtrak train. Ranking Minority Member of the House Budget Committee, Kip Kendrick, says this was a big amendment to get approved.

The amendment came to the committee from Representative Aaron Griesheimer (Greesh-hi-mer) of Washington. It was approved by a narrow vote of 19-to-16 and will move on to the House floor. Meanwhile, Kendrick says the state still needs to address its six million dollars in unpaid bills to Amtrak.

The Missouri River Runner route runs between St. Louis and Kansas City. It includes stops in Jefferson City, Sedalia, and Warrensburg.