State House passes amendment to restore Ellis Fischel funding

The Missouri House of Representatives adopted an amendment Wednesday that would appropriate $31.2 million to the Ellis Fischel Cancer Center after those funds were cut out of a bill on Monday.

The House Rules Committee passed the bill Monday with an amendment that slashed Ellis Fischel's funding and redistributed it to other state universities and community colleges. The amendment was introduced after House Democrats left the committee hearing in protest of how Republicans were treating the bill.

This left the vote in Republican hands, and the bill passed committee without funding for Ellis Fischel.

But the House Budget Committee chairman said there were still opportunities for Ellis Fischel to get back in the bill and that he would work toward that end. Rep. Allen Icet, R-Wildwood, introduced on Wednesday the amendment that brings Ellis Fischel's funding back.

The House passed the amendment without discussion.

As of noon Wednesday, the House was still reviewing amendments to the bill. The bill is expected to be voted on Wednesday afternoon.