Amid an $85 million Medicaid deficit, Alabama lawmakers moved to allocate part of the state's BP oil spill settlement to address the problem, the Birmingham Business Journal reported.
On Wednesday the Alabama House of Representatives voted 91-10 to move $35 million from the $639 million BP oil settlement toward Medicaid. When added to $35 million from the governor's office, the state would have the majority of necessary funds.
Gov. Don Siegelman (D) previously put forth a plan to pay the funds through a lottery, though legislators said the option is less likely to pass. Lottery options were put forth on the Senate floor Wednesday, but an agreement could not be reached, according to the report.
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