On Thursday the Indiana General Assembly approved $42 million in additional funding for the Regional Cities Initiative.

The fund was already allocated for $84 million but lawmakers wanted another $42 million to go towards economic development in Elkhart, St. Joseph and Marshall counties.

However, lawmakers didn’t do it the way they originally planned.

Since the additional $42 million wasn't approved on its own, the state legislature attached the money as a rider to a transportation bill that's now called Road Funding and Regional Cities. That bill was approved.

Governor Mike Pence released this statement:

"I thank Indiana lawmakers for helping this initiative get off the ground last year and for allocating an additional $42 million to the Indiana Regional Cities Initiative, giving Hoosiers the tools to transform our regions and attract top talent for generations to come."