After the executive order, a key opponent of past attempts at a drug monitoring program, state Sen. Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph, and other lawmakers raised questions about Greitens’ ability to spend state money on the new program without an appropriation in the state’s budget.

Two lawmakers said recently the state has not entered into a contract to start the program. One of them, House Budget Chairman Scott Fitzpatrick, R-Shell Knob, said he raised concerns with the Greitens administration over its authority to establish the program without legislative approval.

“It’s not like they issued the contract and rescinded it,” Fitzpatrick said. “They never got to the point where they actually did anything that they couldn’t or shouldn’t have done. I communicated that I felt pretty strongly that the right way to do that was to go through the appropriations process.”

Burns said in her email that officials had been in talks with Fitzpatrick and others “to ensure this important initiative is set up for long-term success.”