Members of Parliament approve increase in their budget.

Bahia 247 - With only one vote against, from Representative Luiza Maia (PT), the Legislative Assembly of Bahia (AL-BA) approved this afternoon the readjustment of the office allowance for the 63 representatives, which will increase from the current R$ 78 to R$ 92 per month. The impact, for now, will be R$ 11 million per year on citizens' pockets.

In total, 54 deputies voted in favor of the 18% readjustment, following disagreements between the Speaker of the House, Marcelo Nilo (PDT), and Luiza Maia. Members of the Workers' Party (PT), Paulo Rangel and Neusa Cadore, and Ângela Souza (PSD) were absent from the session. Leur Lomanto Jr. (PMDB) is on leave and also did not vote.

In an interview with Metrópole radio, Marcelo Nilo criticized Luiza Maia's stance. "It's a victory for public employees. I don't understand how a congresswoman votes against a raise for public employees, who haven't had a raise in four years. These are unbelievable things that, as Mangabeira used to say, 'think of something absurd, in Bahia there's a precedent'." He is referring to the famous period of former governor Otávio Mangabeira.

Nilo described his decision to cut the scholarships that deputies were distributing, which were deemed illegal by the courts, as an act of "heroism." "I'm going to cut to the bone, including the deputies. The scholarships are over, and now I'm going to reduce the daily allowances. I'm going to cut to the bone to give this raise, since Governor Rui Costa isn't going to provide the supplementary funding. I can't harm the civil servants. I'll put pressure on the deputies, but not on the civil servants."

During the session in which the increase was approved, Representative Luiza Maia explained her opposing position by raising a point of order. "We have a structure here that allows for a great deal of work. This is public money. I don't think we should be lining the pockets of representatives or their aides," said the Workers' Party member.