Riigikogu worked through the night on bills tied to confidence votes
The Riigikogu has been deliberating the coalition's bills it has tied to individual votes of confidence to avoid effective filibustering since yesterday. By 6:30 a.m. the parliament had passed a bill to slash family benefits, amended tax acts to change local governments' income tax receipt allocation, as well as passed changes to the Weapons Act that will make it possible to expand the Nursipalu Training Area in expedited process.
The bill to slash Estonia's large family benefit was passed at 5:15 p.m. after the Riigikogu failed to conclude the second reading on Monday and Tuesday.
The second reading of amendments to the Income Tax Act and Social Welfare Act and the Income Tax Act to alter how much income tax receipt reaches local governments was finally passed at 1:20 a.m. after the opposition's proposal to terminate the second reading was voted down.
A little before 5:30 a.m. the Riigikogu passed a bill to hold responsible people who plan, prepare, unleash and execute crimes of aggression against Ukraine and propose the creation of an international special tribunal for the purpose under the aegis of the UN.
The bill 228 AE on charging with a criminal offense aggression crimes against Ukraine was proposed by 94 MPs and supported by 85.
Next, the third reading of amendments to the Weapons Act and other associated acts started. The bill will create the legal framework necessary to expand EDF and Defense League training areas, including the Nursipalu Training Area the rapid expansion of which is regarded as crucial for national defense purposes. The final vote started at 6:07 a.m. and the bill was passed into law after 59 MPs supported it.
The Riigikogu then moved on to bills to hike excise duties on alcohol, tobacco and motor fuel and other associated acts. The previously planned excise duty hikes for fiscally marked diesel fuel were canceled.
The Wednesday sitting will be concluded at 10 a.m. at the latest, which is when the Thursday sitting is set to begin.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski
