The Chambers of Deputies and Senators of the Santa Fe Legislature quickly resolved the sanction of a law that authorizes the Provincial Executive Branch to expropriate land surrounding the Piñero prison for the expansion of the penitentiary complex. The message from Governor Maximiliano Pullaro declares “six lots located in the rural area of the town of public utility and subject to expropriation,” states the first article of the project.
The referenced land will be used for the construction of a prison complex, adjacent to the existing one. The expenses from the application and other necessary documentation are in charge of the Gray House, completing the text voted unanimously in the two legislative bodies.
The issue had already advanced in the Senators but the deputies had to make a correction indicated by the government (a drafting error, linked to technical cadastral issues). It was resolved expeditiously with the Lower House in committee after a quarter-hour intermission in the benches. Only one deputy requested abstention: the Justicialist close to Marcelo Lewandowski and former provincial senator for Rosario, Miguel Rabbia, chose not to vote due to some objections raised in that town in southern Santa Fe. On the subject, after the affirmative vote in plenary session of another sector of the PJ, Marcos Corach spoke: he reaffirmed support for the rule requested by the Gray House but warned that the governor and his collaborators should reformulate “their bond”, even improve it, with the local authorities of Piñero who – he said – understand that they have not been fully informed about some aspects that entail the expansion of the Prison. Perotti’s former minister explained that there is no desire to obstruct because expansion is essential, but he advised better contact with the people of Piñera.
In the Senate, however, the approval was simply repeated once the corrected version arrived from the other body, also without dissent.
Message
In his speech on May 1, Governor Pullaro had listed among his Security priorities as “imperative” to improve the penitentiary system. “Firstly, resume the pace of construction of public prison work and adapt it to the reality we live in. The work has already been put out to tender to add 160 cells with capacity for 320 inmates in Unit 5 of Rosario and in the La Capital department we will add space for 880 people. In the Piñero Unit, we will build cells for 2,432 prisoners, including the 1,152 high-profile prisoners who are already housed there. In total, we plan to add 2,459 cells, for 3,632 inmates, with a public investment of 227 million. of dollars,” he said regarding prison infrastructure.
In the brief sessions of Deputies and the Senate there were expressions of concern about the cutting of medical services, hospitalization and studies for those affiliated with the Provincial Institute of Social Work (Iapos). In the lower house, criticism was unleashed from an intervention by Miguel Rabbia, while in the Senate the same thing happened with another expression by Leonardo Diana. The Justicialist emphasized provincial responsibilities; the radical in the unilateral measure taken by the providers that deprive the beneficiaries of health in the southern zone. The review of urgent cases provoked another debate sponsored by the deputy of Somos Vida, Silvia Malfesi, to make social work, now mandatory, optional for public employees. Amalia Granata expressed his opinion in the same direction.
The Alvear city project advances
The Chamber of Deputies approved without votes against, with 46 demonstrations in favor and some absences, without abstentions, a bill that declares Alvear a city in the Rosario department. The issue immediately went to the Upper House, which after its entry went to committees, but with a request for preference to discuss it in the next session, in accordance with a request from Senator Ciro Seisas.
In the Senate, a request from the representative of the Garay department, Germán Baumgartner, was also approved, who requested a preference for a session for the Bill that seeks to declare the town of Helvecia as a city.
Meanwhile, in Deputies, the declaration of Alvear as a city deserved some considerations not so apart from a former provincial official, deputy Celia Arena who acted as Minister of Government and Justice in the previous government. After mentioning that the provincial Constitution sets a limit of 10,000 inhabitants for a community to be a city, he recalled that Perotti’s administration was denied similar debates when it came to initiatives in favor of extending the mandate of communal presidents or consecrating reforms in the municipal regime such as the possibility of autonomy. The deputy expressed that the constitutional impediment was used before and now a broader interpretation of the Magna Carta, which is shared, for the transformation of communes into municipalities.
A bill presented by Alcides Calvo (PJ-Castellanos), accompanied by the head of that bloc Rubén Pirola (Las Colonias), the radical Germán Baumgartner (Garay) and the socialist Julio “Paco” Garibaldi (La Capital) proposes to designate the name of “Jorge Ternengo” to the section of RP 62 S, between the towns of Cayastá and Ataliva, jurisdiction of the aforementioned departments. The half-sanction was passed to Deputies and beforehand Calvo thanked his peers for the unanimous approval. He stated that “Jorge is an older person, who has some health problems, he was a great driver and representative of motor sports and car racing in the 60s and 70s, and we wanted to give him this well-deserved recognition,” he stressed. .
