The attack on education and SUS, unfortunately, we have!

Unfortunately, the Porto Alegre City Council He passed a bill that explicitly attacks public education and its popular controls. In addition, through a supplemental bill (PLC), it approved a real attack on the SUS, changing the composition of the Municipal Health Council (CMS) and reorganizing the Municipal Council of Education (CME), leaving as one of the main outcomes, increased participation of municipal representatives.

Both houses, by this measure, lose their deliberative capacity and become advisory. The Milo City Council’s justification is that there is a need to adapt federal legislation on the subject. Another point is that the entities mentioned in the legislation in force until then no longer exist. Well, regarding the best legislative technique, it is true that some changes were needed to adapt the councils to the current reality. However, this does not explain the low deliberative power and popular participation in the decisions of public administration.

The councils opposed the proposals, and gave the executive branch viable alternatives, which did not sensitize the government. It is not new that there is an increasing attack on what is public and on the social controls of public policies, but what we have seen in the city of Porto Alegre is an increasing distortion of popular participation in decision-making. Executive initiative proposals that reach Casa do Povo receive the necessary criticism, pass through committees, are subject to proposals for change through alternatives and modifications, but absolutely nothing is received by the governing base, making important improvements in the sometimes necessary modifications to the laws.

It is appalling that there are those who argue that mere formal compliance with the requirements of public consultation and processing in legislative committees overcomes negligence in dealing with criticism and proposals of draft government initiatives. The opposition has been a minority in the House since the 2018 election, so any and all right-wing bills are passed without substantive discussion of ideas. Although not illegal, it is a pity that parliamentarians only vote in order, with their backs to the people.

*Rachel Luis Vergara da Fontura Law student at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (Ufrgs) and Parliamentary Adviser