by InTrieste
The Regional Council has approved Bill 79, an omnibus legislative package covering multiple sectors, following three days of debate, 94 articles, and dozens of amendments.
The measure, described as a broad maintenance law, reallocates and introduces funding across a wide range of policy areas. Key provisions include €14.4 million in non-repayable grants for businesses affected by rising fuel costs, an expansion of photovoltaic incentives to include companies in the services and construction sectors, and €4 million to support the reassignment of the Trieste–Milan Linate air route.
The law also allocates €100,000 to support civil protection volunteers facing potential legal and compensation costs linked to emergency operations, alongside €290,000 for the national Bersaglieri gathering, €60,000 for the Grotte Aperte initiative, and €170,000 for the regional energy community. It further establishes a regional register of specialists and facilities for specific learning disorders.
On social policy, €1 million has been earmarked for before- and after-school services intended to help families balance work and childcare obligations through municipal programs.
Andrea Cabibbo, group leader of Forza Italia in the Regional Council, emphasized the family-oriented measures, particularly the funding for school support services, which he said would strengthen municipal capacity to assist working parents.
Opposition representatives criticized both the content and procedure of the bill. Francesco Martines of the Democratic Party said the package effectively functioned as a mini budget, with €47 million shifted through last-minute amendments, arguing that the process weakened the role of committees and reduced legislative scrutiny.
