By Months: Tõnis Lukas
Total Months: 11
Fully Profiled: 11
12.2024
10 Speeches
The primary legislative priorities are amendments to the Education Act (establishing a learning obligation and vocational education reform), along with the Pre-Primary Education Act. The speaker is critical of the Education Act's passage due to insufficient funding and, representing the Isamaa faction, proposed an amendment allowing children to be grouped according to their linguistic preparation. They also deem it imperative to legalize the withdrawal of voting rights from citizens of aggressive nations.
11.2024
26 Speeches
The main legislative priorities are amendments to the state budget aimed at raising teachers' salaries by 5% and allocating the necessary funds for the dignified celebration of the Year of the Estonian Book. He/She is critical of the overly detailed nature of the Sports Act but supports the completion of the bill's first reading. Furthermore, he/she initiated a bill through the Cultural Committee concerning the Academy of Sciences.
10.2024
12 Speeches
The speaker is predominantly an opponent of the government’s policy, standing against the raising of immigration quotas and the outsourcing of Tartu prison. He demands the fulfillment of the coalition agreement regarding the increase in teachers' salaries and the systematic monitoring of regional policy. He is also concerned about the impact that draft legislation (such as the Public Libraries Act) will have on regional employment.
09.2024
9 Speeches
The legislative focus centers on overseeing the government's activities, specifically by submitting an interpellation regarding the failure of e-tests and demanding accountability and solutions. Furthermore, it addresses draft decisions concerning the governance of cultural institutions, including the submission, on behalf of the Cultural Committee, of a draft resolution for the recall of a member of the National Opera's council.
07.2024
13 Speeches
The legislative focus centers on opposing the proposed motor vehicle tax law and highlighting its potential consequences, demanding that it not be adopted. Furthermore, the government’s intentions regarding the dismantling of the funding structure of the Cultural Endowment (Kultuurkapital) and the streamlining of the school network are under scrutiny. Regarding educational issues, the continuation of financing agreements for higher education institutions remains the priority.
06.2024
5 Speeches
The speaker focuses on supporting the Riigikogu's foreign policy statements (regarding Georgia) and monitoring the progress of major defense sector initiatives (ammunition stockpiling). In education policy, their focus is on the action plan for the transition to Estonian-language instruction and monitoring its implementation, particularly in the context of the draft Basic Education Act.
05.2024
23 Speeches
The main legislative priority is the amendments to the Language Act proposed by Isamaa, whose aim is to close legal loopholes in the service sector and platform work, and establish Estonian language requirements for the official business of state institutions. He is an active supporter of finding funding for teachers' salary increases in the supplementary budget and participates in discussions on the draft law concerning early childhood education. He criticizes the government for delaying important draft laws (the Language Act), preferring the quick closing of legal loopholes over long-term analysis.
04.2024
23 Speeches
The legislative focus is directed towards amending the legal acts governing the formation of the school network to ensure a longer planning period (17 months instead of the current five months) when restructuring schools. Also prioritized is changing the coefficient of rurality used in the equalization fund and securing state funding for small schools for at least three years. The speaker is an active initiator and proponent of the Riigikogu Draft Resolution (OE), criticizing the stalling of the bill in the Riigikogu committees.
03.2024
19 Speeches
The main legislative priorities are improving teachers' working conditions (career model, salary increase) and strengthening the role of the Estonian language (amendments to the Language Act and the Public Transport Act). The speaker is the submitter of the draft resolution and the bill initiated by the Isamaa faction. He/She also supports amendments to the Cultural Endowment Act concerning the financing of the ERR building and social guarantees for creators.
02.2024
13 Speeches
The legislative focus is currently directed towards obligating the government regarding the issue of teachers' salaries, achieved by submitting a draft resolution that demands the promised salary increase and the development of a career model by May 1st. Furthermore, the draft car tax bill has been actively opposed, and questions have been raised concerning the long-term consequences of using Cultural Endowment funds (specifically for the construction of the ERR building).
01.2024
17 Speeches
The legislative focus is currently on submitting a draft Riigikogu decision that would mandate the government to take measures to prevent teacher strikes and develop a system of legislation aimed at supporting rural schools in sparsely populated regions. They also demand the accelerated processing of the draft law concerning the organization of research, development, and innovation. He has supported the principle of providing a starting grant for teachers.