‘Ley hojarasca’: Milei targets 70 repeal of laws in renewed deregulatory push

President Javier Milei’s government has reintroduced a sweeping legislative package to Congress aimed at eliminating outdated laws and curbing state funding for local political organisations, part of the administration’s broader ‘chainsaw’ deregulatory agenda.

The so-called ‘Ley hojarasca,’ or Leaf Litter bill, was originally drafted in 2024 by Deregulation & State Transformation Minister Federico Sturzenegger, but it was never processed, before eventually losing parliamentary status. 

The Executive Branch has now sent it once again to the Chamber of Deputies. The ruling coalition, strengthened through alliances with Fuerzas del Cambio, Elijo Catamarca, Independencia, Producción y Trabajo, and Innovación Federal, is reportedly confident the bill, which targets roughly 70 statutes, could pass this year.

The legislation proposes ending state funding for the Circle of Legislators and the Argentine Federation of Municipalities (FAM), organisations dominated by powerful Peronist local mayors. 

Among the laws slated for repeal are those that historically restricted protests, limited freedom of speech, or criminalised Argentines for defending human rights abroad. Other statutes include those mandating media content, regulating public meetings, providing perks for legislators, or financing a cinema ticket raffle through a film tax, which the government says disproportionately raised costs for audiences.

The bill is the result of a months-long effort by officials in Sturzenegger's portfolio that saw them combing over all national legislation in the search for articles to repeal. "Far from being a cumbersome task, it served to highlight the regulatory excess that has accumulated over the course of history and to point out its lack of purpose," said the Ministry in a statement.

The administration argues that removing these laws will promote civil liberties, reduce bureaucracy, and allow public funds to be redirected, marking a key step in Milei’s deregulatory reforms.

The most controversial topic will be the elimination of public funding for the Circle of Legislators and FAM, a powerful structure of mayors dominated by the so-called “Greater Buenos Aires barons.” Its current chairman is La Matanza’s Fernando Espinoza.

Under the proposed changes, the FAM would no longer receive funds from the national government, decentralised agencies or state-owned companies. 

“The Federation may not receive any funds from the state or any decentralised body or company where it holds a majority or minority share, whatever its legal status,” states the bill.

Instead, it must rely on members’ contributions, gifts, grants from Argentine or foreign entities, and agreements with subnational or international organisations. 

Similarly, the Circle of Legislators would be required to secure its own funding through membership fees, contributions, grants, gifts, or bequests, explicitly excluding state resources.

Critics say forcing the bodies to rely solely on member contributions or external grants may make them less representative or more dependent on wealthy donors, undermining accountability.

The bill also repeals a controversial law that financed a cinema ticket raffle through a tax on the film industry. The government argued that the tax raised ticket prices, limiting audiences. 

“Currently, less than 0.1 percent of spectators take part in this raffle, thus questioning the effect it may achieve in terms of promotion or stimulus. This becomes worse when considering that the costs of the raffle, due to bureaucracy, formalities, registration and notaries, are higher than the actual raffle prize.”

Among the laws repealed there is a law from Juan Domingo Perón’s government “imprisoning Argentines defending, in international venues, human rights in this country.”

Another dates back to Juan Carlos Onganía’s military government, where “the state attempted to limit freedom of speech by controlling the availability of newspapers.”  

Also facing repeal is Law 19,787 from Alejandro Lanusse’s de facto government, imposing “the dissemination of certain types of music which the state believed should be listened to, which is a direct attack on freedom of speech.”  

Law 20,959 from Isabel Perón’s government, whereby legislators were granted free circulation and free parking, would also be repealed.

The elimination of Law 20,983 of 1975 is also sought, which forced radio and television media to allocate 60 minutes per day to topics of national touristic interest.

– TIMES/NA