Rio state legislature votes to release imprisoned members
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Rio de Janeiro's state legislature has voted to release three lawmakers who had been jailed in a corruption investigation.
Friday's decision is sure to infuriate residents of Rio. The state is in the midst of a fiscal crisis just a year after hosting the 2016 Olympics.
A major cause of the crisis has been widespread government corruption that has depleted state coffers and hurt confidence.
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While legislators were discussing the issue, police outside shot tear gas at protesters who tried to go beyond barriers around the building.
Legislators voted 39-19 to revoke prison orders for Jorge Picciani, Paulo Melo and Edson Albertassi. Picciani is the legislature's president.
The three were jailed on Thursday on orders of a federal court amid an investigation into corruption, money laundering and tax evasion.