House of Delegates passes a casino bill
Legislation to allow a casino in Fairfax County moved a step closer to passage after the House approved the measure on March 4 on a 59-37 vote.
Shortly afterwards, the Senate unanimously rejected the House substitute (SB 756). That means members of the House and Senate will have to work out a compromise in a conference committee. If both chambers agree on the same bill, it will go to Gov. Abigail Spanberger, who could either sign it or veto it.
Before a casino could be developed, it would have to be approved by Fairfax County voters in a public referendum. The legislation requires a casino to be part of a 1.5 million-square-foot conference and entertainment facility.
The original casino bill, pushed by Sen. Scott Surovell (D-Mount Vernon) for the past three years, set strict location rules, which meant it could only be developed in Tysons. The legislation passed by the Senate on Feb. 13 would allow a casino in other areas in Fairfax County.
Related story: Casino bill clears House committee with significant changes
A bill subsequently approved by the House General Laws Committee in February included several provisions introduced by Del. Paul Krizek (D-Fairfax) that would be financially advantageous to Fairfax County and require a referendum in the magisterial district where it would be located.
Those provisions were stripped out when the bill advanced to the House Appropriations Committee and cleared the full House.
The House bill retains a provision that requires a casino developer to support a law enforcement facility nearby. The bill also has a sunset provision allowing it to expire if Fairfax County doesn’t hold a successful referendum by July 1, 2029. And it requires documents on the casino plan to be publicly available
Two House members who represent Fairfax County voted for the House bill – Del. Laura Jane Cohen (D-Burke) and Del. Garrett McGuire (Franconia).
In December, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors narrowly passed a motion opposing a casino without the establishment of a state gaming commission and without a revenue split that substantially benefits the county.
Related story: Board outlines concerns with a casino bill
Following House passage of the bill, Supervisor James Bierman (Dranesville) urged Spanberger to veto it, noting that most county residents do not want a casino.
Bierman criticized the bill as “seeking to use working families of Fairfax County as an ATM for the rest of the commonwealth, all in the service of lining the pockets of a single well-heeled casino developer.”
The No Fairfax Casino Coalition has lobbied against a casino. At a press conference in Richmond in February, Chairperson Lynne Mulston said, “The proposed casino threatens the fabric of our larger community and prioritizes casino interests over the legislative process, local land use authority, and the well-being of our residents and businesses.”
The county has never generated enough revenue from businesses to reduce its reliance on property taxes. Since residents aren’t going to stop clamoring for more government spending, Fairfax County voters cannot afford to say no to casinos. Or to data centers.
Gambling makes no social contribution, and attracts crime and other maladies to our communities. Truly a disgrace and an example of the insatiable appetite of the Fairfax county leaders for new sources of revenues at the expense of the well being of their constituents, to support their private kingdom. Let’s remember those that approve this motion on the next election term.