Virginia Senate passes casino bill
The Virginia Senate on Feb. 4 passed legislation to permit Fairfax County to hold a referendum on a casino in Tysons.
Senate Bill 982, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (Mount Vernon) cleared the Senate on a 24-16 vote. It now goes to the House of Delegates.
Several Northern Virginia lawmakers voted against the bill. Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim, whose district includes Tysons, called on the House “to reject this bill so we can focus on legislative priorities that truly serve our constituents.”
“Unlike previous casino authorization bills passed by the General Assembly, this proposal was not initiated by Fairfax County,” Salim said. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors “is unlikely to proceed with a referendum due to significant community opposition.”
Salim’s office has received approximately 1,300 emails and calls on this issue, with less than 0.008 percent supporting the casino bill. “Independent polling reflects similar opposition,” he says, with a strong majority of Fairfax County residents against the project, including around 80 percent of Tysons-area residents.”
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In addition, Salim says, “This bill differs from past legislation by de-facto specifying a predetermined site and developer, bypassing local land-use control and eliminating a competitive bidding process. This approach sets a concerning precedent, as it allows a single developer to advance a casino project with minimal local support, primarily through significant campaign contributions and lobbying efforts at the state level.”
Sen. Dave Marsden, who represents the Annandale area, voted in favor of SB 982. He had introduced a similar casino bill last year, which was withdrawn before a vote. He argued the measure would bring needed tax revenue to Fairfax County.
Aside from Surovell and Marsden, the only other senator from Northern Virginia who voted for the bill is Stella Pekarsky (Centreville).
Sen. Jennifer Boysko (Herndon), Sen. Adam Ebbin (Alexandria), Sen. Barbara Favola (Arlington), Sen. Danica Roem (Manassas), and Sen. Kannan Srinivasan (Broadlands) voted against the casino bill.
Related story: Casino bill advances in the state Senate
When the bill gets to the House, Del. Karen Keys-Gamarra (Reston) plans to vote against it. Her February newsletter cites the following concerns with SB 982:
- Land use planning and decisions are the responsibility of local lawmakers and are subject to a community engagement process. “By taking this directly to the state legislature, this legislation bypasses the long-standing safeguards that are designed to make sure land use decisions are locally driven.”
- The casino bill bypasses the review process followed when there is a proposal to amend the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan. “In every other instance where a casino is under development in the commonwealth, local officials had the authority and responsibility for examining the project thoroughly before moving to a referendum by the local voters.”
- Advocates of the casino promise more than 5,000 new jobs, which has gained the support of local unions. However, the developer does not have to deliver on this non-binding memorandum of understanding.
- The current Virginia Code makes it clear that the decision to recommend a casino lies with the Board of Supervisors at the local level.
