A bill that would have made Fairfax County eligible for a Tysons casino has died in the House of Delegates.
SB 982 was introduced by Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell. It would have authorized the county board of supervisors to hold a ballot referendum. The referendum would have allowed voters to decide whether or not a Tysons casino should be built.
History of the Bill
The House Appropriations subcommittee on commerce, agriculture, and natural resources did not advance the legislation at a meeting on February 12. The subcommittee only said it was “passing it by for the day.” However, it is not scheduled to meet again during this session.
This was the third year in a row that such legislation was introduced. However, this was the first year it advanced past the state senate.
Surovell posted a statement on X in response. “With the Trump administration moving aggressively to eliminate jobs in Northern Virginia, I am disappointed that the House Committee on Appropriations did not see fit to advance SB 982 to bring thousands of union jobs to Fairfax County,” he said.
“I appreciate the Subcomittee’s consideration of the bill and giving the entertainment district’s supporters a chance to continue the discussion this session, and hope they will consider docketing the bill for a vote over the next week,” Surovell continued.
Opposition to the Bill
There was clear opposition to the bill in the form of a Change.org petition and a group called No NoVA Casino.
Sen. Jennifer Boysko has been a vocal opponent of this bill. She made a statement during the public testimony section of the meeting. “I am representing my 200,000+ constituents who have been very clear that this is not an appropriate location for a casino,” she said.
Boysko celebrated the end of the bill with a post on X. She said it was, “a happy day leading up to Valentine’s,” with a picture of a sign reading “No Tysons Casino.”
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
