Tysons Casino Bill Advances To VA Senate Finance Committee

RICHMOND, VA — Despite letters from local officials and residents of Tysons and Reston traveling to Richmond on Wednesday hoping to the oppose Senate Bill 675, the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology approved the Tysons casino referendum bill on a vote of 10 to 4, with one abstentions. The bill's next stop is the Senate Finance & Appropriations Committee.

The votes broke down as follows:

• Yay - Carroll Foy, Craig, French, Jordan, Locke, McPike, Pillion, Reeves, Rouse, Subramanyam
• Nay - Ebbin, Head, Roem, Rouse
• Abstention: Aird

Wednesday's vote came a day after the bill's sponsor, Sen. Dave Marsden (D-Burke), presented it to the subcommittee on gaming, which voted to advance the bill for a full committee vote.

In addition to identifying Tysons as the place where the proposed casino would be built, the current bill removes language about the Northern Virginia's prevailing wages and labor.

Marsden argued that all regions of the state should have an equal opportunity to allow a casino to be built in their area as a way to create local jobs and generate tax revenue. That money could be used to fund K-12 education and boost funding for Metrorail in Northern Virginia.

"It allows for six casino licenses in Virginia, primarily based on regional fairness and diversity," he said. "Nothing, as it currently stands, would be north of Petersburg, which is almost the start of south-side Virginia, and there would be nothing in Northern Virginia."

Following Tuesday's hearing, Sens. Jennifer Boysko (D-Herndon) and Saddam Azlan Salim (D-Fairfax), as well as Hunter Mill Supervisor Walter Alcorn (D), wrote letters to Marsden and committee members voicing their concerns over proposed casino development.

“To date, hundreds of constituents have reached out with over 98.8 percent of them expressing their opposition," Salim told Patch in an email after the Wednesday's vote. "Given the incredibly strong opposition, I hope the finance committee members will consider the constituents of my district when voting for this bill.”

The Reston Citizens Association sent lawmakers a referendum it passed Tuesday night, saying the group supported its county supervisor, state senator and house of delegates representative in their opposition to the proposed casino being built anywhere in Fairfax County.

On Wednesday morning, a group of residents from Reston and the McLean area travelled to Richmond, hoping to voice their opposition. However, at the beginning of Wednesday's meeting, Chairman Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) told the audience that no new testimony would be taken. Instead, he gave both the bill's supporters and detractors an opportunity to let the committee members know their position by taking turns standing as a group.

The citizens of Fairfax County are not being advised by lobbyists and big money," said Connie Hartke, one the seven people who drove down on Wednesday. "Today the citizens group from Reston and McLean proudly stood and so were recognized. We now know the importance of subcommittee meetings. We are quick learners. We will be back."

Related:

• Tysons Casino Bill: Reston Citizens Group Opposes With New Resolution
• Letter Sent To Remind Marsden Of Alcorn's Opposition To Casino Bill
• Letter: Boysko, Salim Tell VA Lawmakers They Oppose Tysons Casino Bill

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  Although no one spoke in opposition during the Tuesday's subcommittee meeting, three people voiced their support for the legislation, including Julie Coons, president of the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce.

Coons called the called the proposed development, which would include a hotel, conference center, and concert venue anchored by a casino, an important driver for diversification of the region's economy.

"The creation of a mixed-use, transit-oriented complex that would include not only a casino, but a state-of-the-art conference facility and performing arts venue is estimated to contribute an additional $2 billion to the region and would bring thousands of new jobs to Fairfax County," she said.

Related:

• Anti-Casino Effort Joined by Sully, West Fairfax Community Groups
• Let's Stop Casino Bill SB-675 In Committee: Call To Action
• Casino Developer Gave $51K To VA Senate Gaming Sub-Committee Members
• Tysons Casino Location Verified By VA Legislator Who Introduced Bill

Read all of Patch's reporting on Comstock Companies' plan to build a casino on Metro's Silver Line in Fairfax County at Silver Line Casino.