St. Petersburg casino referendum bill to advance in Virginia Legislature
The Virginia General Assembly convened Wednesday for the 2024 legislative session, and a bill seeking to designate Petersburg as a qualified casino host city is expected to be filed later this week.
St. Petersburg was not among the five cities Virginia lawmakers allowed to consider commercial casino projects in 2020 to boost regional economies. But after Richmond twice rejected casino proposals, the state government worked to move the capital's gaming industry to Petersburg, about 25 miles south.
Del. Kim Taylor (R-Dinwiddie), whose district includes Petersburg, has been helping push for casino development in Petersburg since Richmond was first denied a casino in 2021. Taylor believes new legislation in the capital, Richmond, will provide a better opportunity to allow Peterborough to ask city residents if they would like to allow a gaming resort in the city.
We're in a completely different climate," Taylor told The Progressive Index."Republicans are in the minority now, but when I passed the casino referendum legislation last session, I did have the opportunity to get to know the representatives and the various lobbyists By. We will continue to build on this foundation. Of course, we have a lot of new people. New relationships are being formed. "
The biggest change related to Petersburg Casino is that state Sen. Joe Morrissey (D-Petersburg) is no longer in office after losing the Democratic primary last June.
Morrissey, who led Petersburg casino development with Taylor, is a controversial legislator with many opponents in Richmond. His tenure in parliament was also mired in controversy when it was revealed that he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl who later became his wife. Morrissey married Myrna Pride in 2016, when she was 20 and Morrissey was 59.
Taylor narrowly defeated her Republican challenger in the November election by just 53 votes and was nearly forced out of office.
Better Odds
Taylor believes Morrissey's departure could increase the chances of the Peterborough casino bill gaining full support in Richmond.
She said a personal feud stymied her and Morrissey's legislative efforts last year, when interim Sen. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) — known for her years of support for casino legislation "Casino Lady" - Says Virginia has enough casinos The four projects were approved through local referendums.
Lucas was a long-time enemy of Morrissey. Taylor said she was "disappointed" that Lucas killed her and Morrissey's casino bill last year, which passed the House in February 2023.
Casino License Competition
After Richmond voters rejected a casino proposal for a second time last November, Lucas said gambling in the capital should officially end. Virginia lawmakers should consider reallocating the licenses, she said.
Cordish Companies, a Baltimore-based gaming operator with casinos in Maryland and Pennsylvania, has expressed interest in working with Petersburg on possible casino opportunities. A separate legislative push in the state's northernmost Fairfax County is also expected to spark a bitter fight over the Richmond permit.
Virginia Sen. David Marsden (D-Burke) and Del. Lane Williams (R-Stuart) believes the state should allow a casino to open in northern Virginia, the richest region in the commonwealth, to stem the flow of gambling money to neighboring Maryland.
While there is support for the casino in Peterborough, with Mayor Sam Parham being one of the project's biggest backers, Vienna and McLean are generally opposed to gambling development in Fairfax.
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Source: www.casino.org
