Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell was hoping that the House of Delegates would help Fairfax County strike it rich— allowing a sixth casino in Virginia in Tysons Corner on a Metro line in Fairfax County. His pitch to the House of Delegates was that the casino would also have a convention center.
"There is no convention center in Northern Virginia," Surovell told the subcommittee. "Fairfax County is larger than eight states. Think about that for a second. There's 1.1 million people. It's larger than eight states, and there's nowhere to have a convention, which is crazy. You've got to go to DC or you're got to go across the river to get a convention. We need this kind of project in Fairfax County to bring tourists to come and spend their money in our state to support our Metro and our economy."
The Fairfax County delegation was divided on the issue, and one of the chief opponents was Senator Jennifer Boysko, a Democrat from Herndon. She testified Wednesday in an Appropriations subcommittee against the bill.
"I know it's unusual to have a member of the Senate come up and testify against somebody else's bill," Boysko admitted. "I am representing my 200 plus thousand constituents who have been very clear that this is not an appropriate location for a casino."
After she delivered those remarks, members of an Appropriations subcommittee rejected the bill.
So, the effort may be over for now. But Surovell promised that he would keep talking about it.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
