Gov. Abigail Spanberger announced her first veto on legislation that would have started the process to establish a casino in Fairfax County. She cited opposition from the Fairfax Board of Supervisors in her statement.
The legislation would have required the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to call a referendum vote on a casino in Tysons Corner. The other five casinos that are established in Virginia were sought out by the locality. This legislation, sponsored by Fairfax Sen. Scott Surovell, would have circumvented the Board’s opposition.
“Local governing boards should lead on proposed casino development, as has happened in every locality that now has a casino,” Spanberger said. “But in Fairfax County, the Board of Supervisors has explicitly opposed this legislation, and an overwhelming majority of the General Assembly members who represent Fairfax voted against it.”
Jeff McKay, the chair of the Fairfax Board of Supervisors, praised Spanberger’s decision.
“On behalf of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and our over 1 million residents, I would like to thank Governor Spanberger for her veto of SB756, also known as the casino bill,” McKay said. “Governor Spanberger was gracious with her time in affording me the opportunity to outline the Board of Supervisors’ and our residents’ concerns on this matter. This veto demonstrates the Governor’s respect for local authority and being responsive to those we represent. Our residents have been clear in their overwhelming opposition to a casino in Fairfax County.”
Surovell told Virginia Scope that Spanberger did not contact him before vetoing the legislation and, in a separate statement, said he is “deeply disappointed” in her decision.
“This bill was Northern Virginia labor’s number one legislative priority — supported by every major building trades union in the region — and it carried the endorsement of the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce,” Surovell said. “Critically, it earned genuine bipartisan support, passing the Virginia Senate 25-13 and the House of Delegates 55-41 with votes from both Democrats and Republicans who recognized the enormous economic opportunity this legislation represented for Northern Virginia and for the Commonwealth.”