Petersburg Casino Bill Returns to Virginia General Assembly on Governor’s Action
The Petersburg casino banker's bill passed past the Virginia General Assembly is reverting to the legislative assembly after Gov. John Glenn Youngkin (R) amended the statute which seeks to measure up the city for a casino license.
Youngkin opted to amend Senate Bill 628 sort of than vetoing it. The governor took issue with the legislating including a reenactment clause.
The supplying would feature required the House of Delegates and Senate to balloting once again on allowing Petersburg Campaign to follow allocated a gaming Trachinotus falcatus from the Virginia Lottery Board.
The redundance clause was to substantiate that lawmakers indeed wished to tolerate the capital of Virginia casino concession, which urban center voters twice voted against, to relocate nigh 25 miles S to Petersburg. The reenactment proviso was tacked on to Sen. Lashrecse Aird’s (D-Petersburg) lawmaking spell beingness considered inwards the House.
The mentation is that a revote on the matter would tolerate nation lawmakers to to a greater extent to the full look at the possible impacts of allowing a casino in Petersburg. The general assembly passed o'er 1,000 bills during the 2024 lawmaking that ended on Mar 9.
Amendment Embraced
Aird and other country senators who supported SB628 hoped Youngkin would take this activity on the Petersburg Campaign casino statute. Her colleagues in the upper chamber went on with the House’s reenactment clause with the belief that the governor would submit the precise activeness he did.
With the removal of the reenactment clause, this lawmaking moves finisher to last favourable reception to earmark Petersburg Campaign to obtain the 5th and net license,” Aird said inwards a statement.
Because Youngkin amended the casino bill — and didn’t negative it — only a simple bulk of the House and Senate need to subscribe away on the governor’s change. If Youngkin had vetoed the bill, a two-thirds majority would feature been needful to override the veto.
The Old Dominion State General Assembly returns to the capital of Virginia capital letter on April 17 to take the governor’s legislative actions. If SB628 gains the unsubdivided bulk required to sanction the governor’s modifications, the measure is enacted and the Petersburg City Council would be allowed to go with finding its preferred casino developer.
Referendum Process
The odds appear warm that Petersburg Campaign testament be given a chance to deal a gambling casino holiday resort undertaking. The urban center council inward February proactively began the physical process past chess opening a Request for Proposal period for interested developers.
City officials are seeking pitches that include a casino, a lower limit of 500 hotel rooms graded at Little Joe or quintuplet stars, several restaurants and bars, retail shopping, and entertainment space.
City leaders say only when recognizable casino brands want to apply. Interested developers should follow willing to pay off at least $60 zillion inwards an prompt one-time memory access fee to the urban center upon receiving the state-issued gaming license.
Bidders would also live smarting to pee-pee pledges assuring city officials that minority- and women-owned businesses will live given preference when picking vendors and suppliers.
Once the cassino holiday resort strategy is picked, the gambling casino pattern will move before Petersburg voters inward November. If a unsubdivided majority votes “yes” on the development, the externalise would be cleared to displace send on and the Virginia Lottery Board would live allowed to issuance the development the gaming license.