'Kill Casino Bill,' Hundreds Call On Lawmakers To Oppose SB 675

MCLEAN, VA — Several hundred people packed the McLean High School auditorium on Saturday morning to express their opposition to any legislation that would lead to a casino being built in Tysons.

On Tuesday, the Virginia Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee will consider whether to take the recommendation of the Resources Subcommittee to push Senate Bill 675 to next year's legislative session.

Sen. Louise Lucas (D-Plymouth), who chairs both the committee and subcommittee, told Sen. Jennifer Boysko (D-Herndon) there was no other plan except to delay the bill until 2025.

If the appropriations committee does vote to send the bill to the Senate floor for a full vote, she told the audience at the town hall that she will will make a motion to pass it by indefinitely.

Boysko was joined on the stage by Del. Karen Keyes-Gamarra (D-Reston), Del. Irene Shin (D-Herndon), Del. Rip Sullivan (D-Great Falls) and Supervisor Jimmy Bierman (D-Dranesville), all of whom said they opposed the bill. Supervisor Walter Alcorn (D-Hunter Mill) and former Dranesville Supervisor Barbara Comstock were in the audience as a sign of their opposition to the bill.

Members of both the Vienna and Herndon town councils were also in attendance, as well as representatives of several local community groups, including the McLean Citizen's Association, the Reston Association, the Reston Citizens Association, and the Great Falls Citizens Association.

None of the three elected officials who represent the area in Tysons where Sen. Dave Marsden (D-Burke) said that Comstock Holdings was hoping to build a casino were at Saturday's town hall.

Sen. Saddam Salim (D-Fairfax) sent a representative to the meeting, because he was participating in a town hall at the same time with Del. David Bulova (D-Fairfax) in Fairfax City. He has stated publicly that he opposed SB 675.

Supervisor Daliah Palchik (D-Providence) and Del. Holly Seibold (D-Vienna) were not present and did not sent representatives to Saturday's town hall. Patch contacted their offices and requested a comment about the town hall, including their position on SB 675.

Although neither responded to Patch's request directly, Seibold posted the following on her X (formerly Twitter account) after the Virginia Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee voted 13-2 on Feb. 6 to hold the casino bill over to the 2025 legislative session:

"Today was a busy gaming day in the General Assembly! As a resident of @TownofViennaVA
& representative of the 12th (which includes Tysons), I’m thrilled the Senate voted against the proposed casino, SB675. I am confident that this legislation will meet the same fate next year."

Saturday's meeting was live-streamed and can be viewed on Boysko's Facebook page.

Related:

• Tysons Casino Bill May Still Be Alive In VA Legislature: Lawmakers
• Tysons Casino Bill On Hold After Subcommittee Vote; Opponents React
• Tysons Casino Proposal Delayed A Year In General Assembly
• Casino Bill: Town Hall + $416K Donated + New Lobbyist + Hogs & Cowboys

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.