Future Casino Bill Efforts To Be Monitored By Fairfax County Activists

RESTON, VA — Two vans filled with volunteers from Reston, McLean, Tysons, Vienna and other areas of Fairfax County traveled to Richmond on Tuesday to show their disapproval of Senate Bill 675, which the Finance and Appropriations Committee of the Virginia Senate was scheduled to vote on at its 9:15 a.m. meeting.

With Sen. Dave Marsden (D-Burke) as its chief patron, SB 675, if enacted, would give the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors the authority put a referendum on a future ballot for voters to decide if a casino should be built in Tysons.

The bill was unusual in that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors did not ask the Virginia General Assembly for that authority, which all previous jurisdictions who sought casino licenses had done.

On the previous Thursday, the Senate Resources Subcommittee voted to recommend that the finance committee hold over SB 675 for the 2025 legislative session.

Sen. Jennifer Boysko (D-Herndon), who was a member of the finance committee, told an audience at a town hall meeting in McLean over the weekend that when discussion of SB 675 came up on Tuesday, she would make a motion to pass it by indefinitely. This would effectively kill the bill for good. However, Boysko's motion was defeated and the committee voted 13-2 to hold the bill over to the 2025 session.

Since public comment was already given during the resources subcommittee meeting, there was no opportunity for any of the Fairfax County volunteers to testify before the finance committee.

"I want to thank Senator Jennifer Boysko (District 38) for her efforts today to try to kill the bill without carrying it over," Supervisor Walter Alcorn (D-Hunter Mill) said, in a statement released after Tuesday's vote was taken. "I also want to thank community members who traveled to Richmond today and during recent weeks to make their opposition to a casino on the Silver Line abundantly clear."

The following is an official statement from the Reston Citizens Association the senate finance committee's decision to hold over SB 675 rather than passing it by indefinitely. RCA was one of the groups that sent representatives to Richmond for the committee vote.

As expected, after a valiant effort by Senator Jennifer Boysko to kill bill SB 675 with a motion to Pass By Indefinitely, the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee accepted the Senate Resources Sub-committee recommendation and voted to hold over Senate Bill 675 for the next legislative session. The battle that was initiated in Reston and spread to Tysons Corner will resurface later this year. Our coalition is growing and now includes citizens associations from Great Falls, McLean, Tysons and the Vienna Town Council.

Reston Citizens Association has a proven record of 'citizen wins' against narrow special interests. RCA's experience coupled with our new coalition partners will prepare us for an effective campaign of grassroots activism when the bill SB 675 resurfaces.

Lynne Mulston, President
Reston Citizens Association

Related:

• Uncertainty About Casino In Tysons To Continue Into 2025: Alcorn
• Tysons Casino Bill's Fate Decided In VA Senate
• 'Kill Casino Bill,' Hundreds Call On Lawmakers To Oppose SB 675

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.