Virginia: Petersburg's casino bill to leverage Richmond rejection voted down in Senate panel

The City of Richmond’s attempt at a second casino referendum could ultimately happen. While the City of Petersburg tried to advance the economic opportunity through legislation, seeking at the same time to stop Richmond from holding another election on the subject, a state Senate committee killed the proposal on Thursday. However, there is still a matching bill in the house.

The efforts to pursue the casino project once again in Richmond are spearheaded by Councilwoman Reva Trammell, who has been met with support from most of her colleagues, Urban ONE CEO Alfred Liggins, and members of the community.

The original casino referendum was narrowly voted down in 2021. While voters in other chosen cities in Virginia, including Bristol, Danville, Portsmouth and Norfolk, passed referendums in 2020 allowing gambling developments, Richmond, the fifth city originally chosen, rejected the Urban ONE Casino + Resort proposition.

State Sen. Joe Morrissey (D) 16th District shortly after filed legislation seeking to bring the project to Petersburg, adding the city to the list of locations eligible for a casino. His bill also seeks to bar any locality that already voted no, which would include Richmond, from holding another referendum for five years.

Rendering for the Urban ONE Casino + Resort project

However, on Thursday, a state Senate committee killed Morrissey’s proposal to bring the project to Petersburg. “I was thunderstruck as to what occurred,” Morrissey said in an interview after the committee meeting, according to Richmond Times-Dispatch. He further said allowing Richmond to vote again would be “undemocratic” and “redundant.”

The senator has said that, going forward, he plans to discuss the vote with the Democratic caucus and try to revive the bill. The bill was defeated in committee in a 9-7 vote, drawing support and opposition from both Democrats who control the committee and Republicans.

Morrissey began exploring options for Petersburg to take Richmond’s spot last year, claiming the effort would potentially help revitalize the city. He called the project  “a great opportunity” to bring jobs and boost the city’s economic base.

Both him and state delegate Kim Taylor, R-Dinwiddie, filed a house and senate version of the same bill in the statehouse. At the same time, the Richmond City Council voted to pursue the failed Urban ONE casino project a second time, with one resolution and two ordinances seeking to revive the development approved last month. 

Both bills in the General Assembly, including the bill still alive in the House, add Petersburg to the list of eligible host cities for a casino, in addition to the five years between referendum rule. The subcommittee in the House recommended that the casino bill be amended.

City of Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney urged members of the General Assembly “to remove any legislation” that would prohibit the city from acting on the opportunity a second time, arguing that if the referendum is successful, revenues from the project will help modernize the city and school infrastructure.

According to Morrissey, the Richmond effort doesn’t “respect the democratic approach,” and has argued that if the referendum were to be approved in Petersburg, tax revenue could jump by 30% or 40%. 

Richmond City leaders have not ruled out litigation amid the ongoing conflict “if it comes to it,” NBC12 reports.