Richmond Officers Mulling Authorized Recourse for On line casino Referendum Retry

Richmond officers within the Virginia capital are threatening authorized motion in opposition to the state. That’s after lawmakers handed their 2022-2024 biennium finances with a provision blocking Richmond from re-asking metropolis residents to help a on line casino growth.

Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney. The mayor is none too blissful to see that the 2022-2024 Virginia finances handed by state lawmakers this week seeks to forestall Richmond from internet hosting a second referendum on a on line casino resort till at the very least November 2023. (Picture: Richmond Instances-Dispatch)

On Wednesday, the Virginia Normal Meeting signed off on its finances invoice that lays the funding groundwork for the state’s governance for the following two years. However a tacked-on provision, ought to Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) signal the spending omnibus with out modification, would stop Richmond from conducting a on line casino poll referendum till November of 2023.

Richmond voters narrowly rejected an analogous query throughout the 2021 November election. Almost 51% of metropolis residents expressed opposition to a $565 million on line casino resort pitch from Black-focused media conglomerate City One.

No locality that has been beforehand licensed as an eligible host metropolis pursuant to § 58.1-4107, Code of Virginia, to conduct on line casino gaming which held an area referendum on November 2, 2021, that failed, shall be eligible to carry a subsequent native referendum till November 2023,” provision Merchandise 4-8.03#1c within the Virginia finances reads.

The textual content, which comes on web page 615 of the finances invoice, would override a Richmond Circuit Court docket order that stated Richmond can keep on with a second gaming referendum. Virginia is a “Dillon Rule” state, the place state legal guidelines trump native choices.

Lawsuit Thought of

City One is hoping to develop into Richmond’s on line casino growth accomplice for a second referendum. Although the town hasn’t absolutely dedicated to the media firm, which introduced in skilled gaming operator Peninsula Pacific Leisure for its 2021 presentation, Richmond and City One launched unified statements on the finances invoice’s passage.

“This retroactive finances language seeks to unconstitutionally invalidate a remaining Court docket Order and inappropriately constrain the Virginia Lottery in fulfilling its regulatory authority in the identical method because it has completed for different casinos,” the assertion from City One learn. “We are going to accomplice with the Metropolis of Richmond, together with by means of litigation, to make sure that the folks of Richmond have the ultimate say on what occurs of their neighborhood and that the rule of legislation is protected.”

Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney (D) stated the Meeting’s actions “intentionally hurt the Metropolis of Richmond by denying financial alternatives for its residents.” The mayor went on to say that the town is “assessing our authorized choices, however stay agency in our perception that the residents of Richmond shouldn’t be disenfranchised simply months earlier than they might have the chance to vote.”

Individuals Have Spoken

State Senator Joe Morrissey (D-Richmond), whose legislative district encompasses elements of Richmond, however extra so Petersburg and the city’s surrounding space south of the capital, argues Richmonders have already been afforded the possibility to vote on a on line casino. And with their reply being “no,” he says the state ought to think about permitting the unused Richmond gaming license to be transferred south to Petersburg.

Morrissey says he’ll introduce laws in early 2023 throughout the Meeting’s full session 12 months to qualify Petersburg as a possible on line casino host metropolis. Morrissey’s efforts have the backing of Petersburg Mayor Sam Parham, who believes a on line casino will remodel the area and solidify Petersburg as a leisure and enterprise vacation spot for “many many years to return.”

As for Richmond officers contemplating authorized recourse, Morrissey says convey it on.

“If he [Stoney] is desirous and needs to battle in court docket, tremendous. It wouldn’t be the primary time that he’s wasted metropolis of Richmond funds to battle a dropping battle,” stated Morrissey, who misplaced to Stoney within the 2016 Richmond mayoral election.