Proponents of a on line casino in Richmond, Virginia, are dealing with one fewer roadblock right now after a state senator who has been attempting to dam the venture misplaced his main race.
Virginia Sen. Joe Morrissey (D-Richmond), seen above, was voted out of workplace this week. Morrissey had been working to stop Richmond from placing a brand new on line casino measure on the November poll. (Picture: Virginia Mercury)
Sen. Joe Morrissey (D), who succeeded in blocking a 2022 referendum and is attempting to take action once more this 12 months, was ousted in Tuesday’s Democratic main by former state delegate Lashrecse Aird. The loss was resounding, with Aird taking greater than 69% of the vote within the two-way race, in accordance with unofficial outcomes from the Virginia Division of Elections.
Morrissey has stated he hopes to get language inserted into the state funds to stop Richmond from placing a brand new on line casino measure on the poll in November. He says it’s unfair for town to get a second chunk on the apple after voters there narrowly rejected an analogous on line casino proposal in 2021.
Price range negotiations within the Basic Meeting have successfully been on maintain for weeks as lawmakers centered on their main campaigns, however now that Tuesday’s votes have been determined, they’re anticipated to renew in earnest.
Morrissey’s on line casino effort is hardly a central focus within the ongoing funds negotiations, however the senator has stated he believes there may be adequate assist to incorporate language to dam a brand new referendum on this 12 months’s funds.
Photographs of Joe Morrissey’s concession to Lashrecse Aird. @RTDNEWS pic.twitter.com/jGY6VLLn3j
— Mike Kropf (@mikekropfphoto) June 21, 2023
Price range Questions
It’s an open query whether or not the Virginia Basic Meeting will approve a brand new funds earlier than the fiscal 12 months ends on June 30. The commonwealth is in the course of a two-year funds cycle, which means lawmakers technically don’t must enact a brand new funds earlier than the deadline.
Virginia’s Republican-controlled Home of Delegates and its Democratic-majority Senate have been divided on an array of higher-profile points, corresponding to tax cuts sought by Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R). Nonetheless, they’re dealing with stress to behave on quite a lot of proposals with bipartisan assist.
Senate Minority Chief Tommy Norment (R-James Metropolis) told the Virginia Mercury that he anticipated negotiations would see a “reinvigoration” beginning this week.
“I feel that the deadlock on the funds has been extra due to primaries, political issues,” Norment instructed the publication earlier this month. “And that among the leaders have been distracted.”
Lowered Political Capital
Whereas Morrissey will serve out the rest of his time period for this 12 months, his loss could scale back his political capital within the Statehouse and make it more durable to enact his priorities.
Though components of Richmond are in Morrissey’s district, he would quite see a brand new on line casino in-built Petersburg, one other metropolis he represents about 25 miles to the south. A examine by the Virginia Joint Legislature Audit and Assessment Fee concluded that each cities might profitably assist a on line casino, however every would do higher.
The Cordish Firms, which has pitched a on line casino in Petersburg, has stated it received’t transfer ahead if it has to compete with one in Richmond.
The Richmond Metropolis Council earlier this month accredited a brand new measure to seem on the November poll that might authorize a proposed $500 million on line casino on town’s south facet led by Black-focused media conglomerate City One. The measure is much like one voters rejected by a 51% to 49% margin in 2021.
One key distinction is City One now has a brand new associate in Churchill Downs after the Kentucky Derby organizer acquired property from Peninsula Pacific Leisure.
Marketing campaign Fodder
Morrissey sought to capitalize on his assist for the on line casino within the marketing campaign.
Everybody is aware of that if Aird have been profitable in being the thirteenth Senate Democratic nominee, she would abandon the battle to ship the on line casino to Petersburg and hand it on a silver platter to Richmond,” Morrissey said this month, in accordance with the Progress Index newspaper in Petersburg.
Aird referred to as the cost “laughable” and stated she helps a Petersburg on line casino, however has questions on some specifics within the Cordish proposal, in accordance with the newspaper. She stated Morrisseey’s failure to safe funds language blocking a brand new Richmond vote represented a legislative failure.
“There was no alternative for a on line casino license throughout my time in workplace. There have been two throughout his time in workplace,” Aird stated, in accordance with the Progress Index. “He not solely supported a Richmond on line casino initially however then when the clearest alternative to safe a on line casino for Petersburg existed, he failed. Joe Morrissey failed as a result of he was keen to compromise on a very powerful side of securing a on line casino – jobs for employees, good, high-paying jobs for employees that might largely have an effect on Petersburg employees – as a part of his take care of Cordish.”
Aird additionally stated Morrissey’s on line casino assault was an effort to distract from his views on points corresponding to abortion that have been out of step with the vast majority of Democrats.
Morrissey’s resounding defeat suggests the race hinged extra on social points and earlier private controversies than on the on line casino battle. Aird received assist from an unusually excessive variety of legislators and members of the state’s congressional delegation, and she or he dramatically outspent Morrissey, in accordance to the Associated Press.
