Advocates for a referendum to allow a casino in Tysons have a formidable ally in the General Assembly this year.
State Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-34) is carrying the 2025 bill to add Fairfax County to Virginia’s short list of casino-eligible localities, taking over from Sen. Dave Marsden (D-35), who introduced legislation in 2023 and 2024.
State legislators representing Fairfax County are taking the lead on major issues in the Virginia General Assembly’s 2025 session, filing proposals addressing reproductive rights, same-sex marriage, gun control and election reforms.
Originally slated to begin yesterday (Jan. 8), the legislative session has been delayed by water service issues in Richmond stemming from the snowstorm on Monday (Jan. 6). Lawmakers will now convene on Monday, Jan. 13 and remain in session through Feb. 22.
Under current Virginia law, adults placed into a guardianship or conservatorship are automatically deemed ineligible to vote. One Northern Virginia legislator, backed by a key advocacy group and a number of affected individuals, is working to change that.
State Sen. Barbara Favola (D-40) has introduced legislation that would eliminate the automatic stripping of voting rights of those who come under a guardianship.
Almost two years after talks of a casino in Fairfax County’s Silver Line corridor emerged, prospective developer Comstock Companies has publicly commented for the first time on its plan for a gaming and entertainment hub in Tysons.
The proposal represents “an opportunity to bring an entertainment anchor” to Tysons, Comstock Executive Vice President for Development John Harrison told community members Tuesday (Jan. 7) at an online forum hosted by the Fairfax County NAACP.
A proposed casino in Tysons and calls for the state to provide more money for education and social services dominated a 3.5-hour public hearing hosted Saturday (Jan. 4) by Fairfax County’s delegation to the Virginia General Assembly.
About 70 people, speaking for themselves or on behalf of organizations, each had three minutes to make their case for priorities in the 2025 legislative session, which convenes tomorrow (Wednesday).
New Year’s Day will bring a number of new laws and regulations into effect across Virginia.
While legislation passed by the General Assembly and signed by the governor typically has an effective date of the start of the state government’s fiscal year on July 1, some measures are delayed until Jan. 1 each year.
Fairfax County elected officials intend to take the same position on a proposed Tysons casino in 2025 that they held during the 2024 legislative session.
While some individual members have expressed explicit opposition to the possibility, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors as a whole has hedged its bets: it has concerns but isn’t averse to getting the power from Richmond to conduct a referendum on the matter.
By the Fairfax County government’s math, local residents are being shortchanged nearly $570 million annually in education funding by the state government.
Facing a $292.7 million gap between expected revenues and expenses projected for the coming fiscal year, county leaders would like their state lawmakers to leave from Richmond next year with some of that funding in hand.
Decision day is drawing closer, but Fairfax County leaders aren’t yet committing one way or another on whether to implement a meals tax as part of their upcoming budget deliberations.
Even if one is imposed, it won’t be the cure-all to the county government’s funding challenges, with a $292.7 million gap between anticipated revenues and expenses that must be filled in the coming year, one top official says.
After weeks of discussions, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted along party lines on Tuesday (Dec. 3) to adopt policy packages establishing its 2025 priorities for the Virginia General Assembly and Congress.
The packages seek additional funding from the state legislature, particularly for education and transportation, and set up potential conflict areas with the incoming Trump administration.
