Virginia Governor Proposes Amendments To Casino Legislation

The Virginia legislature sent two bills to the desk of Gov. Ralph Northam last month that would allow the possible construction of as many as five casinos in the state, but Northam wants some changes made before it becomes law.

Northam had until midnight on Saturday to act on SB 36 or HB 4 but opted to propose amendments to the bill instead of signing them into law. The governor wants to alter the way in which the tax revenue from the casinos is distributed throughout the state.

According to the Bristol Herald Courier, Northam wants the state’s chunk of revenue to help fund public school construction needs.

“The governor is going to amend that provision of the bill that says roughly two-thirds of the [tax] revenue goes to the general fund,” Carter Hutchinson, deputy policy advisor for Northam, told the Courier. “He is going to amend that language to designate the funding go to school construction, renovation and repairs. The language is going to be relatively broad given the revenue from the casinos won’t start coming in for at least a couple years, probably more.”

Both chambers of the general assembly reconvene on April 22 for the rest of the legislative session. They will not be allowed to change Northam’s amendments. It will be a straight yes or no vote on the bills.

If the bills are passed by the assembly, they become law and local communities can hold referendums on the issue this November. Both bills would allow Bristol, Danville, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Richmond to vote on building a casino in their city.

According to a 2019 study by Virginia’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, the tax revenue could top $900 million over five years with a casino in each of those five cities. The same study concluded that a Bristol casino would generate $15 million for the state and $7.8 million for the city.

Jim McGlothin and Clyde Stacy, described as ‘local business leaders’ in Bristol, have plans to bring a Hard Rock-branded casino to the local mall.

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