The Virginia Senate General Laws and Technology Committee recently voted 10-4 to kill SB716, the measure sponsored by state Senator Louise Lucas that would have created a casino gaming commission to license casinos in localities where at least 40 percent of land is exempt from local property taxes—a definition that covered her home city of Portsmouth.
A few weeks ago Lucas said she was rewriting the bill to expand the areas where a casino would be allowed. She stated she was more concerned about allowing a casino in somewhere Virginia to help mitigate the cost of tolls in Hampton Roads than in developing a casino in Portsmouth. Most of the casino taxes would have gone to a toll mitigation fund under Lucas’ bill.
Lucas has promoted the casino issue for several years. She pulled similar legislation last year due to lack of support.
