Petersburg casino referendum bill dies in Virginia Senate committee

Thursday, February 2, 2023 9:51 PM
  • Kate Andrews, Virginia Business

With an 7-8 no vote Thursday evening, the Virginia Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee killed state Sen. Joe Morrissey’s measure to bring a casino referendum to Petersburg’s ballots this fall. A similar bill in the House of Delegates, however, is still alive.

A few days after receiving support from the Senate gaming subcommittee and the General Laws and Technology Committee, which sent the bill to Senate Finance with an 11-4 vote Wednesday, eight senators — Republicans and Democrats — voted ‘no’ on a motion to report the bill for a Senate floor vote. Seven others voted to send the bill on for a full Senate vote.