This article originally appeared here, at ffxnow.com

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).

Though the dozen-plus members of the General Assembly on hand didn’t respond to individual speakers owing to time constraints, feedback from those testifying was important, one veteran lawmaker said.

“We really do value … all of the advocacy,” Del. Vivian Watts (D-14) said. As the delegation’s most senior member, she presided over the meeting, which was held at the Fairfax County Government Center.

Among those turning out were a number of civic organization leaders and others voicing opposition to expected legislation that would permit a countywide referendum on whether to allow a casino in Tysons.

A measure proposed in the 2024 legislative session was pushed back for consideration in 2025 and then formally killed off late last year. Both fans and foes of the idea are mobilizing again in anticipation of a new bill being filed this year, reportedly by state Sen. Scott Surovell (D-34) instead of Sen. Dave Marsden (D-35).

A casino is “not the cure” for the county government’s budget woes, and would bring with it societal costs, argued Jennifer Falcone, who represents the Great Falls Citizens Association on the No Casino Coalition advocacy group.

“The long-term economic and social impacts don’t justify its development,” added Paula Martino, president of the Tysons Stakeholders Alliance.

“It does not make sense,” McLean Citizens Association president Linda Walsh said, urging state leaders to prioritize working on school funding instead of moving forward with a casino bill.

Opponents of the proposal outnumbered supporters, but several of the latter provided testimony at the hearing, including three proponents who represented labor organizations.

Epaminondas Mouhanis, a representative of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 26, said his union job “has lifted me up to the middle class” and could do the same for those who will fill the projected 5,000 jobs related to the casino.

Nelson Aguilar of the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters said the project would bring good jobs to the region. He praised the “forward-thinking leadership” of Comstock Companies, the developer seeking to build the casino, for agreeing to hire union workers to both build and operate the facility.

The legislature isn’t being asked to approve a casino, Aguilar reminded lawmakers, just to allow local residents to have a say.

“If you put it in a referendum, Fairfax residents will decide,” he said.

But Reston Citizens Association President Lynne Mulston said residents and county leaders have shown no interest in the proposal. General Assembly action without community support would be “completely backwards” from governance norms and would be “a degradation of the legislative process,” she said.

Members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors have been unenthusiastic about the casino proposal, but have stopped short of formally opposing it as a body.

Beyond the casino, speakers addressed a number of issues, sometimes providing contradictory advice to lawmakers.

Bryan Scrafford, a representative of the Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions, urged legislators to “come up with proactive solutions” on the climate front. But Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance President Arthur Purves claimed there’s “no evidence of a climate crisis” and told lawmakers to “stop raising taxes for a non-existent crisis.”

Speakers also touched on transportation, housing, safety-net issues, education funding, teacher pay, data centers, marijuana legalization, meals taxes, selection of judges and gun control. Some provided comments of a more philosophical or general nature.

“Be realistic,” Keith Henning said. “Focus on legislation that won’t be vetoed … [by] Governor Sweater-Vest.”

He pressed for relaxation of the so-called Dillon Rule, which aggregates power at the state level and gives Virginia localities very limited automony compared to most states.

“The Dillon Rule holds us back,” Henning said, noting its elimination would both bring needed authority to the local government level and allow local leaders to be held more accountable by their constituents.

Rob Whitfield, a member of the Fairfax County Taxpayers Alliance, urged legislators to be transparent and to find common ground.

“I want solutions,” Whitfield said. “We’ve heard plenty of problems this morning, but solutions are tough.”

Fairfax County’s legislative contingent to Richmond includes seven members in the Virginia Senate and 15 in the House of Delegates. The delegation is exclusively Democratic.

The legislature is expected to be in session for 45 days. Both houses are nearly evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, with control of each body dependent on the outcome of special elections held today (Tuesday).

Some of the speakers at the hearing will head south during the session to lobby in person.

“I will see you guys in Richmond,” Whitfield, one of the more seasoned civic activists in the county, told legislators.