RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) – Three months after Richmond voters rejected a plan to bring a casino to the city for a second time, Virginia lawmakers voted unanimously to permanently remove the city from the list of eligible host cities.
Both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly have passed bills that would take Richmond off the list of eligible host cities for a casino if signed into law. The votes were unanimous, with the House of Delegates voting 100-0 and the state Senate voting 40-0 to advance the legislation.
The bills were proposed by lawmakers representing parts of Richmond — Del. Betsy Carr (D-Richmond) and state Sen. Lamont Bagby (D-Henrico) — after voters overwhelmingly rejected a second attempt to bring a casino to the city’s Southside.
“I’m voted in by the people of the city of Richmond,” Bagby said when presenting his bill. “And they’ve said twice that they don’t want it.”
READ MORE: Richmond rejects casino proposal again
State code doesn’t list the eligible cities for a casino — Portsmouth, Richmond, Norfolk, Danville, and Bristol – but lists specific limits that fit each.