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Virginia’s 2025 General Assembly session began Jan. 7 with an unusual disruption: a Richmond water-system failure forced lawmakers to recess almost immediately.
The capital received about three inches of snow, compared with roughly eight inches in Fairfax County. But in Richmond, failures involving two backup systems, a switch and several pumps knocked out the public water system for six days. General Assembly leaders convened on the session’s opening day before recessing until Jan. 13.
Despite the delay, lawmakers face a packed agenda. One Northern Virginia senator is carrying approximately 25 bills and 30 budget amendments while serving as Senate majority leader and chairing the Courts of Justice Committee. The senator also leads the Finance and Appropriations Committee’s General Government Subcommittee and the Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee’s Cannabis Subcommittee.
Parkway enforcement targeted
One proposal responds to recurring crashes near Belle Haven Road and Belleview Boulevard on the southern George Washington Memorial Parkway.
Residents have complained about speeding and insufficient enforcement by the United States Park Police, particularly following the shooting of Bijan Ghaisar. The legislation would authorize Virginia State Police and the Fairfax County Police Department to enforce traffic laws on the Parkway and install photo speed-monitoring devices.
Another bill focuses on access to health care facilities after reports of significant harassment involving people entering and leaving a local women’s health clinic.
Under the proposal, anyone picketing a health care facility would have to remain at least 40 feet from its main entrance. Picketers also could not block access or distribute leaflets to patients within that area. The restrictions are modeled on Virginia’s rules for polling places.
Tysons casino pitched as property-tax relief
A separate bill would allow the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to place a Tysons Corner casino referendum before county voters.
The proposal is rooted in concerns that Virginia residents are spending money at casinos in neighboring states. MGM opened its National Harbor casino in 2016 and projected that Virginia customers would account for one-third of its revenue. The Maryland casino generated a reported $850 million in tax revenue last year for Maryland and Prince George’s County, with one-third attributed to Virginia customers.
Experts estimate a Tysons casino could produce at least $100 million for Fairfax County. That amount would equal roughly 3% of the county’s current real estate-tax collections, or about $300 annually per Fairfax County household.
Fairfax has sought to diversify its revenue base for decades, in part by attracting commercial offices. Remote work, however, has driven down commercial property values and intensified the county’s reliance on residential real estate taxes. Fairfax now has Virginia’s highest real estate-tax rate apart from Falls Church.
The casino would occupy only 5% of the proposed development’s floor space. The legislation would also require a 1.5-million-square-foot entertainment complex and convention center capable of accommodating events with more than 1,000 attendees.
Supporters say the project would create 2,000 union construction jobs and 5,000 permanent union casino positions, including opportunities for workers without college degrees to live and work in Fairfax County.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has requested additional authority to diversify local revenue every year since 2009. The General Assembly granted the county the same taxing authority as cities two years ago, and the casino legislation is being presented as another way to reduce pressure on homeowners.