Virginia lawmakers are poised to block Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s (R-VA) best shot to build a new arena for the Washington Capitals and Wizards in the state.
Youngkin’s ambitious plan, introduced alongside the teams’ owner, Ted Leonsis, would build a new arena in Virginia, bringing the Washington teams into the state. The proposal cost $2 billion and met staunch opposition from labor groups and lawmakers. Legislative Democrats may have finally struck the finishing blow on the project, announcing that they would not agree to the funding as part of a budget compromise.
“They’ve twisted my arm, they’ve bent my ears, and I still told them, ‘No,’” Senate Finance and Appropriations Chairwoman L. Louise Lucas told the Washington Post in a Wednesday interview, adding that the arena language will not be in the budget, set to be released Thursday.
Youngkin first announced the plan to move the stadium to Virginia in December, arguing that it would bring 30,000 jobs to the state and serve as a major economic boost. Critics took issue with everything from the high cost to the prospect of increased traffic.
Other Democrats weren’t so sure that the final chapter of the arena was closed, however, with House Speaker Don L. Scott Jr. saying that the ruling on the stadium was not final.
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“There have been several conversations back and forth. It’s not final until it’s final,” he told the outlet. But, he added, “there have been folks from labor, there’ve been folks from our side of the aisle and across the aisle who have tried in good faith to see if we can examine this opportunity for what it was. And if we don’t get there, the commonwealth will still be fine, and we’ll still be able to make more economic development deals, whether this one comes through or not.”
Lucas, however, seems set on destroying the proposal, gloating by tweeting a meme showing herself giving a peace sign above a grave labeled “Youngkin and Leonsis’ $5 billion arena” along with the caption “Who DID THIS?!” and a laughing emoji.
