A Democrat in the Virginia General Assembly claims Governor Glenn Youngkin has refused efforts to bargain his Potomac Yards arena for the Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals.
Youngkin’s office reportedly told State Senator Creigh Deeds (D-Charlottesville) that the governor has no interest in signing legislation that would create a legal market for marijuana in the commonwealth, even though Virginia legalized the drug in 2021.
Deeds (pictured above, right) explained that Democrats expected to be able to bargain with the governor to achieve Democratic priorities in exchange for funding the arena Youngkin proposed for Alexandria.
“But it wasn’t possible,” Deeds said, according to WRIC. “We were advised that the governor wasn’t going to sign the [cannabis market] bill under any circumstance.”
Deeds also confirmed to the outlet, “the only way the arena was happening would have been through a compromise on Democratic priorities, and lots of Democratic priorities were not on the table.”
The news that Youngkin is unwilling to negotiate came just days after Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-Mount Vernon) confirmed he was “very clear” with his request that Youngkin sign the marijuana bill “if the governor would like the arena.”
Youngkin’s office has pointed reporters to the governor’s January comments, when he declared a legal market for marijuana is “an area that I really don’t have any interest in.”
News that Democrats were willing to negotiate for the arena comes after multiple reports indicated State Senator L. Louis Lucas (D-Portsmouth) made similar offers.
Lucas originally suggested she would not support the arena without a plan to provide toll relief in Hampton Roads.
While the governor reportedly offered Lucas more than three times the amount she requested in exchange for her support on the Potomac Yards arena, the governor’s office has repeatedly suggested Youngkin will not meet Lucas’ second request: A signature for her legislation creating a $15 per hour minimum wage in the commonwealth by 2026.
Youngkin on Monday repeatedly called the budget proposed by lawmakers “backward” in remarks that seemed to suggest a forthcoming showdown between Youngkin and Democrats in the General Assembly when lawmakers return in April.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Creigh Deeds” by Creigh Deeds. Background Photo “Virginia Capitol” by Ron Cogswell. CC BY 2.0.
