Virginia lawmakers decided Tuesday to delay the vote on a bill that would help the Washington Commanders build a stadium in the state, marking another blow for the franchise in search of a new home.
Virginia’s General Assembly was expected to vote Wednesday on the bill, which has been in a conference committee for the past few months to hammer out the details after two separate bills passed in each chamber. The initial bills passed with broad bipartisan support, but some lawmakers have recently expressed hesitation about the project, leading to Tuesday’s delay.
Sen. Richard Saslaw, a Fairfax Democrat who co-sponsored the Senate version of the bill, told The Washington Post that the bill will stay alive, but won’t come to the floor as planned. The General Assembly is convening Wednesday for a special session to work on the state budget. Mr. Saslaw said the delay will extend the session further, though he did not give a timeline.
Sen. Jeremy McPike, a Prince William County Democrat, told 106.7 The Fan on Sunday the vote could be delayed to June 17, another day he said legislators are scheduled to meet.
Mr. McPike was part of a handful of senators last week to publicly come out against the bill after previously supporting it. Sen. Chap Petersen, a Fairfax Democrat, blasted the Commanders in a statement, saying he no longer saw them as a viable franchise. Sen. Barbara Favola, an Arlington Democrat, told The Washington Times that there had been a “noticeable shift” in how her colleagues view the legislation, suggesting that owner Dan Snyder was a problem for many.
Mr. Snyder is the subject of at least four active investigations as Congress, the NFL and attorney generals from the District and Virginia have started probes into allegations of sexual misconduct and financial improprieties. The latter — the financial improprieties — surfaced after the stadium bills were passed in February. Mr. Snyder has fiercely denied the claims.
The reversal from legislators came after news broke that the Commanders acquired an option to buy 200 acres of land in Woodbridge. If the option is picked up, the Commanders would buy the land for $100 million. A team official said all three localities — Virginia, Maryland and the District — remain in play for the Commanders, whose lease at Landover, Maryland-based FedEx Field expires in 2027.
Over the past few months, the Virginia bill has undergone dramatic changes. Saslaw originally projected $1 billion in public funds would be committed to the project, but that total has dropped twice — going from $350 million to now less than $300 million.
“We are grateful for the bipartisan support the stadium authority legislation has already received, and any additional time will certainly provide us with more opportunities to share how this project can create new jobs, generate significant tax revenue, and spur economic development for surrounding communities and the Commonwealth as a whole,” Commanders Team President Jason Wright said in a statement Tuesday.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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