Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin reportedly offered State Senator L. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) more than $300 million in toll relief for Hampton Roads in exchange for her approval for the Potomac Yards Arena to be built for the Washington Commanders and Wizards to move to the commonwealth, according to a Tuesday report.
The governor and his office “have privately pitched a $322 million plan for toll relief in Hampton Roads,” according to The Richmond Times-Dispatch, which reported the offer the Youngkin administration privately outlined the offer to lawmakers, and noted the total is more than three times the $92 million plan requested by Lucas.
A spokesman for Youngkin did not deny the claims in a response to the outlet, but instead said it would “not comment on private conversations or specific proposals” and maintained Youngkin remains committed to the arena project.
“The governor remains open to providing permanent toll relief for the tunnels between Portsmouth and Norfolk from the revenue created from this monumental opportunity,” the spokesman told the Times-Dispatch.
After the arena project was announced, Lucas wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that she would not support the arena without toll relief.
“Anyone who thinks I am going to approve an arena in Northern Virginia using state tax dollars before we deliver on toll relief and for public schools in Hampton Roads must think I have dumbass written on my forehead,” wrote Lucas in December 2023.
Anyone who thinks I am going to approve an arena in Northern Virginia using state tax dollars before we deliver on toll relief and for public schools in Hampton Roads must think I have dumbass written on my forehead.
— L. Louise Lucas (@SenLouiseLucas) December 20, 2023
Lucas ultimately blocked the Senate version of a bill to create a body to oversee the arena’s construction and financing, and the version of the bill passed by the House of Delegates is currently in the Senate Finance Committee, which she chairs.
While the by Youngkin appears to meet Lucas’ requirement, the senator made an additional request in a January post to X.
Describing her post as a prediction, Lucas wrote, “If Glenn Youngkin vetoes my minimum wage bill, he will quickly find the cooperative tone from Democrats changing” in Richmond.
The bill, which narrowly passed in February, would see the minimum wage raised to $13.50 per hour in 2025 and $15 per hour in 2026.
When asked about whether he would veto the bill, the Youngkin administration previously referred The Virginia Star to the governor’s comments declaring the bill unnecessary “because the market is handling” wage increases without government interference.
– – –
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 “Glenn Youngkin” by Governor of Virginia. Background Photo “Toll Road” by Famartin. CC BY-SA 4.0.
