Virginia General Assembly abandons Commanders stadium bill

Source: Associated Press

Virginia General Assembly abandons Commanders stadium bill

By SARAH RANKIN
June 9, 2022

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The Virginia General Assembly is abandoning for the year legislation intended to lure the Washington Commanders to the state, a top lawmaker said Thursday.

Democratic Virginia Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw said in a brief interview that there were too many issues to be resolved and controversies surrounding the NFL team for the legislation to proceed. It could be reintroduced next year, said Saslaw, who has championed the stadium and sponsored one version of the legislation.

The team said in a statement that it supported the legislature’s decision to “more deeply examine this issue.”

“We look forward to continued engagement and open dialogue with stakeholders across the Commonwealth to share our vision and hear directly from communities on their economic development objectives and how we can be a trusted, reliable partner to realize those outcomes,” the statement said.

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The news came a day after an assistant coach for the team issued an apology after initially doubling down on a comparison he made on social media between the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and the protests in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd.

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/washington-commanders-nfl-sports-virginia-congress-c785b1b6f8c6819a016b277d7e475a2f?utm_source=Connatix&utm_medium=HomePage

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Earlier: Washington Commanders defensive coordinator calls Jan. 6 riot a 'dust-up' (NPR)