Ted Leonsis said this week that ‘the die is cast’ on a Wizards and Capitals move to Virginia, and indeed, there is progress on that front.
On Friday, legislation backing Monumental’s move to Alexandria passed through the Virginia House Appropriations Committee by a 17-3 vote, although per the AP, several Democratic legislators voted in favor in the interest of continuing negotiations.
The bill will now advance to the general floor of the House of Delegates, although it is still expected to take quite a while for anything to become official.
“This process is going to take the rest of our session at a minimum to enact or not enact this legislation,” Mark Sickles (D), a Fairfax County delegate who supported the bill, said according to the AP.
The bill that passed was a slightly revised version of the original, with a provision added that requires legislators to sign off again next year to enact it – a scenario a Monumental representative said doesn’t bring any ‘major concerns’ to the organization.
“We’re very pleased,” Monica Dixon, MSE’s President of External Affairs and Chief Administrative Officer, told the AP. “We’ll take a look at (the revised bill), but don’t expect we’ll have any major concerns.”
Virginia is the most populous state in America without a major pro sports franchise, but that could change - making South Carolina that 'winner' - if the legislature fully approves the $2 billion plan for Monumental to build its campus in the Potomac Yard section of Alexandria.
It still has to pass through both chambers of the General Assembly, and if so, Monumental and the city of Alexandria will front the money, with roughly $1.5 billion to be financed through bonds issued by a government entity the legislation would create – but one-third of that would be backed by “moral obligation” of the city and state governments, in the AP’s words, which could mean taxpayer dollars needed.