RICHMOND, Va. -- The debate continues on whether or not the future construction of a casino should be put on the ballot come Election Day in November.
A casino workers union rallied outside of a business, that earlier this week was linked to a lawsuit to potentially pause the process.
The union held signs and chanted “We don’t give up” outside of Pops Bingo in Richmond.
A local resident who joined the rally, Crystal Richards-Jackson, says she took part because she said people need to stick together and vote for the casino.
She rallied with a dozen people who are a part of the Casino Workers Union. They are a group working to ensure the casino is on the ballot by this November.
“The more people that come out and speak the more people will hear and we’ll get the job done,” Richards-Jackson said.
The group chose to rally outside of Pops Bingo because of the Good Lions, a fraternal charity, which operates charitable bingo out of the facility.
The Good Lions brought a lawsuit against the city in trying to stop the casino referendum from happening. They believe Richmond officials violated Virginia’s Constitution by not holding a bidding process.
The Good Lions have been successful in receiving a temporary pause, as a judge ruled Tuesday to suspend the order that would put it on a ballot.
The owner of Pops Bingo, Chuck Lessin, said the rally deterred foot traffic into his business Thursday afternoon.
Lessin said he hadn’t seen intimidation like this before in his 40 years with the business. He said several people left because they didn’t want to get caught up there with that this afternoon.
Lessin says he is proud of his tenant, the Good Lions, for bringing the lawsuit against the city. “They are asking for transparency in government and we are not getting that,” he said.
He described the situation as a David and Goliath story because he believes casinos work to crush charities.
Lessin said Richmond residents have made their voices heard by not voting for a casino.
The fate of the casino is in the hands of a judge until he makes a ruling. A written ruling will be issued by the judge come Wednesday, August 23.
That will determine if the Good Lions lawsuit has standing, or if it will be dismissed and the casino will continue to be on the ballot in November.
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