Mayor Bowser wants legal poker in D.C. — part of her pro-business pivot
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Mayor Muriel Bowser. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Mayor Muriel Bowser is making another go at legalizing poker in D.C. and streamlining the construction process for developers — part of a "growth agenda" she hopes will improve the local economy.
Why it matters: Local officials predict D.C. will experience a "mild recession" next year due to federal job cuts.
Driving the news: Bowser's legislation would allow poker and blackjack gaming at venues like bars and hotels, a play at enticing tourists and creating new tax revenue.
What they're saying: "We are investing in our future," Bowser said in an announcement Tuesday. "It's so important, especially now with the changing footprint of the federal government, that we are creating good-paying jobs for D.C. residents."
- The legislation would also make it easier for developers to fend off zoning challenges (for example, when NIMBYs use bureaucracy to hobble construction projects). Another one for developers: allowing buyers of commercial property to appeal their tax bill during a purchase — a provision aimed at breathing life into the real estate market.
- Another bill, introduced last week, would require street vendors to acquire a license (think: Columbia Heights fruit vendors) or face police enforcement. It would effectively reverse the D.C. Council's decriminalization of street vendors in 2023.
Friction point: The council rejected all four proposals over the summer when Bowser included them in her budget plan, so expect renewed scrutiny.
Meanwhile, nine businesses received D.C. grants to incentivize relocations or expansions into vacant office space in the city.
- They include CannonDesign, an architecture and consulting firm currently with a local office in Arlington, receiving incentives from the Vitality Fund.
- A handful of startups and small businesses also tapped into the Growth Fund, which launched in June to entice entrepreneurs to stay in D.C.
The big picture: The mayor's announcement is in line with the city's pivot to a pro-business posture, away from experimental and progressive programs that lawmakers funded when the city was more economically prosperous.
What's ahead: Council members will have the final say on the mayor's proposal, following public hearings once the legislation is formally introduced.