State Sen. Jennifer Boysko, D-Fairfax County, was removed as chair of the Senate Transportation Committee and removed altogether from the Senate Rules Committee on Thursday in a rare mid-session shuffle.
The Senate voted to oust Boysko from her position on the committees during the floor session Thursday. The vote was 26-0, with Boysko voting in favor of her own removal. All but a handful of Republican senators declined to participate in the vote and many were not at their desks when it took place.
The change comes after Boysko spoke against a bill patroned by Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax County, that would have allowed for a casino to be built at Tyson’s Corner during a House Appropriations subcommittee meeting on Wednesday. It is rare for a member of the same party to speak out against a colleague’s bill in a committee of the other chamber.
“I know it’s unusual to have a member of the Senate come out and testify against somebody else’s bill,” Boysko said during the meeting. “I am representing my [200,000 plus] constituents who have been very clear that this is not an appropriate location for a casino.”
The bill was passed by for the day on a voice vote during the last meeting of the Commerce Agriculture and Natural Resources subcommittee, ultimately killing it.
“Oh what a happy day leading up to Valentine’s. SB 982 the ‘Casino Bill’ has died in a House Appropriations Subcommittee,” Boysko posted on X after the meeting adjourned.
Surovell declined to comment when asked why Boysko was removed from her position on the two committees.
Virginia Beach Republican Del. Barry Knight was removed from his position as ranking member from the House Appropriations Committee by Speaker Don Scott during the 2024 legislative session. No explanation was given for that shuffle, either.