RICHMOND (WINA) – A weekend speech by Governor Youngkin at Washington & Lee University’s Mock Convention has derailed — at least for now — a part of his effort to bring an arena complex along with the NBA’s Washington Wizards and NHL’s Washington Capitals to Alexandria. The Govenor linked in his social media a 23-second excerpt of the speech about why people should elect a Republican President in November where he said, “Today’s progressive Democratic Party does not believe in nor do they want a strong America… an America with no rivals.”

He continued, “They are content to concede, to compromise away, to abandon the very foundations that have made America exceptional.”

Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee Chair Louise Lucas, a Democrat from Portsmouth, tweeted “This is the speech he gives while wanting us to compromise with him and give him the Glenn Dome?!?!”

She also tweeted, “Governor’s Arena Bill is not on the Senate Finance and Appropriations docket because his proposal is not ready for prime time. This is what happens when Executive Branch doesn’t operate in good faith and doesn’t have respect for the Legislative Branch.”

The measure, sponsored in the Senate by Majority Leader Scott Surovell of Mount Vernon, would create a Virginia Sports and Entertainment Authority and Financing Fund to augment the state’s commitment to the public-private deal with the City of Alexandria and Monumental Sports and Entertainment.  But, indeed, the legislation was not docketed this morning, which was the last meeting before crossover. This means the Senate will not act on a version, which leaves a House version passed to the full House floor Friday before creating provisions that loosened some of the Governor’s control.

Charlottesville Democrat Creigh Deeds, who sits on the Senate Finance, also tweeted, “This doesn’t sound like a leader that wants to work with Democrats to move Virginia forward.”