"Virginia House Leaders Clash with Governor Over Arena Deal Praise"

Virginia House leaders dispute Governor Glenn Youngkin's claim that an independent consultant they hired gave a clean bill of health to his proposal to lure two Washington sports teams to Alexandria, stating that his remarks were inaccurate and overstated. The proposal, aimed at landing the NHL’s Washington Capitals and NBA’s Washington Wizards, envisions a $2 billion mixed-use development featuring a new arena. The back-and-forth over the outside review comes amid ongoing budget talks, with Youngkin demanding changes and hoping to reach compromise revisions when the Legislature reconvenes in April. The deal has faced pushback from various parties, and the governor's public campaign has been criticized as divisive.