Queens senator votes against Flushing Meadows parkland discontinuance, cites casino concerns

The New York State Senate on Wednesday approved legislation authorizing the discontinuance of certain parkland in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, but State Senator Ramos spoke at length from the floor and recorded a vote in opposition, saying the measure opens the door to a casino and does not serve her community.

"This is not about a building or a parcel of parkland. It's about power," Senator Ramos said during her explanation of vote, describing town halls, a districtwide poll and constituent meetings she held before deciding to oppose the measure. "A casino is not an answer to structural inequality. It's not a pathway to equity. And it's not the future I want to build for Corona, East Elmhurst, or any part of Queens."

Ramos said supporters of the project include a well-financed campaign and a developer she identified as "Mr. Steve Cohen," whom she described as having a documented regulatory history; she asserted that the proposed development would extract wealth from working-class communities and risk increased gambling addiction and displacement.

Senator Krueger also explained her no vote, telling the chamber she opposed state-supported gambling and arguing that casinos are not economic development for neighborhoods that would lose local spending and face social harms. "I particularly don't like government cosponsored gambling," Krueger said.

The legislative text on the floor was identified as Assembly Bill 6781‑B (authorizing the discontinuance of certain parkland in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park). The measure advanced on the calendar and was recorded as passed on the floor; multiple senators were recorded voting against the measure, including Ramos and Krueger.

Senator Ramos said she held three public town halls, released an online survey and met dozens of constituents before casting her vote, and said many in her district who support development did so because of long-term disinvestment. "What I do question is the deal we're being offered," she said, urging a different model of development rooted in community needs.

The bill, as recorded on the Senate floor, does not itself authorize a casino; the text on the floor addresses discontinuance of parkland. Senators opposing the measure framed their votes as a defense of a broader vision of economic development for their communities.

The transcript does not record any new conditions or amendments attached to the bill on the floor. The bill's passage restores the ability to move forward with local planning and any future proposals that would depend on additional approvals.