Gambling in West Virginia

The Associated Press follows up on the vow by the West Virginia Values Coalition that this year's table games elections mark the beginning of the end of gambling in the Mountain State.

"We will make sure the voice of the social conservative and the Christian, especially, is heard," Jeremy Dys, the group's executive director and chief counsel, tells AP. "It seems that Christians in this state have been lulled into believing the lie of separation of church and state."

The AP article also previews Wednesday's recount of the Kanawha County referendum. Gambling counselor-turned-foe Mia Moran-Cooper picked 44 of 175 voting precincts for the recount.

"She estimates that the $6,000 the state Council of Churches has raised to support her bid will cover the hand recount of only that many," AP notes. "State law requires those who request a recount to pay if the result does not change."

(I earlier corrected and updated posts about the recount and about U.S. gambling figures.)

The Sunday Gazette-Mail of Charleston profiled Moran-Cooper over the weekend.

Novelist Denise Giardina, meanwhile, opines on the news coverage of the table games debate in today's Gazette.