A Look at the Table Games Vote

West Virginia waits for its largest county to canvass the votes from the weekend's gambling referendum, amid word that 64 overlooked ballots join more than 500 provisional (challenged) ballots as likely to change the 33-vote margin outcome.

Starting Friday, Kanawha County will audit the results from all 175 of its precincts to determine whether Tri-State Racetrack & Gaming Center will keep its ever-so-slight lead in favor of allowing casino table games.

The Associated Press reported on Monday's ballot discovery. Others offering the latest news include Public Broadcasting, MetroNews (with related stories here and here), The Charleston Gazette and the Charleston Daily Mail.

An earlier post broke down the voting by each of Kanawha County's voting districts. Here are some additional tidbits:

Best Turnout: Cross Lanes, which hosts the traffic to and from Tri-State. Turnout exceeded 45 percent, compared to less than 36 percent countywide. (Out of 3,868 ballots cast there, there were 284 more "no" votes than "yes" votes.)

Worst Turnout: Montgomery, on the other end of the county. Just 91 voters showed up, for a 20 percent turnout.

Top Support: West Dunbar, with 70 percent of 280 voters supporting table games (but also second-worst turnout, at 20.3 percent).

Top Opposition: Tad, which cast 192 of 263 votes against table games (turnout there just exceeded the average, with 37 percent).

Other numbers:

* "Yes" votes outnumbered noes in just 12 of the 34 communities in the county.

* In the 8 communities that contributed 1,000 or more votes, table games prevailed in Charleston, Dunbar (by 3 votes) South Charleston and Nitro (which annexed the track several years ago), but failed in Cross Lanes, Elkview, Sissonville and St. Albans.

* As the county's dominant city, Charleston provided a 2,296-vote edge for table games (out of 16,902 votes cast there).

* The Sissonville precinct that failed to count the 64 ballots rejected table games 35 percent to 65 percent. Breaking down the overlooked votes by those percentages would leave Tri-State with a 15-vote margin of victory.

Also, The Journal of Martinsburg examines whether the Legislature might sweeten the table games deal for Jefferson County, which rejected the initiative in a June special election.

Manchin, Lawmakers Expect Special Session

Gov. Joe Manchin appears ready to ask the Legislature to consider several supplemental spending measures and other bills, either during or after the monthly interim meetings scheduled to run Sunday through Tuesday.

The Register-Herald of Beckley is the latest to speculate on the governor's special session agenda. Others with recent stories include the Parkersburg News and the Herald-Dispatch of Huntington.

The top, recurring agenda topic remains the warrantless wiring of an informant sent into a suspect's home. The Associated Press explored the issue in July.

Table Games - Kanawha County: Breaking Update

Breaking Update: Kanawha County officials report finding 64 ballots left uncounted after Saturday's special election.

Just 33 votes give Tri-State Racetrack & Gaming Center its margin of victory, on the question of whether to allow the Nitro track to become a full-blown casino.

Clerk Vera McCormick tells The Associated Press that these overlooked ballots will be counted once the canvass of all 175 voting precincts begins Friday.

That audit will also decide the fate of more than 500 as-yet-uncounted ballots that were challenged by precinct workers during Saturday's voting.

The 64 overlooked ballots should have been counted by a Sissonville precinct, and were among the 10,275 that were cast at McCormick's office during early voting.

But the precinct instead shipped them back to McCormick, uncounted, after the polls closed Saturday. They were not discovered until the office reopened Monday.

Three other precincts had similarly erred by not counting their share of early votes. But McCormick's staff found those 155 ballots late Saturday and counted them.

Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper noted to AP that the Saturday votes from this Sissonville precinct were heavily against table games.

MetroNews may have been the first with today's development. The Charleston Gazette also has a story.

AP heard earlier from both sides in advance of the audit. The Gazette also had a report that pegged the number of uncounted ballots at 586.

Hillary Clinton

The Associated Press interviewed "leading Democrats" in West Virginia and other states to assess the potential downside to Hillary Clinton winning the presidential nomination.

From the AP story:

"I'm one of these Democrats who has some legitimate reservations, because the Clintons have in the past invigorated the Republican base," said Carrie Webster, a leader in the West Virginia House of Delegates who served as executive director of the state party when Bill Clinton won the 1992 West Virginia primary.

"But the fact that so many prominent Democratic males are getting behind her at this early point makes me a little more confident that she could overcome some of the more obvious hurdles," she said.

Sorting Out the Table Games Election

(Click on image to enlarge)

As the unofficial totals from the Kanawha County Clerk show, voters in precincts in and around Tri-State Greyhound & Gaming Center provided the largest margin of votes Saturday against allowing table games there.

This magisterial district saw the highest turnout as well. But those voters also accounted for more than one-fourth of the ballots that helped table games provisionally prevail with a wafer-thin 33-vote margin.

Here's a rundown of the county clerk's roster of polling places:

District 1: Belle, Campbells Creek, Chelyan, Marmet, Montgomery, Pratt, Rand and other eastern communities as well as the eastern edge of Charleston.

District 2: Large sections of Charleston and parts of South Charleston, St. Albans and Dunbar.

District 3: St. Albans, Cross Lanes and Nitro.

District 4: Charleston's West Side as well as Elkview, Quick and Clendenin.

The county commission will begin assessing the nearly 500 challenged ballots on Friday, leaving the final tally as yet too close to call.

Besides The Associated Press, those with coverage include The Charleston Gazette, MetroNews, Public Broadcasting, WSAZ-TV and WOWK-TV.

AP also plans for follow-up coverage later today.

Robert James Gould, 1958-2007

Charleston lawyer Robert James "Bob" Gould had just scored another plum in a lengthy career as a GOP politico: chair of the West Virginia campaign for Republican presidential front-runner Rudy Giuliani. Gould helped arrange the Aug. 3 fundraiser featuring the former New York mayor at The Greenbrier.

But that coup was soon followed by a bombshell: a cancer diagnosis. Friends reported to The Associated Press his death Saturday from the disease.

Gould graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson and earned his law degree at Syracuse. His career ranged from posts in Reagan's Department of Housing and Urban Development, to a 1992 run for West Virginia attorney general, to counsel for Republicans in the state Senate.

But before signing on with Giuliani, Gould had worked on or helped manage all manner of GOP campaigns: Pat Robertson for president in 1988, Jon McBride for governor in 1996, even a 2006 gubernatorial race in Colorado.

"Gould is survived by his wife Denise, two daughters and a son," AP reports. "A visitation and funeral service are scheduled for Thursday in Charleston."

33 Votes

That's the unofficial margin of victory for Tri-State Racetrack and Gaming Center after 45,055 Kanawha County residents cast ballots on the table games question.

But as The Associated Press reports, the results aren't final until a canvas of the 175 precincts that is slated to begin Friday. That audit will resolve nearly 500 challenged ballots.

And either side can request a recount within 48 hours of the canvas' completion.

Table Games Special Election

Nitro's Tri-State Racetrack and Gaming Center will learn sometime after 7:30 p.m. whether it can become a full-blown casino.

More than 10,270 Kanawha County residents have already cast early votes on question of allowing table games at the track. Officials expect overall turnout to reach between 20 and 25 percent.

Among those setting the stage for today's referendum: The Associated Press, The Charleston Gazette, MetroNews, WSAZ-TV, WCHS-TV and West Virginia Media.

AP, MetroNews and WSAZ plan to deliver results once the polls close.

West Virginia Democrats Sued

Add the Mountain State's Democratic Party to the list of those sued by Massey Energy Co. and/or Don Blankenship, its president, chairman and CEO.

The Charleston Gazette reports that "Blankenship maintains that the “Not for Sale” television commercial created by the state Democratic Party in 2006 misrepresented statements attributed to him in a Hagerstown Herald-Mail article in the wake of the Sago and Aracoma mine deaths."

The Kanawha Circuit Court lawsuit, filed Friday, also names party Chairman Nick Casey as a defendant.

"Blankenship’s business and professional reputation were damaged by Casey’s statements, the suit maintains," the article said. "The suit seeks a public apology from the defendants, and unspecified compensatory and punitive damages."

The Democrats join the Gazette, Gov. Joe Manchin, the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, the United Mine Workers Union, a labor-trial lawyer political action group, various coal industry vendors and a Boone County court stenographer to face a lawsuit from Massey and/or Blankenship.

West Virginia's Newest Legislator

Gov. Joe Manchin appointed retired educator Louis Gall today to the House of Delegates seat vacated by Ron Thompson, D-Raleigh, who resigned after a protracted absence.

The Associated Press has the story. Manchin's office has also issued a release.

Table Games - Kanawha County Countdown Continues

* Public Broadcasting continues its analysis of the table games debate. Track supporters argue that voter approval of poker, blackjack and other table games will mean 1,000 new jobs and $250 million in facility investments. Today's headline: "Pro-gambling ads exaggerate economic benefits."

Updates:

* Audio of Public Broadcasting piece now online.

* WSAZ-TV hosted a debate Thursday between Charleston Mayor Danny Jones and Rev. Dennis Sparks, director of the state Council of Churches. Video posted online.

* MetroNews' Talkline also held a debate, with Barry Bruce of the West Virginia Family Foundation and Tri-State parent company executive Dan Adkins.

* MetroNews also looks at voter turnout estimates.

* The Associated Press reports that Pennsylvania slot casinos _ the sort of competition that spurred West Virginia's tracks to pursue table games _ is being blamed for a second-quarter loss of $502,000 by the owner of Mountaineer Race Track & Gaming Resort.

* WCHS-TV highlights a twist to the "God" billboard phenomenon in the dueling ad campaigns (check out the video), and also covered the final rallies held by each side.

* The Charleston Daily Mail talks to a "Parkersburg man who's made a killing in nationally televised poker contests" who says "legalizing table games is a gamble West Virginians shouldn't take."

Also:

Besides AP, those planning election day coverage and up-to-the-minute results include WSAZ-TV and MetroNews radio.

GOP Launches Early Vs. Mollohan

The National Republican Congressional Committee has paid for a weeks' worth of radio ads attacking U.S. Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, in his district.

As The Associated Press reports, the spot running on Morgantown, Parkersburg and Wheeling stations "aims to remind voters of the apparent federal probe into the Democrat's financial dealings and earmark appropriations."

For whatever reason, the NRCC could not provide a script, a sound file or a link to AP. But a Mollohan spokesman said he's already heard the ad, and offers a ho-hum reaction.

"I'm feeling like I'm in a time warp,'' Gerry Griffith told AP. "The spot rehashed all the innuendo and all the dirty, nasty politics that we lived through a year and a half ago. But we know how the voters reacted to that.''

Romney Picks W.Va. Steering Committee

Delegate Bob Ashley, R-Roane, will chair a 15-member steering committee for the GOP presidential candidate's efforts in West Virginia, his campaign announced today.

Republican Party veteran campaigners and officials help fill out the rest of the team. They include: Cabell County Sheriff Kim Wolfe and his wife; Charleston lawyer Robert Ryan, who helped drum up in-state support for President Bush's Supreme Court nominees; and Mark Blankenship, who has provided poll numbers and other services for several GOP campaigns _ including the disastrous, multimillion-dollar bid by Massey Energy chief Don Blankenship (no relation) to influence the 2006 legislative races.

The Romney campaign signed up last week for the state GOP's plan to hold a nominating convention for its national delegates on "Super-Duper Tuesday," Feb. 5.

Update: Both MetroNews and The Charleston Gazette correctly point out that a number of those named to Romney's steering committee were part of President Bush's winning West Virginia campaigns in 2000 and 2004.

Fallout Continues From Trooper's Suicide

The results of a Freedom of Information Act request by WSAZ-TV shows that more troopers have resigned under the State Police's current administration than in previous years, the station reports.

The online story, which also includes a number of illustrative charts, is one of several spurred by the suicide of Cpl. Mario Gonzales last month. The station's coverage has yielded more than 900 comments posted on its web site, reflecting a heated debate over conditions and morale at the State Police.

Table Games - Special Election Countdown

As mentioned earlier, Kanawha County has wrapped up early voting in advance of Saturday's table games referendum, after more than 8 percent of its electorate cast ballots.

For those who still plan to head to the polls:

* Public Broadcasting offers a point-by-point analysis (and audio) of the arguments raised by gambling foes _ under the headline "Anti-table games ads fuzzy on the facts." Public Broadcasting plans to give the pro-table games claims the same treatment Friday.

* WCHS-TV has a multi-part series on the table games debate. The station produced 19 segments on the topic, and also offers web-only video.

Table Games - Kanawha County

More than 8 percent of Kanawha County's registered voters have already cast ballots on the table games question, The Charleston Gazette reports.

County officials say more than 10,200 residents took part in early voting before it ended Wednesday. The actual special election is Saturday.

And while the other racetrack counties _ Hancock, Jefferson and Ohio _ are admittedly smaller, Kanawha's early votes already exceed total votes in all but Ohio when they held their balloting earlier this summer.

The Gazette article also speculates on spending by both sides in the Kanawha County contest. The mostly grassroots campaign by gambling foes has featured yard signs and some mailings. Pro-table games forces have bankrolled both as well as broadcast ads and repeated rounds of polling.

Special Session Update

Gov. Joe Manchin continues to consider calling the Legislature into a special session while lawmakers are in town for the month's three-day series of interim meetings.

The Associated Press story, drawn from a report by The Charleston Gazette, lists such possible agenda items as supplemental spending measures, a curb on traffic offense fines and scaled-back rules governing the wiring of drug informants.

Daily Batch O' Facts - Updated

U.S. Active Military Deaths, 1986-2006

The above chart reflects deaths, by year and by category, per 10,000 active duty service members. 2006 figures are preliminary.

Click on the chart for a clearer image.

Source: http://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil/personnel/CASUALTY/Death_Rates.pdf

Update: The official U.S. Department of Defense figures also provide for this information:

Note that 2006 figures are the latest available, and are preliminary.

Errant and Absent Former Lawmakers

Former state Sen. Lisa Smith, R-Putnam, and her husband pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Huntington, The Associated Press reports.

Smith

Smith, 43, admitted "she failed to pay the IRS more than $86,000 withheld for taxes from her employees' wages when it was due in 2002," and that she "mailed a false campaign finance statement to state election officials while running for her Senate seat in 2002," the AP article said.

Husband Mark Smith pleaded guilty to a single "tax fraud charge involving $63,000 in withholding taxes due in 2004 from the health care companies," AP reported.

The tax charges stem from health care businesses the couple ran. They face a Nov. 5 sentencing hearing.

"Lisa Smith had served two terms in the House of Delegates when she challenged and defeated then-Senate Finance Chairman Oshel Craigo, D-Putnam, in a 2002 election upset," the AP article said. "She resigned the Senate seat in December 2004, citing an undisclosed illness."

MetroNews also has a story from the morning hearing. "She was very frail and so much a different person than the person we came to know at the height of her political career," WSAZ-TV Reporter Doug Korstanje told MetroNews.


Also, The Register-Herald reports that Gov. Joe Manchin has received the three recommended names for a successor to chronically absent Delegate Ron Thompson, D-Raleigh, who resigned last month.

Thompson

"The three nominees are Louis Gall, a retired Raleigh County educator and school administrator; Kevin Maynus, who finished sixth last year in balloting for the five House seats in the 27th district; and former House member and Senate Judiciary Chairman Bill Wooton," the Beckley newspaper reported.

Manchin spokeswoman Lara Ramsburg told The Register-Herald that while the governor has until Monday to appoint a new delegate, he hopes to do so by Friday.

"Thompson resigned in late July following an 18-month period during which he was unable to fulfill any of his legislative duties, leaving constituents in Raleigh and Summers counties without full representation in the legislature," the article said. It also cited his ongoing treatment for severe depression.

Table Games - Lawsuit Plans Dropped (Updated)

The West Virginia Family Foundation will not sue over table games in federal court, after all, The Associated Press reports.

After the state Supreme Court turned away its legal challenge in May, the group had repeatedly vowed to bring its case to federal court. "But further research showed a federal lawsuit likely would not be successful, said Ray Lambert, a spokesman for the conservative Christian activist group."

Also in the AP article, Lambert said that "lobbying the Legislature to void the act would be 'a waste of time.'"

With the fourth and final racetrack county slated to vote Saturday on the question, Lambert said the foundation will instead focus on defeating table games in Kanawha County.

The Register-Herald of Beckley was the first with the story.

In other table games news, the first batch of student card dealers has graduated from West Virginia Northern Community College, the Wheeling News-Register reports. Those who completed the six-week course must now audition for jobs at Wheeling Island Racetrack and Gaming Center, which expects to debut its table games later this year.

Update: The Charleston Daily Mail hears from church-going workers at Tri-State Racetrack & Gaming Center in Nitro who are "questioning why some table games opponents are invoking God into the discussion and painting the track as a house of sin."

Capito Catches, Gives Heat For Iraq Vote

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has targeted U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, for her recent vote on Iraq troop deployments.

"Rep. Shelley Capito voted against easing that strain and against ensuring our military is ready to handle any emergency," communications director Jennifer Crider told the Charleston Daily Mail.

The comment, and the underlying legislation, prompted a response from Capito spokesman Jordan Stoick.

"It's a political stunt, a ‘gotcha' vote that allows Washington politicians to tie the hands of our military commanders, the result of which would increase the stress on our military by reducing the number of available troops and could actually lead to troops being forced to stay in Iraq longer," Stoick says in the Daily Mail article.

Table Games - Kanawha County (Updated)

The Associated Press sets the stage for the final days of early voting and Saturday's special election on the table games question.

I looked at the early voting so far in Kanawha County, allegations that opponents have been harassed and their signs vandalized or stolen, and the extensive polling that the Nitro track has conducted.

The close nature of the contest invites comparisons to 1994, when voters in the four racetrack counties were asked to authorize video lottery machines.



The above chart suggests several parallels with 1994, including the rejection of the pending initiative by Jefferson County voters. Turnout also appears similar (note that Jefferson's population has increased since 1994).

The chart also offers the turnout for the previous referendum election, the (unsuccessful) pension bond proposal of 2005.

The Charleston Gazette's Phil Kabler looked back to the 1994 vote, and to recent polling by Tri-State, in his Sunday column.

Update: The Charleston Daily Mail examines how "a big chunk of the state's take of the revenue generated at the racetracks can't be spent on anything other than debt reduction."

They Voted For You: Energy

U.S. Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd, helped pass $16 billion in taxes on oil companies by voting for the "Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007."

Mollohan and Rahall also helped approve "billions of dollars in tax breaks and incentives for renewable energy and conservation efforts," through "a companion energy package aimed at boosting energy efficiency and expanding use of biofuels, wind power and other renewable energy sources," according to The Associated Press.

Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, voted against both the tax measure, which prevailed 221-189 and the "New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act." The companion measure passed 241-172.

The tax bill "would repeal for oil companies a tax break given in 2004 to help domestic manufacturers compete against foreign companies, and another tax break pertaining to income from foreign oil production. Critics of the two tax provisions called them loopholes that the industry had taken advantage of," AP reports.

The AP also offers highlights from both the House-passed energy legislation and what the Senate approved in June. The differing versions must be reconciled before anything reaches President Bush's desk.

They Voted For You: Foreign Wiretaps

U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-1st, voted over the weekend "to expand the government's abilities to eavesdrop without warrants on foreign suspects whose communications pass through the United States," The Associated Press reports.

Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd, voted against the "Protect America Act," which passed 227-183.

"The administration said the measure is needed to speed the National Security Agency's ability to intercept phone calls, e-mails and other communications involving foreign nationals ''reasonably believed to be outside the United States,"" AP reported. "Civil liberties groups and many Democrats said it goes too far, possibly enabling the government to wiretap U.S. residents communicating with overseas parties without adequate oversight from courts or Congress."

The AP article also notes that "Congressional Democrats won a few concessions in negotiations earlier in the week. New wiretaps must be approved by the director of national intelligence and the attorney general, not just the attorney general," and that "the new law also will expire in six months unless Congress renews it. The administration wanted the changes to be permanent."

Giuliani in W.Va.- Updated

(GOP presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani visits The Cold Spot in Charleston during Friday's visit to West Virginia... Aw, just kidding, it's actually the most recent photo available on the former New York mayor's campaign web site, from a New Hampshire appearance.)


Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a front-runner among the 2008 GOP presidential candidates, courted West Virginians and coal industry officials with a breakfast fundraiser at The Greenbrier today.

The morning appearance coincided with the state Coal Association's annual gathering at the storied resort. Host Hoppy Kercheval interviewed Giuliani about his views on coal and Iraq on MetroNews' Talkline (with audio).

Update: West Virginia Media has video of Giuliani's remarks after the fundraiser.

House Erases Mollohan Earmark - UPDATED

U.S. Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, lost his bid to provide $1.5 million to his district's Canaan Valley Institute when the provision was removed Thursday from a pending appropriations bill.

"Since being established in 1995, the organization has received more than $30 million in federal money earmarked by Mollohan. That represents the lion's share of its budget," The Associated Press reports.

But "earlier this year, the institute turned over more than 15,000 documents in response to FBI subpoenas for financial records," the AP report continues, as Mollohan is reportedly "under Justice Department investigation into whether he has benefited from steering money to such groups."

The money was in earmarks for three separate projects. House Appropriations Chairman David Obey, D-Wis., recommended their removal from the bill through a procedural vote, the AP article said, though it had previously passed his committee.

"We had determined that because they were in controversy, for the good of the House, they should not be considered at this time," Obey said.

(Update: Mollohan tells the Charleston Daily Mail "he personally requested the removal" of the earmarks, and his office says "reports that the funding was pulled by other lawmakers are incorrect."

The Hill also reports that Appropriations "Committee Democrats acted in 'accordance of (Mollohan's) wishes and others’ wishes,'" quoting a staffer for the House Rules Committee, which yanked the provision in a procedural move.

The beltway newspaper further observes that "Instead of forcing Mollohan to offer and debate the amendment on the floor, the Rules Committee simply struck the earmarks from the bill.Republicans immediately questioned the move. Jo Maney, spokeswoman for panel Republicans, said it was a 'completely unprecedented' use of the committee to avoid an embarrassing public capitulation.")

The apparent investigation into Mollohan's earmarks and related matters was a topic on the House floor earlier this week.

They Voted For You: Iraq Deployments - Update

U.S. Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd, voted late Thursday "to give U.S. troops guaranteed time at home between deployments to Iraq," The Associated Press reports.

Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, voted against the "Ensuring Military Readiness Through Stability and Predictability Deployment Policy Act."

"The House measure would require that regular military units returning from the war receive at least as much time at home as they spent in Iraq," the AP article said. "Reserve units would get a home stay three times as long as they spent in the war zone."

It prevailed 229-194.

"Bush threatened to veto the measure," AP reports. "Six Republicans broke ranks to support it and three more voted 'present' rather than take a firm position."

Update: The AP article also notes that "Republicans said -- and Democrats did not deny -- that the measure would complicate the Pentagon's efforts to maintain current troop levels."

"Rep. Howard (Buck) McKeon, R-Calif., said the legislation was ''a backhanded attempt to force a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq.'' He noted the requirement for time at home did not apply to troops deployed to the war in Afghanistan. "If this were a sincere effort," he said, "it would apply to all deployments,"" the AP reported.

They Voted For You: Health Care

The Senate has taken the different route than the House regarding the funding of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, The Associated Press reports.

Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, both D-W.Va., voted to pass this reauthorization bill. It prevailed 68-31.

The vote "also gave Democrats, who secured a veto-proof margin, a chance to draw a stark distinction between their priorities and Bush's on an issue that resonates with voters," the AP reports. "The Senate measure now must be reconciled with the House-passed $50 billion expansion, which was paid for partly by cutting government payments to Medicare health maintenance organizations."

Troubled Bridges

Bridges are under scrutiny nationwide in the wake of the tragic collapse of the interstate span in Minneapolis. MetroNews, The Charleston Gazette and the Herald-Dispatch of Huntington are among those who assess the condition of Mountain State bridges.

"More than one in 10 West Virginia bridges are “structurally deficient,” according to federal bridge data — the same classification as a Minneapolis bridge that collapsed and killed at least four people Wednesday," the Gazette article said.

"West Virginia Transportation Secretary Paul Mattox says 37 percent of the state's approximately 6,500 bridges are either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete," MetroNews reports.

And the Herald-Dispatch notes that "A 2005 report by the American Society for Civil Engineers showed 27 percent of the nation's 590,750 bridges were structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, including 37 percent of West Virginia's 6,956 bridges."

MetroNews, Public Broadcasting (with audio) and West Virginia Media also revisit the infamous 1967 collapse of the Silver Bridge in Mason County, which killed 46.

They Voted For You: Ethics

U.S. Senators Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, both D-W.VA., helped the Senate concur with recent House changes to the pending ethics bill.

The Senate vote was 83-14.

The Associated Press offers highlights of the legislation.

Romney On Board For W.Va. GOP Convention

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney plans to participate in the West Virginia Republican Party Convention for the 2008 presidential election, his campaign announced Thursday.

The Associated Press has the story.

Though Romney is the first declared candidate to commit to the "Super-Duper Tuesday," Feb. 5 event, the state GOP expects the rest of the field to follow suit.

Table Games - Daily Roundup

Early voting in Kanawha County has hit 4,700 as residents decide whether to allow casino table games at the racetrack in Nitro, the Charleston Gazette reports.

And as foes and supporters rally to get their forces to the polls, MetroNews' Talkline hosted an on-air debate Tuesday between the two sides.

At least one of the two counties that has already authorized table games, meanwhile, has apparently based part of its annual budget on the resulting revenue. But as The Associated Press reports, the state Lottery says Hancock and Ohio counties will likely have to wait until November before the games can begin.

They Voted For You: Health Care

U.S. Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd, all voted to pass the "Children’s Health and Medicare Protection Act of 2007" Wednesday.

As The Associated Press observes, the legislation is one of two measures that would expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program, which has become a significant source of coverage in most states, including West Virginia.

One measure, up for a Senate vote today, would expand the program by $35 billion, the AP article said.

What passed Wednesday, the AP explains, "the more ambitious House legislation, a $50 billion SCHIP expansion paid for in part by slashing government payments to Medicare HMOs, attracted only five Republican votes, while 10 Democrats crossed party lines to oppose it."

The vote on passage was 225-204.

AP also reports that "Both measures face a veto-threat from President Bush, who says they would cost too much and expand the decade-old program beyond its original mission, inappropriately moving toward government-run health care."

"Both versions of the bill would be financed in part by a hefty increase in taxes on tobacco products," the article notes further.

Offering a local perspective, The Herald-Dispatch of Huntington interviewed West Virginia doctors to get their take on the pros and cons of CHIP.

Quote of the Day

"When I'm back home at the grocery store, I no longer get an occasional person coming up saying we shouldn't be over there and need to get out. More people are saying, 'How are we going to get out? When? What's the end?'"

-- U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, to the Charleston Daily Mail regarding her recent visit with President Bush.

Capito, Bush & Iraq

U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, told both the Charleston Daily Mail and MetroNews (with audio) that she has shared with President Bush that "she and her constituents are growing increasingly frustrated over the direction of the Iraq war."

Capito "led a delegation of 16 female Republican House members to the White House on Tuesday for an hour-long discussion with the president and first lady Laura Bush on Iraq," the Daily Mail reported.

They Voted For You: Pay Discrimination

U.S. Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd, voted for legislation "to reverse the Supreme Court's decision limiting the time that workers have to sue their employers for pay discrimination," The Associated Press reports.

Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, voted against the "Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act," which prevailed 225-199.

"The Bush administration has threatened to veto the legislation, pushed almost entirely by Democrats," the AP article said.

(The article also notes that "Ledbetter, a supervisor at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.'s plant in Gadsden, Ala., sued right before she retired. She ended a 19-year career making $6,500 less than the lowest-paid male supervisor, and claimed earlier decisions by her supervisors kept her from making more. The court said she had waited too long to sue.")

Table Games - Kanawha County

With table games already approved for racetracks in Hancock and Ohio counties, West Virginia is poised the join Iowa as the only other state to offer live racing, slot machines and casino table games at a single location.

And with Kanawha County slated to vote Aug. 11 whether to allow the games at its track, The Charleston Gazette checked out the situation in The Tall Corn State.

With well-paying jobs a selling point from table games advocates, an official at Dubuque Greyhound Park & Casino tells the Gazette that most dealers there make $34,000 to $35,000 a year.

"(D)ealers just starting out at the gaming tables have a base salary of $5.50 an hour," the article said. "Tips bring the pay of a new card dealer to about $11 an hour." Dealers then get raises at three, six and 12 months, the Gazette reports.

West Virginia Media, meanwhile, reports that more than 4,000 Kanawha County have already cast early ballots over table games. With early voting running until Aug. 8, the county has already seen "the largest early voting turn-out ever for a single issue election," the report said.

Judge: No Pension for Ex-Lincoln Assessor

A circuit judge has blocked former Lincoln County Assessor Jerry Weaver from receiving retirement benefits, The Associated Press reports.

Weaver was one of several county Democrats who pleaded guilty to roles in a vote-buying conspiracy unearthed by federal prosecutors in 2004.

Kanawha Circuit Judge Jim Stucky concluded that Weaver's admitted crimes reflect the sort of "less than honorable service" that triggers the loss of a public pension under state law.

The federal indictment had alleged that the conspirators sought to control the outcome of elections so they could monkey with property tax assessments, among other reasons.

But Weaver had argued that the federal judge in his case had specifically concluded that he did not misuse his office in the course of providing cash to bribe voters.

"Stucky said Weaver will be reimbursed for the contributions he made to the Public Employees Retirement System for 27 years plus interest, but minus payments already received," the AP story said.

MetroNews (which appears to be the first to report on Stucky's July 23 ruling) also has a story, as does The Charleston Gazette.

They Voted For You: Ethics

West Virginia's House members _ Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd and Nick Rahall, D-3rd _ all voted for legislation today that would "require lawmakers to disclose more details of their bids to fund pet projects and their fundraising help from lobbyists," The Associated Press reports.

The final tally was 411-8 on passage of the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007.

Table Games - Kanawha County

As both sides try to sway voters on the table games issue, the Charleston Daily Mail examines the question of increased crime linked to gambling.

"Metro 911 statistics indicate police are four times more likely to be called to the neighboring Wal-Mart than the Nitro track itself," the newspaper reports. "Since July 1, 2006, emergency responders have been dispatched to the track 89 times. Most of the calls involved accidents, vandalism and other minor disturbances. In comparison, Metro 911 took 375 calls from the Nitro Wal-Mart. Most of those involved reports of accidents and shoplifting."

Disharmony in the Ranks - Updated

Just as little love is lost between the rival groups that vie to represent state teachers (the West Virginia Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers-West Virginia), dueling organizations are sparring in their quest to speak for rank-and-file state workers.

The Associated Press cites a mocking _ and partly inadvertent _ voice mail message as reflective of the acrimony.

The article is a follow-up to Monday's piece highlighting morale problems among different groups of public employees.

Update: Public Broadcasting also has a story on the voice mail, and offers audio from the recording.

Mixed Signals On Special Session

The Charleston Gazette reports that an August special legislative session is likely, with a crackdown on copper and other metal thefts the latest of several possible topics.

But MetroNews says "lawmakers are still debating whether or not there is a need for a special session next month."

Mollohan Under Fire

Before the FBI and IRS stepped up the probe of U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, by searching his home Monday, a House member tried to highlight the federal scrutiny of Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-1st.

Rep. Steven King, R-Iowa, proposed dedicating $1 million in the FBI's budget "to continue and accelerate their investigation so that they can either move forward to completion, or clear the individual who sits underneath this cloud."

While not identifying Mollohan by name during his July 25 floor speech, King cited how "a former member of the Ethics Committee stepped down from the Ethics Committee to avoid the appearance of impropriety during an investigation."

"And yet, since that investigation began," King continued, "the same Member has opted to step forward and take on the gavel of the very appropriations committee that deals with the funding of the investigation that's being conducted."

King referred to press reports regarding Mollohan's appropriations earmarks, personal finances and real estate transactions.

King also quoted from an appearance by U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales before the House Judiciary Committee.

"I asked the Attorney General if he was intimidated... If the chairman of the Justice Appropriations Committee happened to have been under that kind of scrutiny, would that affect the kind of prosecution that takes place out of your Justice Department with regard to that particular Member of Congress?''

"I make no allegations about guilt or innocence," King said. "I simply say that there is a huge question of impropriety when the chairman of justice approps has in one hand the gavel, and in the other hand the pursestrings that funds the very people that are conducting the investigation."

The amendment brought several House members to their feet.

"He has offered an amendment which does absolutely nothing in order to give him an opportunity to talk about something he says he doesn't want to talk about," said House Appropriations Chairman David Obey, D-Wis. "Only in Washington would that be believable."

"I'm, indeed, sorry that this amendment has been brought to the floor," said Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J. "I think it is totally inappropriate."

Mollohan also responded.

"I would suggest that the gentleman, number one, has expressed a greater knowledge about any investigation than I have," Mollohan said. "Perhaps he has inside knowledge about it. But I could not tell you actually if it exists, because I have never been approached with regard to it."

King persisted.

"I didn't hear a response to the question about the intimidation factor and, in fact, the appearance of impropriety that the man holding the gavel is also holding the purse strings of the agency that is doing the investigation, according to the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal and a number of other publications across this country," King said.

(In his floor speech, Obey had said "The fact is that that gentleman in question has recused himself from all matters relating to the FBI, the Attorney General, the Criminal Division, and U.S. attorneys. That's why I am here on the floor handling those portions of the bill today.")

King's amendment, to a U.S. Justice Department appropriations bill, failed 19-389.

Mollohan and Reps. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd, voted against the amendment.

Another 16 House members, meanwhile, merely voted "present."

The Congressional record has the transcript of King's remarks and the responses.

The Hill has a story on the episode.

West Virginia's Human Capital

The Associated Press' Shaya Tayefe Mohajer highlights the state's efforts to link economic development with education and training.

"Only 16.9 percent of West Virginians aged 25 and older have a bachelor's degree and that's last in the country," Brian Noland, chancellor of the state Higher Education Policy Commission, told AP.

Lighting Up at the Legislature

Communities statewide are wrestling with anti-smoking public health proposals. The Journal of Martinsburg, for instance, reports on Morgan County's indoor air rules taking effect today, while the Charleston Daily Mail reported last week on the issue in Putnam County and at Yeager Airport.

But The Charleston Gazette reports today that a statewide indoor air ordinance may prove elusive: "For one thing, legislators’ offices are exempt from Kanawha County’s smoking ban."

The article continues, "In 1991, former Gov. Gaston Caperton issued an executive order banning smoking at the state Capitol Complex. The order didn’t extend to the Legislature or state Supreme Court. Earlier that year, the House of Delegates restricted smoking in the House chamber, gallery and committee rooms. The Senate doesn’t have a written policy, but it’s understood that smoking isn’t permitted in the chamber and other common areas."

State Government Morale

The Associated Press points out a common thread involving morale among some public workers, in the wake of such recent events as the suicide of a trooper and the ensuing debate over work conditions at the State Police.

Teacher Pensions

The 401(k)-style investment accounts that more than 19,000 educators will rely on for their retirement continue to lag behind the benefits promised by the state's older, traditional pension fund, The Associated Press reports.

Consolidated Public Retirement Board officials offered lawmakers an update this weekend as they appeal a successful challenge of the state's plan to merge its teacher pension offerings.

Just over 1,100 educators with the individual investment accounts are ready to retire, age 60 or older, but only 23 have more than $100,000 saved. The largest of those accounts is only $157,000, compared to the $200,000 to $400,000 in benefits guaranteed by the older plan.

W.Va.'s Beloved, Bedeviled Capitol

This month's series of legislative interim meetings produced yet another report of decay at West Virginia's circa-1932 state Capitol, The Associated Press reports.

The latest woes include more trouble involving the once and future basement cafeteria, and the buff limestone panels that form its exterior walls.

Though betrayed by neglect throughout its 75 years, the Capitol remains a stirring jewel in a strikingly beautiful crown. The West Virginia Legislature's Office of Reference & Information, which provided the above image, also offers an online history and photo gallery of this majestic building.

Absent Delegate Quits

Poised to miss his 14th consecutive interim session, Delegate Ron Thompson resigned from the Legislature this week, The Associated Press reports.

Because of his prolonged absence, the Raleigh County Democrat nearly lost his seat in an historic vote during this year's regular session. Fellow House members relented upon news that he is being treated for severe depression.

“While my condition continues to improve, my full recovery time is taking longer than originally anticipated," Thompson wrote this week, according to The Register-Herald of Beckley. "Therefore, I feel that is in the best interest of the constituents which I serve that I take such action."

The Beckley newspaper also spoke with other members of the 27th Delegate District. Others with the story include MetroNews, West Virginia Media, The Charleston Gazette and the Charleston Daily Mail.

"A Democratic committee for Thompson’s 27th District has 15 days to recommend three names to Gov. Joe Manchin for his successor," the AP article notes. "The governor then has five days to select Thompson’s replacement, who would serve out the remainder of the term."

Hillary Clinton in West Virginia - Updated

The Democratic presidential front-runner and New York senator spoke for about an hour Friday to a spillover crowd at West Virginia State University. The Associated Press was there.

Clinton took questions for about a half-hour of the event _ including one from the Rev. Jim Lewis of Patriots for Peace, who held a sort of demonstration outside Clinton's Charleston fundraiser earlier in the day.

Update: Other coverage comes from: The Charleston Gazette, which also shot video; MetroNews (with audio from the event); WSAZ, with video; and the Wheeling newspapers.

They Voted For You: Campaign Finance

U.S. Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, helped pass an amendment that would "prevent the Justice Department from enforcing certain advertising restrictions in campaign finance law," The Associated Press reports.

Reps. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, and Nick Rahall, D-3rd, voted against the measure in the 215-205 roll call.

Prompted by the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling targeting campaign finance law, the amendment would bar "criminal enforcement of any of the law's advertising provisions," the AP reports. "It would not affect any civil penalties imposed against violators by the Federal Election Commission. Most campaign finance infractions are handled by the FEC."

Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., proposed adding the measure to a pending appropriations bill.

"The Senate has not acted on its version of the spending bill and advocates of strict campaign finance laws vowed to kill the House provision there," the AP article notes. " Campaign watchdog groups objected to Pence's amendment, arguing that the Supreme Court did not declare all restrictions on electioneering communications unconstitutional."

Mollohan is the lead sponsor of the "Departments of Commerce and Justice, and Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations for FY 2008." It passed Thursday 281-142 with Mollohan, Capito and Rahall voting in favor.

Capito successfully proposed three amendments to the spending bill:

* "An amendment to reduce appropriations (by transfer) for the Periodic Censuses and Programs by $10 million, and increase appropriations for the Office of Justice Programs," which passed 229-196 (Rahall and Mollohan both nay);

* "An amendment to increase appropriations (by transfer) for the Violence Against Women Prevention and Prosecution Programs, and reduce appropriations for the National Science Foundation operations and award management program by $10 million." It passed 243-186
(Rahall and Mollohan both nay);


* "An amendment to prohibit the use of funds be used in contravention of section 402(e)(1) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996," which passed by a voice vote.

Congress Hears from W.Vians on Mining

Several Mountain State residents testified Wednesday on Capitol Hill as the House Natural Resources Committee, chaired by Rep. Nick Rahall, D-3rd, reviewed the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 on its 30th anniversary.

The committee has posted written statements from environmental lawyer Joe Lovett, West Virginia Coal Association President Bill Raney, United Mine Workers President Cecil Roberts, and state Environmental Protection Secretary Stephanie Timmermeyer.

(Update: The committee revamped its web site this afternoon, and has updated the above links. The statements can also be found here. Note: all of the links are tricky; Click 'Go' _ but NOT reload _ if the link results in a 'not found' message.)

The Charleston Gazette also has a story on the full committee hearing.

Table Games

* MetroNews' Talkline program hosted a debate over table games pitting racetrack lobbyist Nelson Robinson against the Rev. Okey Harless, a gambling foe (with audio).

* Quoting Lottery Director John Musgrave, The Charleston Gazette reports that "t will be take four to six months before the state Lottery Commission will be ready to regulate table games at the state’s two Northern Panhandle racetracks."

* Lottery has also proposed a grandfather clause to allow about 100 employees of those tracks under age 21 to keep their jobs once they launch table games. As the Gazette reports in a separate article, "the minimum age for people entering the gaming areas will jump from 18 to 21."

* As the special Aug. 11 table games election nears in Kanawha County, Public Broadcasting talks to Delegate Ron Walters, whose district includes areas around the Nitro track that would host the games. With audio.

* Both the Gazette and MetroNews report that the state lottery system "ended the fiscal year with $1.56 billion in sales, a new record... That number includes $972 million put into the video slot machines at the state's four racetracks and $397 million played on the slot machines at Limited Video Lottery locations across the state."

Ramos and Compean

U.S. Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-1st, earned a mention in this Associated Press story for opposing a House bid to address the criminal cases of former Border Patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Alonso Compean.

"Ramos and Compean are serving 11- and 12-year federal prison sentences, respectively, for the 2005 shooting of Osvaldo Aldrete Davila on the Texas border near El Paso," the article said. "The case has caused a furor among conservative lawmakers and on talk radio across the country."

On a voice vote, the House approved a measure that would bar the two former agents from being kept in any federal prison.

"Democrats such as Alan Mollohan of West Virginia opposed the attempt to free the two men, arguing that it is not Congress' place to interfere in criminal cases, particularly when they are under appeal as the Ramos and Compean case it," the article said. "But Democrats opted not to call for a roll call vote. It could be dropped from the bill during House-Senate negotiations this fall."

Mollohan chairs the Committee on Appropriations subcommittee that previously oversaw the Border Patrol, before it became part of the Department of Homeland Security.

West Virginia & the YouTube Debate, Part II

Public Broadcasting interviewed the two Mountain State residents whose videotaped questions were among the 39 posed to the Democratic presidential candidates during Monday's debate.

PubCast offers audio as well as a transcript.

Update: MetroNews also interviewed Cantees (with audio).

The Health of W.Va.'s Children

The Mountain State continues to struggle with providing for the health of its children, though some areas show improvement, according to the latest installment of an annual study.

"Researchers with the 2007 Kids Count data book rank West Virginia 44th among the 50 states when weighing several factors that contribute to a child’s well-being," The Charleston Gazette reports. "The state ranked 38th last year."

The report tracks an increase in high school dropouts and low birth-weight babies in the state, the article said. But "the state improved slightly in three of 10 indicators, as defined by researchers: the child death rate, the teen birth rate and the percentage of children living in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment."

Update: West Virginia Media also has a story on the latest report.

Hillary Clinton's W.Va. Stop

When she visits Charleston on Friday to raise funds for her presidential campaign, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., will also host a yet-to-be-specified public event, The Charleston Gazette reports.

The article also said that "Gov. Joe Manchin and first lady Gayle Manchin met with Clinton and other Democratic candidates Monday night after a televised debate in Charleston, S.C. Manchin was the only Democratic governor in attendance."

"Manchin has declined to endorse any candidate during the primary process," the article also notes.

W.Va. at the YouTube Debate

The YouTube videos aired to quiz Democratic presidential candidates at last night's debate included this one from John Cantees of Huntington.

Cantees asked Mike Gravel about his statement that U.S. deaths in Vietnam were in vain.

And this one from Mike Sharley of Morgantown asked the candidates about health care.

Thanks to Hoppy Kercheval of MetroNews' Talkline, who pointed out these videos in his online column today.

Debate co-sponsor CNN also offers a transcript of the debate.

W.Va., MTR and RFK Jr.

Public Broadcasting offers this follow-up (with audio) to last week's interview with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., assessing his comments about state politicians and the press in the mountaintop removal mining debate.

Table Games - Kanawha County (Updated)

Both The Associated Press and the Charleston Daily Mail quiz Kanawha County's legislators about table games in advance of the Aug. 11 special election. Early voting continues until Aug. 8.

The Daily Mail also reports on the nuts and bolts of expanding the state's racetracks in to full-blown casinos.

Rev. Dennis Sparks of the West Virginia Council of Churches, a leading table games foe, responds to some of the proponents' arguments in a Charleston Gazette op-ed piece today -- and may have helped prompt this editorial response to gambling opponents.

Update: On a related front, MetroNews has this story about Wood County officials weighing whether to bring video lottery slot machines to the area airport.

Medicaid in W.Va.

With 14 percent of West Virginians relying on Medicaid for their health care, Public Broadcasting visits with the program's new director as the state continues to push "personal responsibility agreements" in exchange for enhanced benefits. With audio.

A Special Session?

Gov. Joe Manchin is considering calling the year's second special legislative session, to tackle one or more court-related topics, The Charleston Gazette reports.

Manchin Heading to The Citadel

On the heels of the annual National Governors Association meeting in Michigan, Gov. Joe Manchin and First Lady Gayle Manchin are slated to attend this evening's debate of Democratic presidential candidates at The Citadel in South Carolina.

"The Democratic National Committee (DNC) invited Manchin to attend this DNC-sanctioned 2008 presidential debate," the state party announced in a release.

"Prior to the debate, Manchin is scheduled to attend a dignitaries’ reception and then be escorted to the debate by Governor Howard Dean."

CNN is a co-sponsor of the debate, which is expected to feature videotaped questions submitted via YouTube.

W.Va. & 2008 Money Race

The Associated Press takes a closer look at money raised _ and spent _ in West Virginia by the 2008 presidential candidates, in the wake of the latest Federal Election Commission reports.

Among the highlights: only about 216 households have contributed so far, giving all but six of the declared candidates a total of $243,000.

An AP graphic offers in-state and campaign totals for candidates.

W.Va. Flunked Over Disclosures

West Virginia received an "F" _ as did 20 other states _ after The Center for Public Integrity graded them on the degree to which they disclose private financial interests of their governors to the public.

"Washington was the only state to receive an 'A' grade in the Center's analysis because it provided the most information to the public on its governor's personal income and investments," the group's report said. "Eight states scored in the 'B' range, while 20 states received 'Cs' or 'Ds.'"

Offering a ranking of all the states, the report gives West Virginia 44 out of a possible 100 points. While the Mountain State got points for basic filing practices and enforcement, it received only half the available points for public access. It fared worst in the area weighing the extent of filings, receiving 32 out of a possible 83 points.

The Charleston Gazette has a story on the report.