Challenges await table games

CHARLESTON — Nothing is set in stone at this point, but anti-gambling forces are eyeing individual challenges in all four track counties besides an overall lawsuit against West Virginia’s table games law.

Gov. Joe Manchin signed the controversial legislation last week, and even before he did so, Ohio County’s commission laid plays for a special election.

Under the act, voters in the dog-and-horse track counties of Ohio, Jefferson, Hancock and Kanawha must decide whether to allow casino-style gambling at those facilities.

“We’re anticipating an injunction to stop the voting in Ohio County,” Kevin McCoy, president of the West Virginia Family Foundation, said Monday.

“We’re putting the pieces together now.”

Lewisburg attorney Barry Bruce, retained by the conservative Christian foundation to challenge the new law in court, said he is awaiting moves by the other three counties to see if they follow Ohio County’s lead.

“I’m sure they will,” Bruce said.

Ohio County has planned a special election May 9, one that must be financed by the track, since it would come in a non-election year. Otherwise, the issue would be on the primary or general election ballot in the four counties.

“We’re preparing our suit papers,” Bruce said.

“Where we will file, and how many we will file, we’re still in the process of talking with some other attorneys to figure out what the best strategy will be.”

McCoy’s group has vowed to seek court relief on grounds the law is unconstitutional since it is couched in the 1984 statewide amendment that led to the scratch-off lottery system. Opponents insist that voters never envisioned this would pave the way for roulette wheels, blackjack tables and the like.

Moreover, the Family Foundation plans to challenge the law on moral grounds by insisting casino gambling injures the state’s health and welfare as a society, given the negative impacts associated with gambling and the social ills attributed to addicted gamblers.

“We’ve had donations coming in,” McCoy said of volunteers contributing to the legal costs, which he earlier estimated at $20,000.

“We’re receiving a pretty good response. We’ve also reached out to churches and asked churches to help with this. We’re moving forward aggressively.”

Lara Ramsburg, communications director for Manchin, said the governor’s approval of the bill was consistent with what he has said all along about the issue.

While he personally prefers other avenues of economic development, the governor said he would sign a bill if it provided local referendum and included money earmarked for in-home senior care and funds to help cities and counties with infrastructure needs.

“There were things in the bill that he was encouraged to see in terms of where revenue would go, but more importantly, it was a vote of the people,” she added.

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