The table games bill effortlessly traversed through the West Virginia House and if past votes are any indication, it may not ease through the Senate as simply. The Democratic leadership will have to crack down on some of the wayward sheep that voted against it last time.

In 2005, the Senate considered S.B 422 [3/28/05, Senate Journal], an analogous bill to the 2007 version. The following shows how each Senator voted.

Yeas (19)

* Bailey (D-Wyoming)
* Chafin (D-Mingo)
* Dempsey (D-Boone)
* Edgell (D-Wetzel)
* Facemyer (R-Jackson)
* Fanning (D-McDowell)
* Foster (D-Kanawha)
* Hunter (D-Monongalia)
* Kessler (D-Marshall)
* Lanham (R-Mason)
* Love (D-Fayette)
* McCabe (D-Kanawha)
* McKenzie (R-Ohio)
* Minard (D-Harrison)
* Minear (D-Tucker)
* Sharpe (D-Lewis)
* White (D-Webster)
* Yoder (R-Jefferson)
* Tomblin (D-Logan)

Nays (14)

* Barnes (R-Randolph)
* Boley (R-Pleasants)
* Caruth (R-Mercer)
* Deem (R-Wood)
* Guills (R-Greenbrier)
* Harrison (R-Kanawha)
* Helmick (D-Pocahontas)
* Jenkins (D-Cabell)
* Oliverio (D- Monongalia)
* Plymale (D-Wayne)
* Prezioso (D-Marion)
* Sprouse (R-Kanawha)
* Unger (D-Berkley)
* Weeks (R-Raleigh)

Excused (1)

* Bowman (D-Hancock)

But there are five new faces in the Senate. California liberal Erik Wells (D-Kanawha) replaced retired conservative Steve Harrison (R-Kanawha), Dave Sypolt (R-Preston) took over for retired Sarah Minear (R-Tucker), ultra-rich gambling lobbyist Mike Green (D-Raleigh) replaced Russ Weeks (R-Raleigh), Ron Stollings (D-Boone) replaced Tracy Dempsey (D-Lincoln), and Mike Hall (R-Putnam) replaced retired Charles Lanham (R-Mason).

Another sticky wicket is Senator Sharpe (D-Lewis) who is currently recovering from brain surgery and slated to miss the vote.

Liberal Senator Ed Bowman (D-Hancock) will have to recuse himself from all of the votes because he is an employee of Mountaineer Park.

If the new Republicans vote against table games as they should, and the new Democrats vote for it, here is the vote count in the Senate Judiciary Committee:

Yeas (11)

* Chafin (D-Mingo)
* Foster (D-Kanawha)
* Green (D-Raleigh)
* Hunter (D-Monongalia)
* Kessler (D-Marshall)
* McKenzie (R-Ohio)
* Minard (D-Harrison)
* Stollings (D-Boone)
* Wells (D-Kanawha)
* White (D-Webster)
* Yoder (R-Jefferson)

Nays (6)

* Barnes (R-Randolph)
* Caruth (R-Mercer)
* Deem (R-Wood)
* Hall (R-Putnam)
* Jenkins (D-Cabell)
* Oliverio (D-Monongalia)

While I wish Republicans Yoder and McKenzie would vote against the bill, the measure would still pass by one vote.

After the bill passes the Judiciary, it will head toward the Finance Committee where – using the same logic as before – the vote will be:

Yeas (7)

* Bailey (D-Wyoming)
* Chafin (D-Mingo)
* Edgell (D-Wetzel)
* Facemyer (R-Jackson)
* Fanning (D-McDowell)
* Love (D-Fayette)
* McCabe (D-Kanawha)

Nays (8)

* Boley (R-Pleasants)
* Guills (R-Greenbrier)
* Helmick (D-Pocahontas)
* Plymale (D-Wayne)
* Prezioso (D-Marion)
* Sprouse (R-Kanawha)
* Sypolt (R-Preston)
* Unger (D-Berkeley)

Excused (2)

* Bowman (D-Hancock)
* Sharpe (D-Lewis)

If everything stayed the same, the bill will not pass through Finance. Before you conservatives do a dance and you liberals shoot yourselves, remember a time-honored tradition followed in the legislature: if a Democrat knows a bill will pass easily and their vote will not matter, they will do what is politically expedient. The “nays” in 2005 of many Democrats may merely be posturing. One can better discern a legislator’s true beliefs when the vote is close and every Senator is needed.

All it takes is one Democrat to switch their vote for the bill and it passes. The Democrats will doubtless go into caucus the day before the Finance Committee vote and get a stern talking to by Papa Joe. After arm-twisting and threats, the lemmings will do exactly what he says.

Senators Prezioso, Plymale, or Helmick are most likely to switch their vote when Joe Manchin applies the screws. Anti-gambling organizations and constituents should flood their offices with calls urging them to stick to their principles. But the chances of that are equal to the chances the news media will stop talking about Anna Nicole Smith.

If Republican Senator Karen Facemyer (R-Jackson) switches in Finance and votes against gambling, the Democrats will have to convince two Democrats to defect. For Facemyer, this is “deja vu all over again.” It was her tiebreaking vote several years ago that allowed additional gambling in West Virginia and had ministers burning her in effigy across the state and especially her district. She joins Republican Senator and former Minority Whip Andy McKenzie (R-Ohio) in sponsoring the Senate version of bill.

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Special thanks to former Senator Steve Harrison who compiled the voting record; it’s days like these when the Senate considers harmful bills such as this that West Virginia misses him most.