North Carolina lawmakers are trying once again to ban video sweepstakes parlors.

The state House of Representatives voted 86-27 Wednesday to concur with action taken earlier in this legislative session by the Senate.

State Rep. Jamie Boles of Moore County voted with the majority in favor of the ban. The vote was taken late Wednesday after a floor debate lasting about two and a half hours. Gov. Bev Perdue was expected to sign the bill into law.

However, the future of the law, which does not go into effect until Dec. 1, is uncertain. A previous attempt to ban the computer games was undone by a series of lawsuits filed by the industry, which is expected to return to court on the issue.

Proponents of the video games argue that it is a benign form of entertainment and provides jobs and tax revenue. Opponents call it a form of gambling that attracts the people least able to afford such spending.

CENSUS - Don't expect updated figures on the 2010 population census until late this year.

Regional census representatives will soon report to a local committee on participation rates in Moore County.

A visit to the Census Bureau website reveals the latest population estimates for the county and its 11 municipalities. The 2009 estimate for Moore County is 87,158. That's up from 74,769 in 2000 and 59,103 in 1990. Southern Pines' population has grown to 12,862 according to the 2009 estimate, up from 10,918 in 2000 and 9,129 in 1990.

The village of Pinehurst shows the most startling growth with the 2009 population estimate of 12,442 more than twice the 1990 population of 5,103. In 2000 the village population was 9,706, the website shows. The Pinewild subdivision was not officially annexed into the village until early this year, so the 2009 estimate does not include those figures, known to exceed 1,000.

Tony Jones, a spokesman for the Charlotte Regional Census Center, says state population counts from the 2010 census will not be delivered to the president until Dec. 31. This will give Congress time to begin work on reapportionment. State population counts will not be available until February or March, in time for state redistricting.

COBLE - Congressman Howard Coble visited city halls in Thomasville and Denton Wednesday as he made the rounds of the 6th District.

He also visited the Denton Orator newspaper in Denton, toured the Lexington Farmers Market, had lunch in Winston-Salem and spoke at Piedmont Crossing in Thomasville.

Coble spoke at Carolina Estates in Greensboro Thursday and met with constituents with appointments at his office in High Point Wednesday and Greensboro Thursday.

This morning the congressman is taping an interview with the Greensboro Bar Association.

Congress is currently in its Independence Day holiday recess.

Contact Florence Gilkeson by e-mail at florence@thepilot.com.