West Virginia Legislature ends session with pay raises, tax cut and failure of social issue bills

By LEAH WILLINGHAM
Associated Press

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia’s Republican-dominated state Legislature has concluded a session marked by budget disputes and controversial social issue bills that advanced but ultimately didn’t go anywhere. Lawmakers came to an agreement Saturday on measures including a budget just under $5 billion, bills that would cut unemployment benefits, a Social Security tax cut and a 5% raise for teachers and other state workers. Those proposals now head to the desk of Republican Gov. Jim Justice, who is expected to sign them. Earlier in the session, the House of Delegates passed bills that would have restricted healthcare for transgender adolescents and allow teachers to carry guns on school campuses, but the Senate did not take up the bills.