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

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia’s Republican-dominated state Legislature on Saturday concluded a 60-day session marked by budget disputes and controversial social issue bills that advanced but ultimately didn’t go anywhere.Lawmakers conferenced behind closed doors Saturday to reach an agreement on 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, among other legislation. Those…