Bates donating pay

A member of the West Virginia House of Delegates is donating the pay he received for the special legislative session that was held to resolve the state’s budget crisis. News outlets report that Democrat Mick Bates of Raleigh is donating his special session pay of about $3,400 to the United Way of Southern West Virginia to help the state’s flood relief efforts. Lawmakers were called back in by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin in May to reach an agreement on the budget.