Dear Sun Spots: Could you please tell me what our state legislators and senators get per mile for traveling back and forth to our state capital and what is given to them for meals. Also, do they still get the meal allowance if they brown bag their lunch every day? Thank you. – No Name, No Town.

Answer: Thanks to Editorial Page Editor Dave Farmer, Sun Spots has learned that each legislator is entitled to be paid for travel at each legislative session once each week at the same rate per mile to and from that legislator’s home as state employees receive. The mileage is determined by the most reasonable direct route, except that legislators may be reimbursed for tolls paid for travel on the Maine Turnpike as long as they have a receipt for payment of the tolls, such tolls to be reimbursed when legislators use the Maine Turnpike in traveling to and from sessions of the Legislature or in performance of duly authorized committee assignments. Each legislator is entitled to mileage on the first day of the session, and those amounts of salary and expenses at such times as the Legislature may determine during the session, and the balance at the end of the session.

n addition, each member of the Senate and House of Representatives is entitled to a meal allowance of $32 and a housing allowance of $38 for each day they attend Legislature sessions and for each day they occupy overnight accommodations away from home, either immediately preceding or following attendance at a Legislative session. n lieu of the meal and housing allowances, each is entitled to a daily meal allowance of $32 and actual daily mileage allowances in an amount not to exceed $38 per day.

When a special session is called, members must each be compensated $100 for every day’s attendance, in addition to the salary paid for the first and second regular sessions.

Members of the Penobscot ndian Nation and the Passamaquoddy ndian Tribe receive $110 compensation for each day’s attendance during the first and second regular sessions, and meal allowances as well as housing and travel expenses, similar to other Senate and House of Representative members.

Dear Sun Spots: would like the words to Gretchen Wilson’s ” Don’t Feel Like Loving You Today.” Thanks a lot. – No Name, No Town.

Answer: Sun Spots located the following lyrics online at www.cowboylyrics.com:

don’t feel like loving you today

So don’t you even try to change my mind

The best thing you can do right now is just go away

‘Cause don’t feel like loving you today

don’t want to talk about last night

‘m angry, and haven’t had much sleep

And ‘m so tired and bloodshot

Th’ain’t no tellin’ what ‘d say

‘Cause don’t feel like loving you today

But you know will anyway

Even though we make it hard sometimes

And ‘ll wind up forgiving you

And probably loving you for the rest of my life

But don’t feel like loving you today

And ‘ve got sixteen hours left to go

might tell you that ‘m leavin’

Even though you know ‘ll stay

‘Cause don’t feel like loving you today

But you know will anyway,

Even though we make it hard sometimes,

‘ll wind up forgiving and probably loving you,

For the rest of my life,

But don’t feel like loving you today,

just don’t feel like loving you today



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