We get boatloads of questions in here at Cheap Seats HQ, some of them marginally related to politics. So while there's a brief lull in Richmond and Washington, here are a few answers to go with your questions.

Why do bills pass the Virginia House and Senate as many as four times, when bills in Congress only go through the process once?

The short answer is that Virginia's legislative system is far more complicated than the federal system.

Congress keeps a bright line between House and Senate for the most part. Bills are introduced, go through their chamber's committee system and then come up for a vote. If two versions of the bill emerge from each house, the bills go to a conference committee, where the two sides hash out their differences. The committee report then has to pass both houses. If it does it goes to the president's desk for signature or veto.

Virginia is different. A bill can be introduced in only the Senate or House of Delegates and still make it into law. Bills that pass one chamber are automatically forwarded to the other at "crossover," the mid-point of the session.

The same bill then climbs the ladder all over again, with amendments and changes made along the way. If the two versions are different, the two sides play a game of legislative "chicken," cajoling each other to accept their version of the bill. If no one blinks, the bill goes to committee, where the two sides try to make a deal and come to a compromise.

The resulting committee report then goes back to both chambers for another vote.

Once both chambers agree on a bill, it heads to the governor's desk, who can then act as a "third chamber" and make his own amendments. If all three can agree on the wording of the bill, it becomes law. If not, then the governor can either veto the original bill or accept the House and Senate version.

Complicating matters further, senators and delegates often introduce identical legislation on both sides so they'll have a "back up" piece of legislation should something untoward happen to their bill on the way through one chamber. That often leads to duplicate pieces of legislation landing on the governor's desk. Both bills often wind up being signed or vetoed in tandem.

In a story earlier this month, Gov. Tim Kaine referred to having members of the Virginia National Guard on the border with Mexico. What was he talking about?

No, Virginia hasn't unilaterally decided to fix problems on the Mexican border. Kaine made his remarks when speaking in Winchester on two occasions last year, detailing his opposition to signing a "287(g)" agreement that would allow state officials to begin the deportation process for criminal illegal immigrants.

Kaine, a Democrat, has opposed Republican calls to sign the agreements with the federal government, in part because Virginia already has been doing part of the federal government's job on immigration -- in particular, by answering a request from President Bush in 2006 for 6,000 guardsmen to assist the Border Patrol. About 400 Virginians answered the call.

I heard Congress is sending me a check. Where's the money and what do I have to do to get it?

It took some legislative doing, but both the House of Representatives and Senate agreed a few weeks back on an economic stimulus plan that will send most taxpayers a check for $600 in early summer. Married couples get $1,200. There's also a $300 per child bonus for dependents.

There are exemptions and exceptions all over the place, so check with a tax professional to find out if you qualify. But there is one major hurdle everyone has to jump through to get the money -- file an income tax return by April 15.

Once you file a return, the check will quite likely at some point be in the mail.