Public Pays as Senate Dines, Passes Minor Bill : Capitol: Sunday night session on budget crisis accomplishes little. But the food bill is $1,530.

The Senate met at 6 p.m. Sunday to help solve the state’s budget crisis, but the biggest problem the lawmakers solved was their hunger as more than 30 senators ate dinner at taxpayer expense.

After they had enough to eat, the Senate convened formally and passed a non-controversial workers’ compensation bill that has played only a minor part in the continuing budget negotiations.

The passage of the bill was an apparent attempt to keep up the appearance of progress in resolving the state’s $14.3-billion budget deficit even though Gov. Pete Wilson and the Legislature remain deadlocked.

Beginning today--the 15th day without a state budget--about 8,000 state workers will start going without paychecks because of the stalemate.

The bill by Sen. Robert Presley (D-Riverside), which never received a negative vote in either house of the Legislature, would allow authorities to bring misdemeanor or felony charges for the filing of a fraudulent workers’ compensation claim. It was approved, 33 to 0, and sent to Wilson.

But the first order of business for the Senate was dinner.

About 90 people--senators and staff members--ate roast beef and turkey at $17 a plate, for a total cost to the taxpayers of $1,530, according to Cliff Berg, executive officer of the Senate Rules Committee.

After the 90-minute meal, the Senate met for half an hour, passed the Presley legislation and adjourned.

During the protracted budget negotiations, the Senate has met on the weekend half a dozen times, Berg said, and each time has charged its meals to the public.

“To solve the budget crisis has cost an extra $10,000 in food,” he said.

In addition to their salaries, members of the Senate and Assembly already get a tax-free daily expense allowance of $92--every day of the week--during the Legislative session.

The Senate meal Sunday was reminiscent of the Assembly’s session Friday night.

The lower house was scheduled to meet at 6 p.m., but did not get around to business until about 9 p.m. Soon afterward, Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco) announced he had to leave shortly to get to dinner at Biba’s, a popular capital restaurant. The Assembly adjourned shortly afterward.

In fact, as legislators and the governor continue to disagree on the budget, one thing they have been able to agree on is food.

Both houses adjourned several weeks ago as the Speaker staged a huge barbecue in the park next to the Capitol. Wilson also stopped by.

During an impasse in negotiations several weeks ago, Brown took the entire Assembly to dinner at Frank Fat’s, another popular political hangout.

On another occasion, the Assembly adjourned early several weeks ago so that Republican lawmakers could go to a Napa Valley winery for a fund-raising event.

The Senate’s purchase of dinner for its members and staff at taxpayers’ expense is similar to the flap some years back when the Legislature dispensed free ice cream bars to legislators. After the practice became public, embarrassed legislators started paying for their own.