Thank you, Mr. Herz, for laying out so clearly the bought and paid for innards of the legislative process.  Senate President Kevin Meyer appears absolutely clueless (perhaps by design) as to why it may be a problem for lobbyists and those directly involved in his vote on the Senate floor to buy him a meal or two.

"Asked why he couldn’t pay for his own meals, Meyer responded: “We could... I don’t know if that’s common practice — maybe some of the legislators do,” he said."  This is playing dumb.  "This is a community," says Evans, the lobbyist.  "I never talk business at my dinners."  This is playing the game.