By KATHERINE GREGG
Journal State House Bureau

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- It's a Smith Hill tradition.

With the General Assembly heading into its final -- and most critical -- decision-making weeks, a last round of fundraising invitations have gone out from top ranks of the General Assembly.

On Thursday night, the "RI Senate Democrats PAC'' will hold a $125 per person fundraiser at the Pearl Restaurant and Lounge on Charles Street.

House and Senate leaders have held their own individual fundraisers throughout the legislative year. Leadership fundraisers, such as this, give the State House lobbying corps another chance to donate to their favorite State House politicians without going over the $1,000 limit on contributions to individuals.

By the end of the last quarter, the Senate Democrats had only $203.62 left in the account of the political-action committee, overseen by Senate aide Kristin Silvia, that is hosting Thursday night's fundraiser. Most of the $648.97 spent during the previous quarter covered the $513 cost of a Democratic caucus at Johnson & Wales University. Another $100 went to the R.I. Community Food Bank as a donation.

A second fundraising committee known as the RI Senate Leadership PAC -- and overseen by the Senate president's chief of staff, Thomas Coderre -- had $625.27 in its account, as of its last report to the state Board of Elections.

By way of comparison, the RI House Leadership PAC was almost flush with $3,653 on hand at the end of the last quarter, after paying $2,000 in post-election bills from political consultant Joseph Fleming; $747 to Barrington Liquors for the liquid refreshments at the legislature's St. Patrick's/St. Joseph's Day celebration at the State House, another $319.90 to LaSalle Bakery for the pastries, and a $21.38 reimbursement to aide Alan Rudolph for an I Party expense.

After rounds of earlier fundraising, the top leaders of the General Assembly have a lot more in their own personal, political accounts. As of their last reports to the Board of Elections for the three-month stretch ending on March 31:

* House Speaker Gordon D. Fox , D-Providence, had $172,800 left after raising $76,504 and spending $32,785 during the first three months of the legislative session, largely on food and drinks at favorite restaurants such as Capriccio, Hemenway's, Mills Tavern and the Asian Palace, and the $5,380 paid Venda Ravioli for the opening day reception at the General Assembly; $814 for seats at a Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce Legislative Luncheon, and another $260 in Barrington Liquors bills.

* Senate President M. Teresa Paiva Weed, D-Newport, had $42,033 left after raising $73,879 and spending $40,580 during the prior three months. That included the repayment of an earlier $10,000 loan by the Senate president to her political account, bills totaling $2,423 from Barrington Liquors in East Providence; $535 for "framing/pictures for new judges;'' $486 on "staff holiday gifts;'' from the Nutcracker Suite in Newport; $1,645 paid the Vision Strategies political-consulting firm.

The two leaders also donated money in their own political accounts to other Rhode Island politicians; bought tables at the Guild Follies, the annual political revue sponsored by the Providence Newspaper Guild; donated to favored organizations and charities -- the Newport Public Library in Paiva Weed's case, and the Institute for the Study of Nonviolence and AIDS Care Ocean State, in Fox's case; and paid for travel to out-of-state legislative gatherings in Washington, D.C., and Princeton, N.J.

House Majority Leader Nicholas Mattiello, D-Cranston, had $49,202 left, after raising $39,050 and spending $18,980 during the quarter. Senate Majority Leader Dominick Ruggerio, D-North Providence, had $42,304 left after raising $55,075 and spending $17,039 during the quarter.