2.10.17 

Suggested lead:  Foster children visited the Legislature on Friday . . . and had no trouble getting one lawmaker's attention.  Dan Frizzell has more.

Wrap (:68 total): The state Capitol in Olympia was overrun Friday, but in a good way.  For much of the day, the halls and offices were full of foster children and their advocates, here to tell their stories to lawmakers and to urge support for a bill that could make their challenges a little less daunting.  Representative Kristine Reeves has a special connection with the foster kids, because she was one herself.  Today, the Democratic legislator represents Federal Way and surrounding communities and is a sponsor of legislation that would guarantee that every child has legal representation at every stage of the dependency process.  That’s a process all too familiar to tens of thousands of Washington’s most vulnerable kids.

REEVES: “Things like termination of parental rights, adoption proceedings, there’s a variety of things that a young adult in the system would want to have resources like this as they’re going through the system, and that they get access to those resources sooner rather than later. [:16]

The bill, prime sponsored by Reeves” fellow Democratic representative, Noel Frame of Seattle, was OK’d by the House Judiciary Committee Thursday.  A vote of the full House is expected next week. In Olympia, I’m Dan Frizzell.