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.