First bill from state Sen. T’wina Nobles passes unanimously off floor
The first bill sponsored by state Sen. T’wina Nobles — who flipped a longtime-Republican 28th Legislative District seat to Democrat in November — passed off the floor in a unanimous vote Wednesday.
Nobles is the first Black person to serve in Washington’s Senate in a decade, and represents Lakewood, University Place, DuPont and parts of Tacoma.
“I also just want to recognize that Mr. John Ryan was the first Black person to serve the 28th Legislative District, and Sen. Rosa Franklin was the first Black woman to serve the state of Washington in the Senate,” Nobles said in emotional remarks after her bill passed.
Franklin, of Tacoma, served from 1993 to 2010.
“And I want to stand here and say the name of Manny Ellis, and I want to stand here for my four children, and I want to stand here for other youth who are experiencing foster care and moms who are teen moms and single moms and other community members who are experiencing homelessness,” Nobles continued. “And I want to ask them just to stay faithful, to stay hopeful.”
Nobles’ first bill, SB 5184, is personal, aimed at supporting children in the foster care system — a system she experienced as a young person.
“What I know about experiencing foster care is you need a village to pay attention to your needs,” she said Wednesday.
If passed by the House and signed into law, the bill will require K-12 schools to have a trained point of contact in every elementary, middle, and high school building to support students in foster care.
The bill was requested by the Superintendent of Public Instruction’s Office. At a public hearing in January, a representative from the office, Peggy Carlson, explained that current law requires district-level liaisons. Those liaisons often manage other programs and work out of a district office.
School contacts, under Nobles’ bill, would be chosen by the school principal, in consultation with the district’s foster care liaison. Carlson said schools wouldn’t have to hire a new employee, but could designate a current worker.
“It was the point of contacts in my life who made sure that I had track shoes when I ran for track when I was experiencing foster care, who made sure that I participated in a transitional living program and could learn how to pay my bills, and pay rent, and get an apartment, which I was able to do,” Nobles said Wednesday.
Other senators Wednesday praised the legislation and welcomed Nobles, who serves as vice chair of the Early Learning & K-12 Education and Higher Education & Workforce Development committees.
“The needs are many in our state, and sometimes it’s easy for the foster care population to fall through the cracks,” Sen. Ann Rivers, R-Port Orchard, said. “But I will rest well tonight, knowing that we have a noble watchman — watchwoman — for the task to make sure that this is a trend that does not continue.”
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