Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Prosperity10000 topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Supporters tell Senate panel Prosperity10000 boosts jobs and returns state dollars
Summary
Workforce boards told the Senate panel Feb. 4 that Prosperity10000 has exceeded participation goals, generated state tax revenue, and supported training and reentry programs; witnesses urged extending the program and suggested removing a subsequent referral to Ways & Means so the statute remains in place while funding is resolved.
Supporters of Senate Bill 1512 told the Senate Committee on Commerce and General Government on Feb. 4 that continuing Prosperity10000 is fiscally prudent and essential to local workforce strategies. Witnesses from local workforce boards and the Oregon Workforce Partnership described the program as producing measurable employment outcomes and a positive state return on investment. They asked legislators to keep the statutory authority active even if immediate funding is uncertain.
Brent Balog, interim executive director of the Clackamas Workforce Partnership, described local boards as conveners and funders that invest both WIOA and flexible state dollars into training and employer-aligned programs. He said the existing funding stream for Prosperity10000 expires June 2026 and that diminished federal support and local budget challenges make the state investment important to maintain services across all nine workforce regions.
Heather Ficht, executive director/CEO of East Cascades Works, detailed regional pilots: a dental apprenticeship partnership, a mobile employment resource vehicle (MIRV) that serves remote communities, and a WorkSource reentry program at Warner Creek Correctional Facility. She identified $4.8 million in state funding to expand the WorkSource Reentry program statewide.
Doug Riggs of the Oregon Workforce Partnership cited a third‑party evaluation by Portland State University's School of Urban Planning showing reduced federal funds and reported program outcomes: the state invested $35 million in Prosperity10000, the program has produced new tax revenue and other benefits (witnesses cited $23 million in new tax revenue and broader fiscal benefits), exceeded its 10,000‑participant target (witnesses said the program has served more than 10,500 people), and delivered completion and employment metrics the boards track. Riggs said the program can be an income‑tax generator for the biennium and asked that the committee consider removing the subsequent referral to Ways & Means so the statutory framework remains available should funding reappear.
Committee members asked questions; no final fiscal or revenue statements were available at the hearing. Multiple partners and program participants — including testimony delivered online by Nami Bigos of Oregon Tradeswomen — provided personal examples of how scholarships and training funded under Prosperity10000 helped participants reskill and obtain family‑sustaining jobs.
The committee closed the public hearing on SB 1512 and discussed potential technical amendments and scheduling for a follow‑up work session.
