Senate Republicans have published the Legislature’s first budget proposal for the next biennium, and it includes full funding for a workforce program that has lifted hundreds of Benton and Franklin county residents out of poverty. 

The budget proposal by state Sens. Chris Gildon and Nikki Torres, the ranking Republican members of the Senate Ways & Means Committee, includes $20.6 million in core funding for the Economic Security for All (EcSA) program alongside the $200 million for the continuation of the Community Reinvestment Plan, of which $48 million enhances EcSA. 

“The EcSA program has proven to be an essential resource in reducing poverty, fostering economic mobility, and connecting individuals to family-wage jobs. This funding commitment demonstrates a continued investment in economic opportunity for all Washingtonians and a recommitment to supporting employers with their workforce needs,” said John Traugott, executive director of the Washington Workforce Association. 

Benton-Franklin Workforce Development Council was one of the first four EcSa programs launched in 2019. As of mid-2024, 233 residents had enrolled in the program, which provides locally-developed solutions and support to reach financial self-sufficiency. The local council has received nearly $2.5 million in state and federal funding for the program since it launched. 

Data from the Benton-Franklin council showed that most EcSa participants did not have a post-secondary degree, with nearly 1 out of 4 having no high school diploma. Three-quarters of enrollees were Black, indigenous or people of color and earning an average of about $2,100 per month prior to participation 

Within a year of completing the program, those participants were earning an average of more than $3,000 per month, which could lead to an estimated annual salary of about $37,000. That beat out the state average estimated annual salary of $33,000. 

“By harnessing the expertise and resources of diverse entities, the EcSA program has elevated the conversation around economic security, propelling our region towards a more equitable future,” Benton-Franklin workforce leaders said in the past.