Dolly Parton's child literacy program faces funding danger in Indiana

Historically, the state government has funded 50% of the program costs, with United Way matching the other 50%. This year, that 50% is absent from the proposed budget. Making this move even more ghoulish, the Imagination Library only received a small fraction of what BookRiot reports as a $51.3 billion state budget for 2025. It’s hard to imagine eliminating free children’s books really makes that much of a difference to the bottom line. 

Luckily, there’s still some hope for the Imagination Library, as well as the kids and families of Indiana who depend on it. Democratic representative Maureen Bauer called the funding removal a “disservice” aligned with the priorities of newly-sworn-in Governor Mike Braun in an interview with South Bend Tribune. She and other House Democrats hope to add it back in as they present their own version of the budget, to be proposed and debated alongside the Republican version this week. Once the House signs off on a final draft, the bill will go to the Senate.