Indiana First Lady Maureen Braun is launching a fundraising initiative to keep the Dolly Parton Imagination Library going statewide.
The launch comes more than two months after Gov. Mike Braun tasked his wife with keeping the program alive.
The Dolly Parton Imagination Library provides free books every month to children from birth to age 5. Former Gov. Eric Holcomb helped spread the program statewide in 2023 by providing $6 million in funding, with local partners picking up the other half of the cost.
But Mike Braun eliminated that funding in his proposed budget and it was never added back in by lawmakers.
The governor charged First Lady Maureen Braun with raising money to continue the program. And in a video marking the launch of her fundraising initiative, she said reading "opens up a world of imagination for kids."
"Having books in the home helps children do better in school and will benefit them throughout their lives," Maureen Braun said.
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The initiative Maureen Braun launched is a public-private partnership the governor's office said will involve philanthropic groups and state leaders.
More information and a link to donate can be found at the Indiana State Library Foundation's website, indianastatelibraryfdn.org.
Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5 .
