Gresham, OR – Today, Governor Tina Kotek and First Lady Aimee Kotek Wilson joined legislators and community partners to commemorate the signing of House Bill 4022 at an event at Multnomah County’s new East County Library in Gresham. The bill codifies the Oregon Imagination Library Program, which provides a free book each month to children ages 0–5, as an official state program.
“Starting a love of reading as early as possible is a key part of improving our state’s educational outcomes,” Governor Kotek said. “The fact that almost every legislator supported this bill shows that we can put aside our differences and work together. Thank you to Dolly Parton, the legislators that made this possible, and our program partners: you are changing the lives of our youngest Oregonians.”
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is dedicated to inspiring a love of reading by gifting books free of charge to children from birth to age five, through funding shared by Dolly Parton and local community partners, including the State of Oregon. Today, the program spans five countries and sends more than 3 million free books each month to children around the world…