Dolly Parton's long-running effort to put books in children's hands suffered a major setback in Missouri months before the country music legend and philanthropist died.
State lawmakers cut funding for the Imagination Library by about two-thirds, reducing its allocation from roughly $6 million (roughly £4.4 million) to $2 million (about £1.5 million) for the 2027 fiscal year. The decision meant Missouri could no longer accept new children into the programme once the new budget year began.
