BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) \u2014 California has a new day of recognition; and it comes with a soundtrack.<\/p>\n
Sept. 25 is now officially Dolly Parton Day in California, after legislation championed by Bakersfield State Sen. Shannon Grove and co-authored by Sen. John Laird made it to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk and was signed into law. The date \u2014 9\/25 \u2014 is a nod to Parton’s iconic song “9 to 5.”<\/p>\n
“Dolly Parton brings people together. It doesn’t matter if you’re Republican, Democrat, Independent\u2026 what background you are, what race you are,” Grove said.<\/p>\n
In Bakersfield, fans were already turning the new day into a celebration. At The Pour House, pink outfits and country music set the tone as the bar prepared for a karaoke night drawing a crowd eager to mark the occasion.<\/p>\n
“Everyone’s calling. Everyone’s calling like, ‘Can I get a table?’ They wanna be here for karaoke,” General Manager Brittany Jett said.<\/p>\n
For Grove, the push to honor Parton was personal. She said she and Parton shared a similar background.<\/p>\n
“We both grew up very, very poor,” Grove said.<\/p>\n
Grove also pointed to Parton’s deep generosity as a defining part of her legacy \u2014 including her decision to give every penny of the royalties from “I Will Always Love You” to poor Black neighborhoods in Tennessee, and her dedication of her entire fortune to finding a cure for childhood cancer.<\/p>\n
“She’s just an amazing person. She’s a beautiful person. She has a good soul\u2026 she’s done a lot for so many people,” Bakersfield resident Clark Skinner said.<\/p>\n
Grove also worked with former Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins to bring Parton’s Imagination Library program to California, securing $68 million to mail free books to young children each month. The program, which translates every book into both English and Spanish, is now available in 54 of California’s counties. Grove said the impact reached beyond children.<\/p>\n
She recalled a 7-year-old girl who brought her mother into Grove’s office. The girl’s 3-year-old brother had been receiving books through the Imagination Library, and their Spanish-speaking mother had been using the bilingual books to learn English alongside her son.<\/p>\n
“It wasn’t just about kids,” Grove said. “It was about a generational impact to, of course, adopt a love to learn to read and then help our Spanish-speaking communities as well.”<\/p>\n
Grove said California’s literacy rates falling below the national average made the program especially important to bring to the state.<\/p>\n
The bipartisan nature of the legislation itself reflected Parton’s unifying spirit. Grove, who describes herself as “pretty far right,” said Laird, a Democrat from Santa Cruz whom she called “very far left,” approached her after the bill deadline had passed with a creative solution.<\/p>\n
“John Laird pulled the bill off of the assembly, off of one of his bills, dropped in the Dolly Parton language, and brought it to me and said, ‘I have a gift for you,'” Grove said.<\/p>\n
Grove said even at the federal level, the recognition of Parton crossed political lines, with leaders from across the spectrum coming together to honor her.<\/p>\n
“I think even on the federal side, Donald Trump and the Democrats, Socialists and the Democrats all came together and honored Dolly Parton,” Grove said. “That’s why I said, at least today \u2014 and I would think for a longer time than just today \u2014 we should be more like Dolly.”<\/p>\n
As for how Californians should mark the day each year, Grove kept it simple.<\/p>\n
“Wear pink, donate to the Imagination Library, be kind to people, love people for who they are\u2026 We need a lot more Dolly days,” Grove said.<\/p>\n
Dolly Parton Day will be observed every Sept. 25. It is not a state holiday, so Californians still have to clock in for their 9 to 5!<\/p>\n
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