Former state representative Jeff Porter is still active in being an advocate for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library of Missouri.

Last year, the Montgomery City resident filed a bill that focused on early childhood literacy and created the Imagination Library of Missouri program.

Now, the program has been extended statewide. As of Nov. 8, all Missouri children under five years old are able to register for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which is a reading program that is named after the famous singer/actress. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will run the program.

Porter said he is thrilled that the program will help inspire more Missouri children to read.

“It’s important,” Porter said. “It’s about the kids. It’s not about me. I have no alternative reason to do this, except I feel like I have to go plead to the task. I have to get the kids signed up. My wife (Julie) helped a lot. There are a lot of other people helping me.”

Montgomery County has supported the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program for years. In 2001, the Local Reading Council of Montgomery County was created and is one of more than 50 reading programs in Missouri that sponsors the Imagination Library. The council includes Barb Welschmeyer, Anna Powell, Joan Andrews and Nancy Blaue.

Porter had a long political career that included 15 years as Montgomery City mayor and four years (2018-2022) as state representative of House District 42, which comprises Montgomery County and parts of Warren and St. Charles counties.

During his tenure as state representative, Porter was contacted by Lincoln County R-III School District director of student services Kelly Groeber, who organized and implemented the Imagination Library for Lincoln County. He was asked by Groeber if he could propose a statewide funding bill from the state of Missouri.

“She said, ‘Hey, is there a possibility about funding this.’ That’s what started the whole process,” Porter said. “I’ve known about the Dolly Parton program for years. My wife was a teacher for 26 years, so we always participated. We wanted to give it a shot. It’s kind of nice for my last year down there to have a bill like this to carry. I’m very proud to be a part of it.”

Porter invited his wife, Groeber, Powell, Senator Karla Eslinger, State Rep. Paula Brown, Imagination Library representative Pam Hunsaker and Lincoln County R-III school secretary Ellen Geiger to form a team that would put together a bill for the 2022 legislative session. That bill was included in a comprehensive bill called Senate Bill 681 that would address literacy in Missouri. After the bill was passed in the House and Senate, Missouri Governor Mike Parson signed it.

Porter said Senator Lincoln Hough decided that the bill will be fully funded so 400,000 children could benefit from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

“That’s what they went with,” Porter said. “That went back to my original idea. Sometimes you ask for the moon and you hope you get some kind of percentage. We got the best percentage option, which was 100 percent funding. The main task is getting the kids signed up, especially in areas they’re not used to this project. The unusual thing is Montgomery County is the second county in the state to have the program outside of Branson, where it started. So we’ve been doing this for a long time.”

DESE chief communications director Mallory McGowin said Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Missouri had nearly 76,800 registrants as of Nov. 16. The North Central Region, which includes Montgomery and Warren counties, has just over 8,300 students registered for the Imagination Library.