California has a brand new reason to celebrate every September 25. Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB931 on September 20, officially designating 9/25 as Dolly Parton Day across the state. The date is a direct nod to“9 to 5,”her first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, which also earned an Oscar nomination and two Grammy wins.
The bill came from an unlikely pairing: Democratic Sen. John Laird and Republican Sen. Shannon Grove, who co-authored it together. Beyond the music, the legislation highlights Parton’s philanthropy, including her Imagination Library, which has mailed millions of free books to children, and her investment in a historically Black Nashville neighborhood. Tennessee already recognizes January 19, her birthday, as Dolly Parton Day. Now California joins Nashville, Portland, and two Texas counties in claiming 9/25.
Celebrations are planned in Nashville, San Francisco, and New Orleans, and the bill’s message is simple: we could all afford to live a little more like Dolly. Be kind, be humble, and have some fun. So what’s your go-to Dolly track to celebrate? Let us know in the comments.
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Local Lawton
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