Gone fishing — for your wallet: Michigan Senate budget hooks boaters, anglers, drivers

Michiganders will pay higher fees for vehicle registration, boating, and fishing if the state enacts the $84.6 billion budget for fiscal year 2026 that was recently passed by the Michigan Senate.

The recommendation exceeds Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s budget by more than a billion dollars but still requires the approval of the Michigan House.

The fee increase comes after a six-year period during which Michigan’s budget has grown by 47%.

Lawmakers want to require every Michigander who registers a vehicle to pay an extra $10 for a recreational park pass, a purchase that has been optional to date.

Michigan aims to raise $43.5 million in revenue through the higher recreational fee. The higher hunting and fishing fees are intended to raise $28.8 million, and the higher boating fee aims to bring in $12 million. The new Department of Natural Resources budget would hire 29 new full-time employees.

The budget will help Michiganders, said Sen. Sarah Anthony, D-Lansing, who leads the Senate Appropriations Committee.

“Our budget puts Michigan families first — plain and simple. It’s a reflection of what we’ve heard from residents across the state: They want good schools, safe communities, access to health care, and real opportunities to build a better life,” Anthony said in a press release. “From securing more resources in the classroom to upskilling workers and strengthening our local economies, this budget is about delivering results, not rhetoric.”

The Senate budget would increase the state’s foundation allowance to $10,008 per student. It would also commit $350 million toward student mental health and school safety.

The Senate budget has now moved to the House for further consideration.

Republicans panned the budget enacted by the majority Democrats. It includes unnecessary spending, including a $1 million fund that could enable those with previous marijuana convictions to enter the marijuana business, said Sen. John Damoose, R-Harbor Springs.

Bill analysis says "funding designed to help vulnerable people make drugs.” | John Damoose

Michiganders spend more money, but they get worse services, according to a statement from Sen. Thomas Albert, R-Lowell.

“State budgets for education also fail Michigan taxpayers,” Albert said. “Gov. Gretchen Whitmer noted in her State of the State address that Michigan invests more per pupil in K-12 education than most states but remains in the bottom 10 for student achievement. Yet the Senate’s proposal does not even include the governor’s call for more tutoring and intervention in low-performing districts, along with corresponding accountability measures.”

Albert criticized the budget for “spending more money without ensuring it leads to better outcomes for students, and that doesn’t make sense.”

The Senate and House must approve a plan before sending it to the governor for review and approval.

Sen. Joseph Bellino, R-Monroe, cited recent trends while making a statement opposing the budget.

“Our state budget has ballooned by more than 40% since Gov. Whitmer took office just six years ago — yet this reckless budget plan continues to increase spending,” Bellino said. “I cannot support an unbalanced spending plan that fails to fix the roads, fails to provide relief to struggling families, fails to improve student academic performance and fails to live within our means — all while once again calling on Michigan taxpayers to pay more.”