State Reps. Ken Borton, R-Gaylord, and David Martin, R-Davison, on Thursday soundly rejected the Senate budget proposal for the Department of Natural Resources. The plan forces all Michigan drivers to purchase recreational passports for their vehicles and dramatically hikes hunting and fishing license fees.

“This is the most unserious, disappointing, and embarrassing budget proposal I’ve seen in a very long time,” said Borton, who chairs the House budget committee for the DNR. “They didn’t just kick the hornet’s nest; they shoved their entire head in and headed straight for a bear den. Too bad no one will be able to afford a bear hunting license after their budget plan.”

The Senate proposal – championed by Senators John Cherry, D-Flint, and John Bumstead, R-North Muskegon – would steal an additional $84 million away from Michigan residents. The plan mandates all Michigan drivers to purchase recreational passports when registering their vehicles – only about a third of drivers purchased passports last year – and hikes license fees across the board.

“I’ll always be opposed to burdening Michigan residents with excessive fees,” Martin said. “As chair of the Committee on Natural Resources and Tourism, I want both our citizens and visitors to enjoy Michigan’s natural wonders and make memories with their families. Our constituents should not be penalized for choosing to put food on the table or enjoying Michigan’s great outdoor attractions.”

In February, Borton threatened to zero out the DNR budget if the governor and the department continued to pursue radical fee increases.

“The Senate DNR budget is bipartisan; whoop-de-doo,” Borton said. “Don’t think that just because a Republican put their name on this that I won’t still defund the DNR into oblivion. This isn’t a policy proposal; it’s a DNR tax.”

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