Legislation to allow people to park for free at state parks during free fishing weekends awaits lawmakers in the Michigan House when they return from their Thanksgiving break.
The bill passed a committee last month and is poised for a vote in the chamber.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says allowing people to park for free on free fishing weekends could cost the department thousands of dollars.
During a free fishing weekend in June, DNR netted nearly $60,000 in parking alone.
But State Representative Bruce Rendon, R-Lake City, who’s sponsoring the bill, says the state was worried about losing money before it instituted free fishing weekends and that worked out just fine.
He believes people will come back to fish and pay for parking.
The state has four free fishing days a year; one weekend in the summer and one weekend in the winter.
The next free fishing weekend is February 13th and 14th.
Lawmakers are due back in Lansing December 1st.