Damoose’s Bill on Mackinac Island Ferry Fee Regulation Clears Michigan Senate

Damoose’s bill on Mackinac Island ferry fee regulation clears Michigan Senate

'If we allow prices to rise unchecked, families will simply go somewhere else in the state or not come to Northern Michigan or the Eastern Upper Peninsula at all,' Damoose said

Mackinac Island Ferry Monopoly Sparks Calls for State Oversight Amid Rising Costs

The cost of getting to Mackinac Island—the car-free tourist haven accessible only by boat or plane—has become a lightning rod issue in Lansing, as state lawmakers debate whether to step in and regulate the ferry system that now falls under a single private owner. For decades, ferry service to Mackinac Island was a competitive two-player game: Shepler’s Ferry and the Star Line (recently renamed the Mackinac Island Ferry Company). But in June 2024…