Dear Neighbor,
We are officially in the month of March, and warmer temperatures are among us. I hope you are enjoying the change in season — I wish you a safe and healthy start to spring.
Featured in this newsletter:
- 2026 Michigan Fishing Licenses Now Available
- MiABLE Age Expansion
- Warren Spring Carnival
- March is Reading Month: Improving Literacy in Michigan
- Happy Women’s History Month!
- Detroit Home Repair Pre-Application Open
- Lifeline H2O Program
As always, it is an honor to represent you. If you would like any assistance with state-based issues, please feel free to reach out! You can email me at SenPWojno@senate.michigan.gov or call (517) 373-8360.
Warmest regards,
Paul Wojno
State Senator
District 10
2026 Michigan Fishing Licenses Now Available
Michigan’s new fishing license and regulation season will begin April 1! You can purchase the 2026 season license now. All individuals over the age of 17 are required to purchase a license to fish on Michigan’s public waters. You may purchase one of the following:
- An annual fishing license at $26 for Michigan residents or $76 for nonresidents (both carry an additional $1 surcharge).
- A senior annual fishing license at $11 for Michigan residents 65 and older or residents who are legally blind (with an additional $1 surcharge).
- A daily fishing license at $10 per day for Michigan residents and nonresidents 17 and older (valid for 24 hours).
- An optional youth fishing license, which is available at just $2 for anglers ages 16 and younger.
You can purchase these licenses at Michigan.gov/DNRLicenses or by downloading the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app and purchasing through the app. Don’t want to miss renewing next year? You can turn on auto-renew at the online checkout or in the auto renewals section of the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app to automatically buy future licenses as they become available.
MiABEL Age Expansion
The Michigan Achieving a Better Life Experience Program (MiABLE) has historically expanded the disability savings program. This new expansion has been extended to 1 million Michiganders whose disabilities began before 46, along with families and caregivers who support them. This has doubled the number of Michiganders who qualify for the program.
MiABLE allows eligible individuals to save and invest for qualified disability-related expenses — including housing modifications, assistive technology, transportation, education, and employment supports — without jeopardizing eligibility for critical benefits such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Medicaid.
Opening an MiABLE account is as simple as opening a bank account and can be accomplished within minutes. For more information or to open an account, visit Michigan.gov/MiABLE.
Warren Spring Carnival
The City of Warren will be hosting their 2026 Spring Carnival on March 21! This event is free and will run from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Warren Community Center. The event will include an Easter bunny, egg hunt, inflatables, balloon sculptures, face painting, seed planting, and more!
March is Reading Month: Improving Literacy in Michigan
March is Reading Month! This month we encourage Michiganders of all ages to foster their love of reading. This is a celebration to help promote literacy and encourage people across the country to read.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently encouraged additional steps and strategic investments to boost literacy rates and ensure a quality education statewide. My colleagues and I have been long been leaders in this effort, prioritizing Michigan futures through investing in our kids and fighting for proven-effective educational programs and support. As we recognize March is Reading Month, I want to highlight some actions my colleagues and I have taken to help more young Michiganders learn to read, including:
- Spearheading Science of Reading literacy programming;
- Bringing phonics back to Michigan curriculum;
- Banning the use of cell phones in the classroom to keep kids engaged; and
- Passing legislation that will soon screen every student for dyslexia and ensure they have the support they need to achieve literacy.
Additionally, if you or someone you know is interested in a complementary Reading Month bookmark, please feel free to contact my office at (517) 373-8360 or SenPWojno@senate.michigan.gov.
Happy Women’s History Month!
March has been nationally recognized as Women’s History Month since 1987, celebrating the struggles, triumphs, and resilience of women who have paved the way for progress and continue to inspire generations. This month offers a great opportunity to celebrate and honor all the strong women in our lives!
Detroit Home Repair Pre-Application Open
The Detroit Home Repair Pre-Application Open is now open until March 22, 2026. This repair program allows eligible Detroit residents to receive free repairs on their homes.
To apply for this program, households must meet the following initial requirements:
- Own and occupy a home in the City of Detroit
- Be current on property taxes or in a payment plan
- Have at least one of the following living in their home:
- A child under the age of 18
- A senior aged 62+
- A resident with a documented disability
- Make no more in household income than the limits described in the table below
Funding for home repair is limited, so applications with the highest needs will be prioritized for assistance. Additionally, the program may not be able to support all repair needs for any given home.
The Critical Home Repair Program provides funding to address needs like severe plumbing issues, actively leaking roofs, lack of working furnace or boiler, electrical hazards, and accessibility-related repairs to bathrooms and home entrances and exits.
The Housing and Revitalization Department will use its online Neighborly system to accept applications. Residents can apply for the Critical Home Repair Program and HRD’s LeadSafe Housing repair program with one application.
Pre-applications will be open citywide March 9 at 8:00 a.m. through March 22 at 11:59 p.m. To apply, click here. To learn more about this program, please click here.
Lifeline H2O Program
Select Detroit residents may be eligible for the Lifeline H20 Program. The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) has developed a new income-based water affordability plan – Lifeline H2O. Eligible households can get a fixed $34 monthly bill covering water, sewer, and drainage up to 6 CCFs per month.
You’ll need to provide proof of one of the following:
- All income earned in the past month for everyone in your household OR
- A current award letter from one of the following programs: SNAP, Medicaid, MEAP, TANF, FIP, SER or SSI
View detailed documentation requirements here.
Below is a flyer with additional details. To apply, click here.
