The return of winter is a good time to review state laws concerning snow removal.
Michigan’s Vehicle Code section 257.677a notes that residents are prohibited from shoveling snow from their sidewalks, cars or other forms of property into the road. This means that residents must shovel, snowblow or plow excess snow onto their own property and not a nearby road or shoulder.
Doing so could obscure the vision of drivers and otherwise make the road more dangerous to operate on.
Shoveling or otherwise moving snow onto a roadway in Michigan is subject to a civil fine up to $100.
Additionally, driving with an obscured windshield is illegal in Michigan. Drivers are expected to clear any snow from their front and rear windshields before hitting the road. It’s also recommended that drivers remove the snow from the roof of their car to ensure other drivers’ visibility and safety on the road.
Drivers who are caught driving with a snow-obscured windshield could be issued a traffic ticket.
Employers will see tax savings in coming year
Most Michigan businesses will pay less in unemployment insurance taxes in 2025, the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) announced last week.
Effective Jan. 1, registered employers who are current with their filings to UIA will be taxed on a smaller portion of the wages they pay to employees, called a taxable wage base. When calculating first quarter payments, due April 25, qualified employers will be taxed on the first $9,000 in wages per employee. That is a $500 reduction in the current taxable wage base of $9,500, which has been in place since 2021.
“Michigan’s strong, sustained economic growth has resulted in healthy payments into the Trust Fund,” said UIA Director Julia Dale. “Projections show the Trust Fund will continue to be strong for the foreseeable future, and now is the right time to provide tax relief to large and small businesses that are part of the state’s robust business community.”
The lower taxable wage base is triggered when the unemployment insurance Trust Fund balance is at or above $2.5 billion on June 30 and the next calendar quarter.
