On Nov. 15 the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas invalidated the Department of Labor’s (DOL) overtime final rule for all employers nationwide. Due to this decision, the minimum salary threshold for overtime exemption reverts to $35,568, and the threshtold for highly compensated employees returns to $107,432. The Labor Department may appeal the decision to the 5th Circuit, but it is expected that the new administration will likely abandon defense of the rule.
In his decision, the judge stated that while the DOL has the authority to define overtime exemptions, “that authority ‘is not unbounded.’” He noted that the 2024 Rule’s minimum salary level “effectively eliminates” the consideration of job duties in favor of a salary-only test. He also mentioned that automatic updates to the salary threshold violate the notice-and-comment rulemaking requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act.
Beginning December 31, 2024, Public Act 132 of 2019 will require that Michigan retailers only sell cage-free shell eggs. The law updated the Animal Industry Act to require shell eggs sold in the state of Michigan to be from cage-free housing systems starting December 31, 2024. The requirement will require suppliers to use a commercially recognized label or marking to indicate compliance. This new requirement does not apply to shell eggs produced by a farm with less than 3,000 egg-laying hens.
The timing is not ideal as other states with cage-free standards are experiencing egg shortages and seeing prices fluctuate as a lingering outbreak of bird flu coincides with traditionally high demand for eggs around the holiday baking season. Suppliers have been moving cage-free eggs from other parts of the country to cover low supply in outbreak areas that only allow the sale of cage-free eggs. Four states currently have cage-free mandates, Michigan joins two others with requirements staring in 2025 which will add additional strain to the current supply of cage-free eggs available.
Firearm safety devices (trigger locks and gun safes specifically intended for firearms) are exempt from Michigan’s 6% sales tax through Dec. 31, 2024. They become taxable again on Jan. 1, 2025.
Read MRA’s COO and General Counsel’s article on the Corporate Transparency Act here. Learn more about the requirement and file reports directly at www.fincen.gov/boi.