Living together without being married is a crime in Michigan with a penalty up to one year in jail a
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Michigan and Mississippi have something in common — a man and a woman living together without being married is technically a crime.
The Michigan law, which hasn't been enforced in decades, still carries a misdemeanor penalty of up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. But under a bill that passed unanimously in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, that language — "any man or woman, not being married to each other, who lewdly and lasciviously associates and cohabits together" — would be wiped off the books.
It's not just that the law is archaic and isn't enforced anymore, said bill sponsor Sen.Steve Bieda, a Democrat from Warren, Mich. It also carries tax implications. A person can't claim a dependent exemption for a household if the relationship is deemed "illegal" by local or state law.
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