Waterloo Senator Co-sponsors Wage Theft Bill

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Democrats in the Senate say a bill aimed at curtailing wage theft in Iowa would require businesses to be more direct with workers about employment terms.

Sen. Bill Dotzler, a Democrat from Waterloo, is co-sponsor of a bill that would require employers to share a written record of employment terms with an employee at the start of a job. The measure would also define penalty terms and expand protection for whistleblowers.

Dotzler and Democratic Sen. Tony Bisignano, of Des Moines, spoke at a press conference Tuesday.

Sen. Rick Bertrand, a Republican from Sioux City, says the measure would overregulate many honest businesses. He says he plans to introduce a bill this session that would give Iowa Workforce Development more funds to investigate wage theft cases.