Four Iowans who say they’ve been the victims of wage theft testified at the statehouse Tuesday, part of an effort by Senate Democrats to build support for a bill that would require businesses to provide employees with a written record of how they’re to be paid. Senator Bill Dotzler of Waterloo says he and other Democrats tried to make that state law last year, but Republicans in the House rejected the idea.

The current chairman of the Iowa Association of Business and Industry, Mark Ralston, has said “grandstanding” on the issue of wage theft isn’t productive and legislators should, instead, provide “more resources” so state officials can enforce current laws.

Senator Rick Bertrand, a Republican from Sioux City, agrees with the business group. He says forcing more “paperwork” on every Iowa business isn’t the answer.

Bertrand plans to introduce legislation that would set up a toll-free number workers could call to report allegations of wage theft.