SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Jaime Andrade, D-Chicago, backed legislation that would ensure working families are not cheated out of their hard-earned money by unethical employers.

“Corporations should not be allowed to get out of paying their workers,” Andrade said. “We need to fight to safeguard and expand worker protections at the state level to ensure that Illinois workers are being compensated for their hard work.”

Andrade supported Senate Bill 1720 which would increase the penalty for disobeying a court order to pay back wages the court finds have been stolen from an employee, and prohibits businesses who violate state law on the payment of wages from contracting with the state for at least five years. Wage theft is estimated to drain $800 million – $3 billion a year from the Illinois economy, and news reports have shown that Illinois is a very difficult state for workers to recover stolen wages.

“Employers that are not paying their workers their rightfully earned wages should face strict penalties,” Andrade said. “I urge the governor to stand with the hard-working people of Illinois and sign this proposal.”

Senate Bill 1720 passed the House and Senate and is awaiting further action by the Governor.