Attorney General Peter Neronha, who also supports the legislation, said that doesn’t just ° ° 61 74 75 ° impact victims, it also rips LIVE off taxpayers. Search Site these workers as independent contractors when they are not, they don’t have "By classifying their own business, they are not working independently, you are cheating the taxpayer of the money that would come to the state," Neronha said. Research from the UMass Labor Center shows that impact on your dime. In 2019, an estimated $185 million in wages were never reported to the state, costing $25 million to $54 million in lost tax revenue. The bill to upgrade the punishment for wage theft and misclassification of workers was initially filed last year in Rhode Island but failed to pass. Union leaders, like Michael Sabitoni of the Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council, hopes the outcome will be different this time around. "If you steal $1,200 or $1,500 in Rhode Island it’s a felony, but if you steal a person’s wages as an employer it’s a misdemeanor, so in turn hopefully employers would think twice about exploiting a worker and stealing their wages," Sabitoni said. MORE TO EX PLORE Ex-boyfriend crosses the line after breakup, does it again after release, police say Man charged in North Providence road rage confrontation Mom forces kids to drink bleach, killing 3-year-old because of 'voodoo spell,' police say