Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith joined labor leaders and businesspeople at the Minnesota Capitol this afternoon, asking lawmakers for more funding to help the state crack down on what’s called “wage theft” by employers. Shawn Larson, co-owner of R-T-L Construction in Shakopee, says one percent of the firms skirt the law by refusing to pay overtime, which he says is bad for workers *and* for business. Larson adds, “Construction is a tough business. It’s even tougher when law-abiding companies have to compete against companies that are finding ways to cheat.” Governor Mark Dayton is asking the legislature for an additional one million dollars to more effectively investigate and prevent wage theft.