Minnesota Dem suggests studying ‘benefit of shoplifting’ in committee clash, then says it was sarcasm

A Minnesota Democrat whose retort to a Republican about potential "benefit[s] of shoplifting" during a hearing on worker misclassification defended the exchange as sarcasm gone awry.

During a Minnesota House Workforce and Labor Committee hearing this week, lawmakers reviewed information on how laws governing employee and independent contractor classifications affect insurance payments and other benefits, according to local reports.

State Rep. Dave Pinto, D-St. Paul, responded after...