CHICAGO – Attorneys general in over a dozen states, including Maine, oppose a federal Department of Labor proposal to let employers control the tips of some hourly employees.

The attorneys general filed comments in opposition with federal officials on Monday.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan called the proposal that rescinds a 2011 rule “outrageous” and likened it to wage theft.

The plan applies to employees paid the federal minimum wage, which is $7.25 an hour. In Illinois, about half a million workers could be affected.

Attorneys general in the following states and the District of Columbia oppose the plan: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington, Vermont and Virginia.