The Wisconsin Hemp Regulation Bills Analysis of Co-sponsors and Committee

Let’s start with AB 606 / SB 681 as a review. The “Three Tier Bill“ a hemp Regulation bill labeled as “A Bad Deal for Farmers, Small Businesses, and Consumers”

Assembly Bill 606 and was introduced on October 29th, 2025 and Introduced by Representatives Swearingen, Brooks, Novak, Steffen, Wittke, Snyder, Moses, Mursau, Summerfield, Dallman, Donovan, B. Jacobson, Kaufert, Nedweski, Penterman, Tucker and Tusler;
cosponsored by Senators Wimberger, Pfaff (D), James and Tomczyk

In the Assembly, the bill author, Rob Swearingen (R) will got his bill sent to his committee (Committee on State Affairs) in which he chairs and the bill was fast tracked public hearing in the Assembly. The bill was just issued a bill number in the Senate on Dec 1st and Senate Bill 681 was sent to Committee on Agriculture and Revenue chaired by Senator Testin.

Shop Talk – Committees and Co-Sponsors

This latest committee assignment in the Senate on the three tier bill sets the stage for the internal battle within the GOP, that is for sure. Let’s now examine who co-sponsored the Testin / Kurtz hemp bill. Or maybe we should as the question, why were all but one of the Republican’s who co-sponsored the Three Tier Bill absent from the new bill? We should also look at the committee assignments for the new bill.

The new bill (Testin / Kurtz) SB 682 / AB 747 did not attract any additional co-sponsors in the Senate, leaving Testin as the lone ranger on this wild ride of hemp regulation. In the Assembly, Kurtz picked up Rep. Shae Sortwell as 2nd in command, followed by fellow Republicans Duchow, Murphy and Kaufert. Rep. Dean Kaufert was the only crossover co-sponsor from the three tier bill. Democratic Assembly Representatives Hysell, Rose, Sinicki and Stroud round out the co-sponsors.

UPDATE 12/4 Senator Romain Quinn (R-SD25) signed on as a co-sponsor. Thank you Senator Quinn! Special shout out to Ignite Dispensary and Sutherland CBD for your continued support and activism, you guys rocked and represented, as always! We heard you guys might have had something to do with this latest co-sponsor.

UPDATE 12/8 Assembly Rep Randy Udell (D) signed on as a co-sponsor. Thank you Rep. Udell!

UPDATE 12/11 Assembly Rep. Adam Neylon (R) signed on as a co-sponsor thanks to the work of Peter from Green Swan Hemp Company in Pewaukee.

UPDATE 12/11 Assembly Rep. and Governor candidate Francesca Hong (D) signed on a co-sponsor thanks to the work of many, but I would like to think her visit to Heritage Hemp Farm and continued conversations with me (Jay Selthofner) from the Wisconsin Cannabis Activist had something to do with it.

UPDATE 12/12 Assembly Rep. Sylvia Ortiz-Velez (D) was added as a co-sponsor.

UPDATE 1/12/2026 Assembly Rep. Duke Tucker was added as a co-sponsor. Thank you and special shout out to Ignite Dispensary for their work with this legislator.

UPDATE 1/14/2026 Assembly Rep. Rob Kreibich was added as a co-sponsor. Thank you and special shout out to Ignite Dispensary for their work with this legislator.

UPDATE 1/20/2026 Assembly Rep. Dan Knodl was added as a co-sponsor.

Interesting enough, Testin’s bill will go directly to the Committee on Agriculture and Revenue, which he chairs. That all but assures his bill will receive a public hearing in the Senate. The other members of this committee are Senators Tomczyk (co-sponsor of three tier bill), Senator Marklein (cannabis hater), Senator Cabral-Guevara (420 friendly) and Senator Jacque (cannabis hater). The Democrats on the committee are Senators Pfaff (co-author of the three tier bill), Senator Spreitzer (long time supporter of reform) and newly elected Sarah Keyeski (she was absent from the Democrats version of hemp regulation).

Testin – Author of AB 747 / SB 682

Tomzcyzk – Co-sponsor of AB 606

Marklein – cannabis hater

Cabral-Guevara – 420 friendly

Jacque – Author of AB 503 The WI Bill to Ban Hemp

Pfaff (D) only Democrat to co-sponsor AB 606

Spreitzer (D) – 420 friendly and consistent cannabis reformer

Keyeski (D) – newly elected, said does not support AB 606, undecided on AB 747 and did not co-sponsor the Democrats version.

But the Assembly Leadership sent the bill to Rob Swearingen’s committee, the Committee on State Affairs. Swearingen has already held a public hearing on the Linde Brill bill to ban/redefine hemp and he also held a public hearing on his own bill, the Three Tier Bill. This committee assignment puts all eyes on Assembly Representative Rob Swearingen, who, in recent main stream media coverage is still pitching his bill as the solution and has not mentioned the Testin/Kurtz bill.

In past sessions, bills to legalize and regulate cannabis have continually stalled out under the careful watch of Rep. Swearingen.

The Assembly Committee on State Affairs: Representative Swearingen (Chair), Representative Green (Vice-Chair), Representative Summerfield. Representative Moses. Representative Wittke, Representative Spiros, Representative Piwowarczyk, Representative Sinicki, Representative Kirsch, Representative Roe .

Swearingen was main author of AB 606.

Green did not co sponsor AB 606.

Summerfield was a co-sponsor of AB 606

Moses was a co-sponsor AB 606.

Wittke was a co-sponsor of AB 606.

Spiros did not co-sponsor AB 606.

Piwowarczyk was an author of AB 503 (The bill to ban hemp in Wisconsin)

Democrat Sinicki co-sponsored AB 747 and the Democrats version AB 680

Democrat Roe co-sponsored AB 747 and the Democrats version AB 680

Democrat Kirsch co-sponsored the Democrats version AB 680

I think this sets up an interesting situation. Will Testin do a trade and allow a pubic hearing on the Three Tier Bill while holding a hearing on his own bill? That set up could, if the bills are heard consecutively in a public hearing, set the stage for something special. But if a pissing match happens between Testin and Swearingen (or the overall Senate vs Assembly), Swearingen could just let the Testin Kurtz bill sit idle and die in his (Swearingen) committee.

What about the Democrats?

I personally think that neither committee will hear the Democrats version of hemp regulation (SB 644) and that puts the Democrats in an odd situation of crossing over themselves. To put the pressure on Swearingen and his crew, I would like to see a large portion of the Democratic party come over to the Testin/Kurtz bill and add themselves as co-sponsors. Will that happen, probably not. Should it happen, probably. If we gained a few more co-sponsors in the Republican Assembly and all of the Democrats came over, the bill would have enough co-sponsors signed onto pass a floor vote. I know, I know, that is wishful thinking, but with all I have been through and with the holidays coming up, a boy can wish, can’t he?

FACTS

These are the facts, take them as you wish. Obviously we have work to do.

We need more co-sponsors to be added onto the Testin/Kurtz bill and even though the official co-sponsorship period has ended, elected officials in both chambers can still add their names on as co-sponsors. That is our our active push as grassroots activists, so get on the phone and call you elected officials and ask them to add themselves as co-sponsors to SB 682 / AB 747. Our lobbying partners, including The Wisconsin Hemp Farmers and Manufacturing Association (WIHFMA) will be working the offices in Madison, as well as securing a public hearing in the Assembly. As soon as we have more information, you will know!

And we must stay on our opposition to AB 606 / SB 681. Keep opposing this bill, keep sharing that this bill needs to die.