Can we bet on Behnke (R) for AB 747

Republican Assembly District 6 Rep. Elijah R. Behnke (R-Town of Chase) was one of those politicians on the move after redistricting happened. He won a primary election against fellow Republican Peter Schmidt in 2024, breaking a unwritten rule the Republicans follow of not running a primary against a fellow GOP Incumbent. I forget the internal conflict, but Schmidt did something the GOP didn’t like and the new maps made the time right for change I guess. Behnke won the primary and easily won the general election with over 67% of the vote.

Past Marijuana Statements

Behnke did request more information back in 2018 when he first ran for office and provided this brief chat message back regarding marijuana legalization: “Shouldn’t be opening up people to bad habits! But medical is an option.”  Activists in his district say his lack of knowledge on the subject is evident and they believe he does not care.

Behnke was not a co-sponsor of the 2021-22 Republican medical marijuana bill and repeated his performance with a no show on the 2023-24 controversial GOP medical marijuana bill. In fact, when asked about the GOP medical cannabis proposal, Behnke told Fox 11 News “We in Wisconsin have enough bad habits already,” said State Rep. Elijah Behnke, R-89th District. “I just don’t know if we can legalize another one.”

Behnke says he has concerns about abuse, safety, exposure to youth and cracking the door for full marijuana legalization.

“At this time, because police and sheriff’s departments don’t have technology to, like, do a quick on the side of the road, ‘Are you high or not?’ I’m not an amendment away from a yes,” said Behnke when asked if there was anything that could get him on board with medical marijuana legislation.

It is hard at this point to consider him a friendly Republican at this point in his career.

The Hemp Bills

Behnke was one of the six (6) Republicans that joined another four (4) Republican Assembly Representatives to submit Assembly Bill 503, the bill that mimics the federal bill to ban hemp. The bill was met with great opposition in the Assembly Committee public hearing and was all but killed in the Senate, with no public hearing ever even considered in the Senate by Committee Chair Senator Patrick Testin (R).

During lobby efforts during the public hearing on January 8th, 2026, an activist, former 6th AD candidate and current candidate for local office in Shawano County, Roy Martin, visited his assembly rep, who is Behnke. This conversation resulted in Behnke telling Martin that he (Behnke) would support AB 747 (The Testin / Kurtz Hemp Reg Bill) should it come for a floor vote.

This really spells bad news for the “Lindee Brill Ban Hemp Bill”, as two other of her co-sponsors (Murphy and Donovan) have also supported the regulate hemp bills and with Behnke, that makes three!

Where is Assembly District 6

Located in northeast Wisconsin, the district comprises all of Menominee County, most of Shawano County, and parts of western Oconto County, northeast Waupaca County, and northwest Brown County, including the cities of Shawano, Clintonville, and Gillett, and the villages of Bonduel, Bowler, Cecil, Embarrass, and Pulaski. It also contains the Menominee Indian Reservation and the Stockbridge–Munsee Community