Dave Considine (D) retires, DeSanto, Cook and Kunicki announce

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Receiving a high grade in previous sessions by co-sponsoring a variety of bills and leading the way on Industrial Hemp is Baraboo Rep. Dave Considine.  He was critical in drafting our Industrial Hemp bill that was first passed into law and cosponsored adult use legislation three consecutive sessions. First elected in 2014, he will be missed in the Assembly and our constituent cannabis activists in the area will hold the new representatives to high standards.

His assembly district number was 81 prior to the new map implementation for the 2024 election. The district he lives in is now Assembly District 40. The new district is expected to carry Democrat from anywhere between 5% and 8%, but still is on the radar screen of most political junkies and watch dogs as a competitive race. With the retirement of the incumbent and new district lines multiplied by the weirdness of Wisconsin elections…..who knows, but in my eyes the Democratic primary election decides who gets this seat.

Who has applied for the job

Candidates have already emerged in the Assembly District 40 race a primary looks to be in order. Generally primary voters are interested in specific issues, know the candidate or are politically active. Many times a primary race is decided by a few votes. I know that the Wisconsin Cannabis Activist Network suggests helping friendly candidates out during this election season. Getting to know and work with a candidate before they get elected is great way to start a relationship and build political capital, which does not come cheap.

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How does Wisconsin make change in 2024?

Brad Cook

Job: Realtor – First Weber, Substitute Teacher Pardeeville Area School District

Prior elected office: Columbia County Board 2020-Present

Other public service: Town of Pacific Plan Commission 2022-Present, Pardeeville Volunteer Fire Dept 2000-Present, Portage Elk Lodge 675, Treasurer 2022-Present

Education: BA – Political Science, Minor Economics UW-Eau Claire

Democrat Brad Cook from Pardeeville has announced he is running and is active on his campaign facebook page Brad Cook for State Assembly. When asked if he developed a stance on cannabis reform, his reply was “I do not have a fully developed stance on this and would appreciate any education you wish to provide. I can tell you that I would like to see fully legal medical marijuana in Wisconsin and an expansion of hemp and CBD options. My spouse works in law enforcement and I am hopeful to receive law enforcement endorsements through this campaign, so I will not be advocating for full legalization of all forms of marijuana at this time. Can we expand and improve technologies to strip the THC from products while still providing the pain relief and mental health benefits without the high? Law enforcement is pretty much at a point where they won’t bother individuals using at their homes etc, but are still massively concerned with driving under the influence. I would be supportive of alternative forms and deregulation as long as it can be accomplished in a way that is palatable to the law enforcement community. I would also like to see some consistency in enforcement. Many individuals find themselves afoul of the law due to the enforcement differences between counties. I.e. what seems perfectly acceptable in Dane County would get you pinched in Columbia County etc.

In an interview with the Wisconsin State Journal on July 18th and article entitled Candidate Q&A: 40th Assembly District (Democratic primary) candidate Cook was asked: What is one area where you stand apart from your party?

Cook: Many within the Democratic Party are pushing for a full legalization of marijuana. I support legalization of medicinal options, hemp production and alternative CBD products. I am however concerned with how we would regulate use and safety aspects related to driving and/or operating machinery under the influence that could affect others, and the law enforcement aspect of those regulations.

Kyle Kunicki (D-Merrimac)

Job: Mechanical Engineer, Milwaukee Valve

Prior elected office: none

Other public service: Wisconsin Assembly Page, 2019-2023

Education: University of Wisconsin – Madison, Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Democrat Kyle Kunicki from Merrimac has announced he is running and is active on his campaign facebook page Kyle Kunicki. I have contacted his campaign but have not heard back regarding his views on cannabis.

In interviews he has said he “stands with the Democrats” and in Wisconsin that means supporting legalization of marijuana.

Karen DeSanto (D-Baraboo)

Job: Non Profit Consultant

Prior elected office: none

Other public service: President WI State Alliance of Boys & Girls Club 2 years VP WI State Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs 1 year Member: Baraboo Kiwanis

Education: Consumnes River College – GE Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Clown College, Dale Carnegie Skills for Success, University of Michigan Ross School of Business, Stanford University, Lilly School of Philanthropy, – 2019 Cert Harvard Business School – 2021 Inclusive Leadership Cert American Management Association – 2022 DEI Cert

DeSanto is the most vocal so far of the candidates in this race. Megan from Grassy Barn from the Wisconsin Cannabis Activist Network had a chanc to speak with candidate Karen DeSanto about the subject of cannabis reform for Wisconsin. The DeSanto campaign provided Megan the following statement:

I support the legalization of marijuana for both medicinal and recreational purposes. Advisory referenda in Wisconsin about legalization have passed by wide margins. Our neighboring states have made it legal and are seeing economic benefits. Three of every 10 Wisconsinites above the age of 21 live within an hour’s drive of a legally-operating dispensary. It is time Wisconsin took that step.

Follow the campaign facebook profile and stay up to date on her campaign!

The Only Republican

Gerald “Jerry” Helmer (R-Prairie du Sac)

Chairman of the Republican Party in Sauk County. Campaign Facebook Page contacted and he said this about his stance on marijuana reform: My stance will be the will of the people.

I heard this guys name before from an activist with the Wisconsin Cannabis Activist Network. This activist indicated she had saw Helmer’s campaign sign on county property so she took it down and contacted him. He told her that he supports medical marijuana hands down, but not recreational marijuana.

I then got back to Helmer for clarification the best you can in these short conversations and replied that prohibition does not seem to be the solution nor is it working and that decriminalization for sure is a great start followed by legalization. The polling data shows the public supports legalization.

Helmer seemed to put on the will of the people brakes and replied “I take no objection to medical weed. As of right now I have no opinion on recreational.

assembly district 40 wisconsin 2024 map
Assembly District 40

Map of the new 40th District of the Wisconsin State Assembly.

The following communities in Columbia County are included: Town of Marcellon, Village of Pardeeville, Town of Wyocena, Village of Wyocena, Town of Fort Winnebago, Town of Pacific, City of Portage, Town of Lewiston, Town of Caledonia.

The following communities in Sauk County are included: Town of Fairfield, Town of Greenfield, Town of Merrimac, Village of Merrimac, Town of Baraboo, City of Baraboo, Village of West Baraboo, Town of Sumpter, Town of Prairie du Sac, Village of Prairie du Sac, Village of Sauk City, Town of Honey Creek, Town of Troy, Town of Franklin, Village of Plain, Town of Spring Green, Village of Spring Green, Town of Bear Creek.

Please share with your friends and family in these areas.

Stay tuned and get active!

I will provide you additional 2024 Wisconsin State Election coverage throughout the campaign season. This next election is extremely important for marijuana reform and I will continue to bring you information as more candidates make their political moves.

In the event that we end up with divided government in the 2024-25 legislation session, the official formation of The Wisconsin Cannabis Caucus would be a must first step towards reform. The official establishment of this Caucus will represent the growing, bipartisan support in Wisconsin.

Although session as ended we still urge you to contact your elected officials. The top four action alerts are still functionable on The Wisconsin Cannabis Activist Action Network for you immediate use.

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