Bill Oemichen (D) Assembly 50 Candidate Questionnaire Answers

Full Name

Bill Oemichen

Date

July 2, 2026

Email

billforwisconsinassembly@gmail.com

Phone Number

6084921646

Office Sought:

State Assembly – District 50

Do you currently or have you previously held public office?

Current New Glarus School Board President, prior St. Croix County Board Supervisor

Is there any cannabis related legislation you have sponsored, co-sponsored, or publicly supported? Would you like to provide a brief statement about your stance on cannabis reform?

I have not held office where this has been an issue that could be addressed; outside the jurisdiction of the local governmental body

Do you think individual states should keep their laws in line with federal laws regarding the legalization of cannabis?

No

Do you support ending federal prohibition of cannabis?

Yes

Do you support regulating the HDC (hemp derived cannabinoid) market created under the Industrial Hemp Program / Federal Farm Bill?

Yes

If answered YES to the above question about regulating HDC’s, would you support the 2025-26 legislation Senate Bill 682 and Asseembly Bill 747, commonly known as the Testin/Kurtz HDC Reg Bill?

Yes

Do you support legalizing and regulating the responsible use of cannabis by adults in the state of Wisconsin?

Yes

Would you support a two year moratorium implementing any excise tax to evaluate true administration/regulation costs before automatically attaching an exise tax to a regulation program?

Unsure – I Have Questions

If you support an excise tax above and beyond what is needed to administer a regulation program, what percentage of excise tax do you feel is appropriate? Where do you think excise tax should be spent?

I believe an excise tax should be calibrated to the true public cost of the product it targets. That means aligning the tax rate with both the regulatory burden the product creates and the external costs it imposes on taxpayers— for example, such as Medicare and Medicaid spending to treat lung cancer and other illnesses caused by addictive tobacco use. A well‑designed excise tax ensures consumers, not the public, bear these costs, while creating incentives for healthier behavior and reducing long‑term fiscal pressures on government health programs.

Do you think cannabis should be classified as a Schedule 1 drug?

No

Do you support medical use of cannabis in the State of Wisconsin?

Yes

If you support medical use of cannabis, do you also support patient’s rights to cultivate their own medicine or assign caregivers to do it for them?

Yes

Do you support decriminalization of cannabis in the State of Wisconsin?

Yes

Do you support automatic expungement of non-violent cannabis possession convictions?

Yes

Would you (join, support or not support) The Wisconsin Cannabis Caucus

Support

Is there anything that we have missed or that you would like more information on, please do not hesitate to ask. If you are interested in speaking with a stakeholder in the industry or participating in any election coverage events such as farm or production tours, webinars, zoom town halls or if you are willing to host a hemp cannabis specific event in your district, please provide additional information below:

I would need to learn more about the boundaries for caregivers to grow medical Cannabis for those to whom they provide care. I served as the Minnesota state official (Deputy Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner) who issued hemp permits before the authority was repealed by the state legislature.