Green Bay Reporter

The new bill authored by State Rep. Elijah R. Behnke seeks to strengthen protections for critical communication and energy infrastructure by expanding prohibitions and increasing penalties for tampering, according to the Wisconsin State Assembly.

According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "tampering with telecommunication or electric wires and providing a penalty".

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, the bill amends statutes to expand prohibitions against tampering with telecommunication or electric wires to include video and broadband service lines and increases associated penalties. Specifically, actions such as removing, changing, or damaging infrastructure for telegraphs, telecommunications, electric, video, and broadband services without prior notice or permission will now be criminal offenses with harsher penalties. Previously identified misdemeanors, including intentional interference or unauthorized connection to these lines, are elevated to Class I felonies. A Class I felony can carry a punishment of up to a $10,000 fine or three years and six months of imprisonment, or both. These changes aim to enhance the protection of critical communication and energy infrastructure.

The bill was co-authored by Senator Jesse L. James (Republican-23rd District), Representative Calvin T. Callahan (Republican-35th District), Representative Barbara Dittrich (Republican-99th District), Representative Steve Doyle (Democrat-94th District), Representative Chanz J. Green (Republican-74th District). It was co-sponsored by Senator Howard L. Marklein (Republican-17th District), Senator Steve L. Nass (Republican-11th District), and Senator Brad Pfaff (Democrat-32nd District), along eight other co-sponsors.

Elijah R. Behnke has co-authored or authored another 113 bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.

Behnke graduated from Toccoa Falls College in 2005 with an AA.

Behnke, a Republican, was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2025 to represent the state's 6th Assembly district, replacing previous state representative Peter Schmidt.

In Wisconsin, the legislative process starts when a senator, constituent, group, or agency proposes an idea for a bill. After drafting, the bill is introduced, numbered, and referred to a committee for review and public input. If approved, it moves through three readings and votes in both the Senate and Assembly. Once both chambers pass the same version, the bill goes to the governor, who can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. Only a small share of bills introduced each session ultimately become law. You can learn more about the Wisconsin legislative process here.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
AB242	05/02/2025	Tampering with telecommunication or electric wires and providing a penalty
AB236	05/02/2025	The rights of sexual assault crime victims
AB187	04/15/2025	Training completion awards for volunteer firefighters. (FE)
AB184	04/15/2025	Coverage of individuals with preexisting conditions and benefit limits under health plans
AB179	04/15/2025	Requirements for lighting on police vehicles
AB178	04/15/2025	Expanding the treatment alternatives and diversion programs. (FE)
AB158	04/02/2025	Changing the conditions of liability for worker’s compensation benefits for emergency medical responders, emergency medical services practitioners, volunteer firefighters, correctional officers, emergency dispatchers, coroners and coroner staff, and medical examiners and medical examiner staff. (FE)
AB149	03/17/2025	The nomination of presidential electors
AB144	03/17/2025	Eliminating a judgeship from district IV of the court of appeals and establishing an additional judgeship for district III of the court of appeals
AB136	03/13/2025	Classification of the crime of impersonating law enforcement officers, fire fighters, and certain other emergency personnel and providing a penalty
AB135	03/13/2025	The right to repair motor vehicles and providing a penalty. (FE)
AB133	03/13/2025	Investment securities under the Uniform Commercial Code
AB128	03/11/2025	Requiring first responders to be trained to administer epinephrine delivery systems. (FE)
AB103	03/04/2025	School board policies related to changing a pupil’s legal name and pronouns
AB93	02/28/2025	The distribution and labeling of fertilizers and soil or plant additives produced from manure. (FE)
AB91	02/28/2025	The requirement that first class cities and first class city school districts place school resource officers in schools. (FE)
AB88	02/28/2025	Civil action for injury or damages resulting from riot or vandalism, participation in a riot, prohibiting certain limitations or restrictions on law enforcement responses to riot or vandalism activity, and providing a penalty
AB76	02/28/2025	Creating an individual income tax deduction for certain income earned by an individual from the practice of psychiatry or from providing psychiatric or mental health services. (FE)
AB74	02/28/2025	Parental notification of alleged sexual misconduct by a school staff member. (FE)
AB66	02/24/2025	Dismissing or amending certain criminal charges and deferred prosecution agreements for certain crimes
AB64	02/24/2025	An income tax subtraction for certain expenses paid by a school teacher. (FE)
AB42	02/17/2025	Local regulation of fowl
AB38	02/17/2025	An income tax exemption for cash tips paid to an employee. (FE)
AB36	02/17/2025	Law enforcement and firefighter annuitants in the Wisconsin Retirement System who are rehired by a participating employer. (FE)
AB30	02/17/2025	Prohibiting a foreign adversary from acquiring agricultural or forestry land in this state
AB26	02/17/2025	Battery or threat to jurors and providing a penalty
AB18	02/06/2025	Fee waivers for state park vehicle admission receipts to pupils with Every Kid Outdoors passes. (FE)
AB4	02/03/2025	Required instruction in civics in the elementary and high school grades, high school graduation requirements, and private school educational program criteria. (FE)
AB3	02/03/2025	Incorporating cursive writing into the state model English language arts standards and requiring cursive writing in elementary grades. (FE)