Robert J. Behnen is a genealogist and a former Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 member of the Missouri House of Representatives

Missouri House of Representatives

The Missouri House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 163 members, representing districts with an average size of 31,000 residents. House members are elected for two-year terms during general elections held in even-numbered years.In 1992 Missouri...

. He currently resides with his wife, Michele McGuire, and their two children, John and Joseph, in Kirksville, Missouri

Kirksville, Missouri

Kirksville is the county seat of Adair County, Missouri, United States. It is located in Benton Township. The population was 17,505 at the 2010 census. Kirksville also anchors a micropolitan area that comprises Adair and Schuyler counties. The city is perhaps best known as the location of Truman...

.

He was born in St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...

, and graduated from Lindbergh High School

Lindbergh High School (St. Louis, Missouri)

Lindbergh High School is the high school of the Lindbergh School District and is located at 4900 South Lindbergh Boulevard in St. Louis County, Missouri. Each year the high school graduates over 420 students. The school district encompasses Crestwood, Sunset Hills, Concord, and parts of Fenton,...

. He served in the United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 achieving the rank of Sergeant (E-5) from 1984 through 1987, serving with the 1st Cavalry Division and the V Corps Inspector General

Inspector General

An Inspector General is an investigative official in a civil or military organization. The plural of the term is Inspectors General.-Bangladesh:...

. He went on to get a B.A.

Bachelor of Arts

A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

 degree from Truman State University

Truman State University

Truman State University is a public liberal arts and sciences university in Missouri, United States and a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. About 6,000 students attend Truman, pursuing degrees in 43 undergraduate and 9 Graduate programs. It is located in Kirksville in...

 in 1991, and an M.B.A. from William Woods University

William Woods University

William Woods University is a coeducational, independent, private university of 3,800 students, representing most states and approximately 20 foreign countries. The university offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in a variety of disciplines in both campus and outreach settings. WWU is situated...

 in 1996. He is fluent in German

German language

German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....

, and owns a small business conducting German genealogical research.

He is a member of the Area Agency on Aging Senior Service Council, the Missouri Arts Council Cultural Trust Board, and the Missouri Humanities Council. He is a former board member of the Kirksville Chamber of Commerce, a past president of the Kirksville R-III School Foundation, and president of the Kirksville Rotary Club

Rotary International

Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...

. He is a past secretary of the Knights of Columbus

Knights of Columbus

The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus....

, and a past trustee of the Adair County

Adair County, Missouri

Adair County is a county located in northeast Missouri. As of 2010, the population was 25,607. Its county seat is Kirksville. The county was organized in 1841 and is named in honor of Kentucky Governor John Adair....

 Historical Society. He is also a former board member of the Adair County Family YMCA

YMCA

The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...

. He is a member of the Thousand Hills Bass Club, the National Wild Turkey Federation, and Ducks Unlimited

Ducks Unlimited

Ducks Unlimited is an international non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of wetlands and associated upland habitats for waterfowl, other wildlife, and people. It currently has approximately 780,000 members, mostly in the United States and Canada.-Introduction:Ducks Unlimited was...

.

He was first elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 2000 and served three terms. He sought the 18th District seat in the State Senate in 2006, but was defeated by Wes Shoemeyer. In the election, his opposition ran an ad strongly hinting that Behnen received quid pro quo

Quid pro quo

Quid pro quo most often means a more-or-less equal exchange or substitution of goods or services. English speakers often use the term to mean "a favour for a favour" and the phrases with almost identical meaning include: "give and take", "tit for tat", "this for that", and "you scratch my back,...

campaign contributions from beneficiaries of his insertion into an omnibus dentristry bill of provisions that would allow convicted felons to be licensed as bail bondsmen after fifteen years http://www.columbiatribune.com/2006/Oct/20061029News001.asp. Behnen has been quoted as saying, "...laws are made all the time to benefit one person. That’s not uncommon at all."

Behnen served on the following committees:

• Professional Registration and Licensing (chair)
• Elementary and Secondary Education (vice chair)
• Budget.