Salem Statesman Journal
Updated May 27, 2026, 12:06 p.m. PT
A sweeping petition that would restrict killing and hurting animals, essentially criminalizing hunting and fishing in Oregon, has collected enough signatures to potentially qualify for the November ballot.
The People for the Elimination of Animal Cruelty Exemptions (PEACE) Act, also known as IP 28, sets out to redefine Oregon’s animal cruelty laws. Under the proposal, animals could only be hurt or killed if they were putting people or other animals in immediate harm or by veterinarians.
The initiative’s backers say one of their goals is to “encourage people to talk about how we might move society in a direction that treats all animals — even the ones currently on farms, in research labs, and in the wild — more similar to our companion animals.”
Petitioners had turned in 120,935 signatures, exceeding the 117,173 requirement, by May 20.
Those signatures still need to be verified by the Secretary of State’s Office. The deadlines to submit signatures and for those signatures to be verified ahead of November are July 2 and August 2, respectively.
The petition has been slammed by outdoors groups and state leaders. Backers have acknowledged the petition is likely to fail if it makes it to November.
The proposed law would criminalize hunting, fishing and some farming practices by making it a misdemeanor to seriously injure, kill or impregnate an animal unless it’s in self-defense.
“IP 28 is an all out assault on Oregonians’ way of life pushed by Tina Kotek’s allies,” gubernatorial candidate Sen. Christine Drazan, R-Canby, said in a statement. “It criminalizes ranchers, farmers, meat producers and threatens to kill thousands of jobs. It would mean the end of hunting and fishing in Oregon, killing not only traditions and ending access to an essential source of food, but butchering natural resource-based industries that support hunting and fishing.”
The Oregon Hunters Association estimates that 1 million Oregonians would be impacted by a ban on hunting, fishing, farming and more. Should the proposal pass, it would harm Oregon economically by destroying many businesses and making the state more dependent on outside food suppliers, the Oregon Farm Bureau argues.
“Buying locally-raised foods at the local farmers market would be outlawed while restaurant and grocery prices would increase substantially due to the need to ship meat and dairy products in from out of state,” Sen. Anthony Broadman, D-Bend, said in a statement earlier this year. “Hunting and fishing for food is a part of Oregon’s heritage and for many of us, part of who we are.”
Oregon petition to restrict farming, hunting and fishing gains steam