Animal Rights Activists Secure Signatures Needed for Ballot Vote To Criminalize Hunting

Animal rights activists in Oregon hit a major milestone as their petition to criminalize the killing of animals — even hunting for food — secured enough signatures to get the measure on the ballot in November. An animal rights organization, People for the Elimination of Animal Cruelty Exemptions, PEACE, has spent the last two years collecting signatures for a ballot measure that would ban hunting and fishing, breeding practices, and pest control. According to a note on the Oregon secretary of state’s website for the petition known as IP28, the organizers submitted enough signatures last week to put the measure over the needed threshold of 117,173. The secretary of state still has to verify the signatures before the question is included on the ballot. A website set up in support of IP28 says the ballot measure is not meant to be “punitive towards anyone currently involved with the injuring, killing, or breeding of animals,” but to “be protective of the needs of the animals and to codify their right to life and bodily autonomy in law.”It states that, if passed, IP28 would “criminalize the injuring, killing, forced impregnation, and masturbation of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish in the state of Oregon.” However, it does not ban the sale of meat, leather, or fur because “we are focused specifically on criminalizing the practice of killing animals.”The head petitioner of IP28 and substitute teacher, David Michelson, told a local TV station, KATU, in February that the measure provides exemptions for cases of self-defense and veterinary practices. He also said it would not protect insects or oysters. Critics of the measure say it would devastate local communities and people who rely on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods while eliminating a major source of funding for the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Supporters of IP28 respond that the measure would establish a “Humane Transition Fund” to provide grants for “food assistance, replacement of lost income, job retraining, and aid in conservation” for those affected by the ban.In 2023, Oregon was ranked as the 22nd highest state for the number of registered hunters, with 1,173,773 hunting licenses, tags, permits, and stamps. The Department of Fish and Wildlife noted that in 2019, the combined revenue of commercial and recreational fishing and hunting amounted to $1.2 billion. Mr. Michelson cited a report from 2024 that animal-related products made up 31 percent of agriculture sales in 2022, or about $2.1 billion in sales revenue, as he told KATU he believes the state can simply shift to an all-crop-based market. The National Wild Turkey Federation said in a statement that it opposes the measure. The co-CEO of the federation, Kurt Dyroff, said, “It’s not just hunters, anglers, and livestock producers that would be affected.”“IP28 would also affect Oregonians who enjoy a sustainable ‘locavore’ lifestyle. IP28 is a threat to Oregon’s farm-to-table ethos, whether it’s wild game, freshly caught seafood, locally raised eggs, meat, or cheeses that are on the table,” he added. While the measure has received bipartisan opposition, it has earned financial backing from the Craigslist Charitable Fund, which is based in California, and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which is headquartered in Virginia. The supporters of IP28 say that if the measure is approved, they hope to advance similar measures in every state.

Animal Rights Activists Secure Signatures Needed for Ballot Vote To Criminalize Hunting

Animal Rights Activists Secure Signatures Needed for Ballot Vote To Criminalize Hunting

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