Proposal to ban hunting in Oregon clears major hurdle for November ballot

Posted on by
Reply

by Victor Park, KATUFri, July 3, 2026 at 10:39 PM

Proposal to ban hunting in Oregon clears major hurdle for November ballot

Updated Fri, July 3, 2026 at 11:18 PMUserWay icon for accessibility widget

Animals_Deer_6_IC.pngauto640x360, 828kbps854x480, 1488kbps1280x720, 2341kbps1920x1080, 3771kbps0.25×0.5xnormal1.5x2x

Oregon Initiative Petition 28 captioned.jpgOregon Initiative Petition 28 captioned 2.jpg

5VIEW ALL PHOTOSIMG_0528.jpg

(SBG, file)

90Comment

Share

A controversial ballot initiative that would ban hunting, fishing and animal slaughter in Oregon is one step closer to reaching voters after supporters submitted more than 140,000 signatures to the state.

Supporters of Initiative Petition 28, also known as the PEACE Act, announced Thursday that they turned in roughly 140,000 signatures to the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office. It marks the campaign’s strongest showing after two previous attempts to qualify for the ballot.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Oregon petition to criminalize hunting, fishing reaches signature threshold

The state now must verify the signatures. Officials have until Aug. 2 to determine whether the measure qualifies for the November general election.

If approved by voters, the proposal would expand Oregon’s animal cruelty laws to cover animals raised on farms, used in research and living in the wild. Supporters say it would extend the same legal protections currently given to companion animals. Opponents say it would effectively end animal agriculture, commercial fishing, hunting and other industries that rely on animals.

https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.774.0_en.html#deid=%22%22&eventfe_experiment_ids=%5B%5D&fid=%22goog_1061535383%22&genotype_experiment_data=%7B%22experimentStateProto%22%3A%22%5B%5B%5B45713128%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45796605%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C745150931%2Cnull%2C%5Bnull%2C1%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C749060184%2Cnull%2C%5Bnull%2C128%5D%5D%2C%5B841585769%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B846355750%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B45761044%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45722344%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45801847%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45774999%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B45784857%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2Cnull%2C45792627%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45668885%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45685340%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45765927%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B45734716%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45735891%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45663239%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45661356%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B839547366%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B45676441%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C45645574%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45688859%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45685601%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C45685602%2Cnull%2C%5Bnull%2C500%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C45767902%2Cnull%2C%5Bnull%2C500%5D%5D%2C%5B45756824%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45794243%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45747172%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B775241416%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B781107959%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B781107958%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B792614055%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B781107957%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45729602%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45753603%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45753604%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45761216%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B%5B16%2C%5B%5B1%2C%5B%5B31089630%5D%2C%5B31089631%2C%5B%5B45668885%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B1000%2C%5B%5B95332046%5D%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C%5B%5B95332047%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B10%2C%5B%5B95338769%2C%5B%5Bnull%2C45645574%2Cnull%2C%5Bnull%2C1%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B95338770%2C%5B%5Bnull%2C45645574%2Cnull%2C%5Bnull%2C2%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B50%2C%5B%5B95345206%5D%2C%5B95345207%2C%5B%5B45661356%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B1%2C%5B%5B95351425%5D%2C%5B95351426%2C%5B%5B45676441%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B1%2C%5B%5B95373378%2C%5B%5B792614055%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B95373379%2C%5B%5B45747172%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B781107959%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B792614055%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B781107957%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B10%2C%5B%5B95378629%5D%2C%5B95378630%2C%5B%5B45729602%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B95381582%2C%5B%5B45729602%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B45753603%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B95381583%2C%5B%5B45729602%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%2C%5B45753604%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B50%2C%5B%5B95382403%2C%5B%5B45794243%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B95386528%2C%5B%5Bnull%2C45767902%2Cnull%2C%5B%5D%5D%2C%5B45756824%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B10%2C%5B%5B95389581%5D%2C%5B95389582%2C%5B%5B635466687%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B10%2C%5B%5B95390088%5D%2C%5B95390089%2C%5B%5B45784857%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5Bnull%2C%5B%5B95391735%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B10%2C%5B%5B95391980%5D%2C%5B95391981%2C%5B%5Bnull%2Cnull%2C45792627%2C%5Bnull%2Cnull%2C%5C%22https%3A%2F%2Fpagead2.googlesyndication.com%2Fpagead%2Fmanaged%2Fjs%2Factiveview%2Fcurrent%2Frx_omid_video.js%5C%22%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B95391982%2C%5B%5Bnull%2Cnull%2C45792627%2C%5Bnull%2Cnull%2C%5C%22https%3A%2F%2Fpagead2.googlesyndication.com%2Fomsdk%2Freleases%2Flive%2Fomid_monitoring_bin.js%5C%22%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B50%2C%5B%5B95392425%5D%2C%5B95392426%2C%5B%5B45761216%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B50%2C%5B%5B95393784%5D%2C%5B95393785%2C%5B%5B45796605%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2C%5B50%2C%5B%5B95394237%5D%2C%5B95394238%2C%5B%5B45801847%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5B1%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%5D%2Cnull%2Cnull%2C%5Bnull%2C1000%2C1%2C1000%5D%5D%22%7D&imalib_experiments=%5B95322027%2C95331589%2C95332046%5D&is_eap_loader=false&managed_js_experiment_id=0&page_correlator=4162145922766782&pvsid=4254937695050718&top_accessible_page_url=%22https%3A%2F%2Fkatu.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Foregon-initiative-petition-28-ban-hunting-fishing-signatures-secretary-of-state-animal-cruelty-farms-research-november-general-election%22

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Controversial petition aims to ban hunting, fishing and pest control in Oregon

Campaign organizers say their effort has steadily grown since it first launched in 2020.

“We’re asking, let’s make the default option not kill animals,” said David Michelson, one of the initiative’s chief petitioners. “It is trying to shift all of us together.”

The proposal has generated strong opposition from farmers, ranchers, hunters, anglers and restaurant owners across Oregon.

At Portland’s historic Dan & Louis Oyster Bar, owner Meinert Wachsmuth said he worries the measure could have wide-ranging impacts.

“The business implications are definitely going to be challenging if that were to pass,” Wachsmuth said. “I think it has more of an impact on families. Hunting and fishing create bonds you can’t find anywhere else.”

Wachsmuth said he supports improving animal welfare but believes Oregonians should make those choices for themselves.

“When you get to that point where you realize the truth and you’re going to do everything in your life to support that, that’s wonderful,” he said. “But when you get to that point, give everybody else a chance to come to that point themselves. Don’t force them into something that should be a choice.”

Opponents argue the proposal would fundamentally change Oregon’s economy and outdoor traditions.

“This extreme proposal is causing a lot of heartburn for a lot of folks across the state of Oregon,” said Todd Adkins, executive director of the Oregon Hunters Association. “Commercial fishing is gone. Ranching is gone. It would literally flip this state on its head. It would change everything overnight.”

Supporters say the initiative is intended to spark a broader conversation about how animals are treated and whether Oregon should move away from practices that involve killing animals.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION (90)

The Secretary of State’s Office will now review and verify the signatures. If enough are deemed valid, Oregon voters will decide the measure in November.